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By the Ghost Light: Wars, Memory, and Families
From one of Canada’s most beloved performing artists comes an audacious work of non-fiction that explores the stories that shape us and the reach that the past can have across generations.
Growing up north of Toronto, R.H. Thomson’s imagination was captured by romantic notions of war. He spent his days playing with toy soldiers on the carpet of his grandmother’s house, recreating the Battle of Britain with model planes in his bedroom, or sitting at the local theatre watching World War II B movies—ones that offered a very clear perspective on who were the heroes and who the villains; which side were the victors and which the vanquished.
Yet Thomson’s childhood was also shaped by the spirits of real-life warriors in his family, their fates a brutal and more complicated reminder of the true human cost of war. Eight of Robert’s great uncles—George, Joe, Jack, Harold, Arthur, Warren, Wildy, and Fred—fought in the First World War, while his great Aunt Margaret served as a wartime surgical nurse in Europe. Five of the great uncles—George, Joe, Fred, Wildy, and Warren—were killed in battle while two others—Jack and Harold—would return home greatly diminished, spending the rest of their lives in and out of sanitariums, their lungs scarred by disease and poison gas. Throughout their lives, the great uncles, as well as great aunts and cousins, were faithful letter writers, their correspondence offering profound insights into their experiences on the front lines to their loved ones back home, a somber record of the sacrifice the family paid.
In By the Ghost Light, R.H. Thomson offers an extraordinary look at his family’s history while providing a powerful examination of how we understand war and its aftermath. Using his family letters as a starting point, Thomson roams through a century of folly, touching on areas of military history, art, literature, and science, to express the tragic human cost of war behind the order and calm of ceremonial parades, memorials, and monuments. In an urgent call for new ways to acknowledge the dead, R.H. has created “The World Remembers,” an ambitious international project to individually name each of the millions killed in the First World War.
Epic in its scope and incredibly intimate in its exploration of lives touched by the tragedy of war, By the Ghost Light is a truly original book that will challenge the way we approach our history.
Growing up north of Toronto, R.H. Thomson’s imagination was captured by romantic notions of war. He spent his days playing with toy soldiers on the carpet of his grandmother’s house, recreating the Battle of Britain with model planes in his bedroom, or sitting at the local theatre watching World War II B movies—ones that offered a very clear perspective on who were the heroes and who the villains; which side were the victors and which the vanquished.
Yet Thomson’s childhood was also shaped by the spirits of real-life warriors in his family, their fates a brutal and more complicated reminder of the true human cost of war. Eight of Robert’s great uncles—George, Joe, Jack, Harold, Arthur, Warren, Wildy, and Fred—fought in the First World War, while his great Aunt Margaret served as a wartime surgical nurse in Europe. Five of the great uncles—George, Joe, Fred, Wildy, and Warren—were killed in battle while two others—Jack and Harold—would return home greatly diminished, spending the rest of their lives in and out of sanitariums, their lungs scarred by disease and poison gas. Throughout their lives, the great uncles, as well as great aunts and cousins, were faithful letter writers, their correspondence offering profound insights into their experiences on the front lines to their loved ones back home, a somber record of the sacrifice the family paid.
In By the Ghost Light, R.H. Thomson offers an extraordinary look at his family’s history while providing a powerful examination of how we understand war and its aftermath. Using his family letters as a starting point, Thomson roams through a century of folly, touching on areas of military history, art, literature, and science, to express the tragic human cost of war behind the order and calm of ceremonial parades, memorials, and monuments. In an urgent call for new ways to acknowledge the dead, R.H. has created “The World Remembers,” an ambitious international project to individually name each of the millions killed in the First World War.
Epic in its scope and incredibly intimate in its exploration of lives touched by the tragedy of war, By the Ghost Light is a truly original book that will challenge the way we approach our history.
350 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 31, 2023
15 people are currently reading
142 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
December 29, 2023
I would give this book a 3.5 if that was an option. As a genealogy enthusiast, I found the first-hand accounts of WW1 very interesting. There is no doubt that the author is passionate about his research and his mission to have ALL WW1 soldiers named. Some parts of the book were repetitive while other parts seemed to lose focus. A comparison of the efforts of Canadian women supporting soldiers to that of cheerleaders at a football game definitely did not resonate with me and in fact, detracted from what the author was trying to convey. This book would have been a better read if more effective editing had occurred.
May 21, 2024
Thomson's stirring narrative explores a family's quest for meaning during the First World War. His interspersed anecdotes do make for a confusing read at times, even though one of every ten proves to be quite thought-provoking. Overall, Thomson's discussion of his relatives' experience goes further than most personal histories of the First World War, though could use some editing for clarity and concision.
April 4, 2024
I enjoyed the parts that were about his great uncles who served in the Great War. Though the letters could have been edited down, as I felt there was a fair amount of information in them that would only really be relevant to family members.
The author himself was rather pathetic, name dropping and constantly tooting his own accomplishments, which weren't much compared to what his ancestors had gone through. The World Remembers was a valiant project, but when it gets mentioned in every third sentence it looses some of it's virtue. And the name dropping was sad, how he shared a podium with Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth and caught a little joke between her and Prince Philip, like he was a special friend. He got a bit insufferable very quickly.
The author himself was rather pathetic, name dropping and constantly tooting his own accomplishments, which weren't much compared to what his ancestors had gone through. The World Remembers was a valiant project, but when it gets mentioned in every third sentence it looses some of it's virtue. And the name dropping was sad, how he shared a podium with Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth and caught a little joke between her and Prince Philip, like he was a special friend. He got a bit insufferable very quickly.
December 15, 2023
After hearing radio interviews with the author, I knew I had to read this book. Layered, nuanced and surprising. Yes, it's a personal history of the author's Canadian family members fighting in the Great War. But, it's also an open invitation to look at the very nature of war and of patriotism. It questions the value of military honours and heroes. "I believe in heroism, but rarely in heroes." (page 273)
There are no winners in war. Some might find his ideas offensive. I found them comforting.
Quote: "If we are to achieve peace, it must be done in the bright light of the complete memories of all the wars that have ever been fought." (page 259)
There are no winners in war. Some might find his ideas offensive. I found them comforting.
Quote: "If we are to achieve peace, it must be done in the bright light of the complete memories of all the wars that have ever been fought." (page 259)
November 1, 2024
3.5, at times, when focus is on the family and WW I, I really liked the book. I would’ve liked the focus to remain there and not off on various tangents.
December 30, 2023
Enjoyed the book. Definitely makes you think. He does get a bit off track but generally well written. It will make you think about why we have wars and perhaps how to avoid the next one.
November 10, 2025
“By the Ghost Light” by R.H. Thomson is a hauntingly intimate and intellectually expansive memoir that transforms family history into a profound meditation on war, memory, and the human cost of conflict.
Drawing from the wartime letters of his great-uncles and great-aunt—many of whom served and died in World War I—Thomson crafts a narrative that is both epic in scope and tender in detail. The book doesn’t just recount battles or family losses; it interrogates how war is remembered, how grief is inherited, and how public rituals often obscure private pain.
The book also introduces Thomson’s ambitious project, The World Remembers, which aims to name every individual killed in World War I. This initiative echoes the book’s central theme: that remembrance must be personal, not abstract. By naming the dead, Thomson insists on restoring dignity to lives often lost in the anonymity of history.
In short, “By the Ghost Light” is not just a memoir—it’s a reckoning. It challenges readers to confront the stories behind the monuments, to listen for the voices beneath the silence, and to carry forward a more honest legacy of remembrance.
Drawing from the wartime letters of his great-uncles and great-aunt—many of whom served and died in World War I—Thomson crafts a narrative that is both epic in scope and tender in detail. The book doesn’t just recount battles or family losses; it interrogates how war is remembered, how grief is inherited, and how public rituals often obscure private pain.
The book also introduces Thomson’s ambitious project, The World Remembers, which aims to name every individual killed in World War I. This initiative echoes the book’s central theme: that remembrance must be personal, not abstract. By naming the dead, Thomson insists on restoring dignity to lives often lost in the anonymity of history.
In short, “By the Ghost Light” is not just a memoir—it’s a reckoning. It challenges readers to confront the stories behind the monuments, to listen for the voices beneath the silence, and to carry forward a more honest legacy of remembrance.
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January 27, 2024I enjoyed reading this… and found myself compelled to make extensive notes as I was reading.
There is a lot to like here, and a lot that speaks to a much needed national - international - conversation about the world order and the general level of violence that persists globally.
I did feel that there was far too much emphasis on the “I” - and his travails in getting his The World Remembers project to fruition (a very worthy project indeed!).
I think this sentiment is indicative of this having needed a firmer editorial hand.
Still, a worthwhile read.
There is a lot to like here, and a lot that speaks to a much needed national - international - conversation about the world order and the general level of violence that persists globally.
I did feel that there was far too much emphasis on the “I” - and his travails in getting his The World Remembers project to fruition (a very worthy project indeed!).
I think this sentiment is indicative of this having needed a firmer editorial hand.
Still, a worthwhile read.
April 4, 2024
This is a difficult book to explain and I nearly gave up on it early on. I am glad O did not.
The authors family history guides this book. The effects of WW1 and WW2 rule this book plus the hundreds of family letters received from the war zone, hospitals, nursing Marius countries and seas.
Not wishing to spoil this book for you, but it will make you ponder what, why and how war is. How it affects the many generations during, after and in the future.
The authors family history guides this book. The effects of WW1 and WW2 rule this book plus the hundreds of family letters received from the war zone, hospitals, nursing Marius countries and seas.
Not wishing to spoil this book for you, but it will make you ponder what, why and how war is. How it affects the many generations during, after and in the future.
August 3, 2025
Everything about this resonates with me--military history, theatrical practice, a love of family, art, stories and landscape, a curiosity about science and humanity, and a suggestion that we find ways to be kinder to ourselves, our world, and those past and present who inhabit it. Inspirational, and deeply moving. I miss my dad, too.
November 21, 2025
Interesting facts, interesting data, but needed a good edit
July 25, 2024
I listened to the audio version of this lovely family history and memoir. R.H. Thomson reads it himself, in his sonorous voice, revealing a century or so of family opinions and beliefs. As he tells of uncles who were killed in the the first world war and others who came home "changed", his boyhood beliefs of heroism gradually shift and the human toll of battle becomes clear. Sourced from letters and other personal documents, Thomson's research becomes a drama. He creates an image of an old time stage, lit by a ghost light. The cast is made up of opinionated aunties, grandparents, and other ancestors whose fervent belief in God and County did not waiver. As long dead family members step into the ghost light, Thomson's own understandings of the twentieth century start to change.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews