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Showing posts from May, 2024

Echoes from the Trenches: A Candid Reflection on Harold Baldwin’s ‘Holding the Line

  “Holding the Line” by Harold Baldwin, a memoir that vividly recounts the author’s experiences during World War I, was published in a unique time frame. Unlike many memoirs that were published in the post-war years, this memoir, released in February 1918, was published during the war itself. This distinct timing adds a layer of historical significance to the memoir, making it a compelling read for history enthusiasts. Baldwin, an Englishman living in Canada, wrote this memoir with the intention of using it as a recruiting tool to enlist more Canadians and Americans to fight alongside the British on the Western Front. Original Publication Chicago: A. C. McClurg & Co., 1918.  Release Date May 14, 2024 Link https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/73624 Baldwin enlisted in August 1914 and was among the first 20,000 Canadians sent to France. He was wounded at the Second Battle of Ypres in April 1915, which suggests he began writing his memoir well before the United States entered...

Charming Tales from Victorian London: A Review of 'Memoirs of a London Doll

Published in the 19th century,  Memoirs of a London Doll  by R. H. Horne offers a charming and imaginative adventure through Victorian London, seen from the unique perspective of a doll named Maria Poppet. Original Publication New York: The Macmillan Company, 1922.  Release Date Apr 22, 2024 Link https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/73444 It is like taking a leisurely stroll through Victorian London with a charming and chatty porcelain doll as your guide. It's one of those books that wraps you up in a blanket of nostalgia and whimsy. So, here's the scoop: This doll has seen it all. From the fancy drawing rooms of the rich folks to the gritty streets where the poor make their living, she's been there, done that. And boy, does she have stories to tell! What I love about Memoirs of a London Doll is how it mixes serious stuff with a good dose of humour and heart. Sure, there's talk about the big divide between rich and poor and the struggles faced by women and children back...