Saints, Sinners, and Soldiers

Book excerpt: It was the "Good War." Its cause was just; it ended the Depression; and Canada’s contribution was nothing less than stellar. But the dark truth was that not all Canadians were saints or soldiers. Indeed, many were sinners. The first-ever synthesis of both the patriotic and the problematic in wartime Canada, Saints, Sinners, and Soldiers shows how moral and social changes, and the fears they generated, precipitated numerous, and often contradictory, legacies in law and society. From labor conflicts, to the black market, to prostitution and beyond, Keshen acknowledges the underbelly of Canada’s Second World War, and demonstrates that the "Good War" was a complex tapestry of social forces. Essential to both military and social historians, Saints, Sinners, and Soldiers will also prove fascinating to anyone interested in the evolution of Canada’s social fabric.