They Fought in Colour / La Guerre En Couleur

Iconic photos from the First World War, newly colourized.

See seminal images of Canada's First World War experience in a new light -- offered in full colour for the first time -- with contributions from Margaret Atwood, Tim, Cook, Charlotte Gray, Paul Gross, Peter Mansbridge, and many others.

Canadians today see the First World War largely through black and white photography. Colourizing these images brings a new focus to our understanding and appreciation of the role Canada played during the First World War. It makes the soldier in the muddy trench, the nurse in the field hospital, and those who waited for them at home come to life. Immediately, their expressions, mannerisms, and feelings are familiar. They become real. They Fought in Colour is a new look at Canada's experience during the Great War. A more accessible look. A more contemporary look.
A photographic exploration of Canada's First World War experience, presented for the first time in full, vibrant colour, with complementary essays by some of our country's leading public figures.

The Vimy Foundation is a registered Canadian charity, founded in 2006, with the mission to preserve and promote Canada's First World War legacy, best symbolized by the victory at Vimy Ridge in 1917.

Paul Gross is a Canadian actor, director, producer, writer and singer. He is mostly well known for his role of Constable Benton Fraser on the CBC/CTV television series, Due South.

Peter Mansbridge is a television news anchor, journalist, and columnist. A widely respected journalist, Peter Mansbridge was the face of CBC News for nearly 30 years.

Canada's Great War comes vividly to life in this superb collection of colourized photographs of the battlefield and the homefront. The texts too add much to this nation's saga of mobilization, sacrifice, and victory. This book is one to pore over again and again.---- J.L. Granatstein, author of The Greatest Victory: Canada's One Hundred Days, 1918
Emmener mes trois fils � Vimy pour souligner le 100e anniversaire de la bataille a �t� une des exp�riences les plus significatives de toute notre vie. Nous avons �galement r�alis� que si nous avions v�cu au Canada 100 ans plus t�t, mes gar�ons auraient �t� des soldats, et non des touristes, et que certains d'entre eux ne seraient peut-�tre pas rentr�s � la maison. Chaque g�n�ration doit raconter et r�p�ter l'histoire du r�le important du Canada pendant la Premi�re Guerre mondiale. Ce livre raconte cette histoire de fa�on brillante et fra�che.--Steve Paikin, pr�sentateur, L'Agenda avec Steve Paikin sur TVO
La Guerre en Couleur jette un regard nouveau et dynamique sur le r�le important du Canada pendant la Premi�re Guerre mondiale. Les images et le texte rendent cette histoire vivante!--La tr�s honorable Adrienne Clarkson, 26e gouverneure--g�n�rale du Canada
Scrawled in chalk on a rusty brick Toronto wall - "Don't Forget Us." Five wounded Canadian soldiers, only one willing, or able to smile, sit beneath the graffiti. This is but one of the extraordinary glimpses of Canadians at home and at the front filled with the tones, tints, and hues of life and death during the First World War. The text and the photographs, in colour for the first time, educate and then haunt us; they are, in fact, quite unforgettable.--Linda Granfield, historian
Showcasing the incredible efforts of the Canadian Expeditionary Force during the First World War, They Fought in Colour connects us to the daily life of the soldiers and their families in an entirely new way. This unique book will ensure the service and sacrifice of those who served Canada a century ago are never forgotten."---- General (Ret'd) Rick Hillier, OC, ONL, CMM, MSC, CD
Taking my three sons to Vimy on the 100th anniversary of the battle was one of the most meaningful experiences of all of our lives. It also occurred to us that had we been living in Canada 100 years earlier, my boys would have been soldiers, not tourists, and some or all of them might not have come home. Every generation needs to tell and re-tell the story of Canada's important role in the First World War and this book does it in a brilliant and fresh way.---- Steve Paikin, anchor, The Agenda with Steve Paikin on TVO
They Fought in Colour is a remarkable achievement, breathing new life into the black-and-white photographs that have, until now, shaped our understanding of the Great War. This incredible colourization project is truly a gift to all Canadians interested in our nation's military history.--Mark Reid, Editor-in-Chief of Canada's History
They Fought in Colour is an exciting and new look at Canada's important role in the First World War. The images and the text bring everything alive!---- The Rt. Hon. Adrienne Clarkson, 26th Governor General of Canada (1999-2005) and Colonel-in-Chief of Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry
This book's moving essays and vivid images blow dust from the pages of history. Together, they present an up-close, very personal and moving look at a war and a time that continue to shape Canada - and the world.--Anthony Wilson-Smith, Historica