Scholastic Canada: I Am Canada

A Note from John Wilson
author of I Am Canada: Shot at Dawn

I love the little-known pieces of history, the battles, like Amiens, that are not as famous as Vimy Ridge or Passchendaele. In particular, I like to investigate the stuff that is not in the textbooks—the dark corners that don't quite fit with what we would like to believe about the past.

When I was reading about the First World War soldiers who deserted and were shot by their own side, I noticed that several of these men had been at large in the French countryside for months before they were captured. Where had they gone? What had they done in those months? None of the books told me, there were only vague tales and rumours. That's where Shot at Dawn was born.

Writing for the I Am Canada series gave me the opportunity to use the facts that I know about the First World War to craft Allan McBride's story. It also gave me the chance to explore the mystery of what happened to these deserters. Hopefully, it allowed me to give some shape, some life, to the shadows in this particular dark corner of history.

Learn more about author John Wilson (PDF)

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