We're Not Dead Yet!

Part of Vanwell's Voices of War series, We're Not Dead Yet is a firsthand account of the experiences of Herbert Bryant "Bert" Cooke, a soldier in the 75th Canadian Battalion in France and Belgium during the First World War.

Cooke's diaries of reveal the constant fear and fatigue that wore down even the most courageous men.

He describes months of grueling training, the cramped and unsanitary conditions aboard train and ship with thousands of other soldiers, and the lack of adequate food and shelter that left many men weak and weary.

The difficult years between 1915 and 1919 are measured in miles marched by the troops through harsh weather conditions and under enemy fire.

Bert also witnessed the devastating effects of the war on the people of Europe, their homes, and their property, and recorded his observations in keen detail.

In his diaries and letters home to his wife, he ponders the logic of war, and the people - soldiers, world leaders, and civilians - who suffer the consequences of it.

Cooke's diaries offer a fresh perspective on the brutality and heroism of war.