Remembered: The History of the Commonweath War Graves Commission

by Julie Summers, Brian Harris, Ian Hislop (Foreword)

Published to coincide with the ninetieth anniversary of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, Remembered highlights the importance of the Commission's work not only in commemorating the dead, but also in preserving in perpetuity some of the most significant heritage sites of the twentieth century. Drawing on both archival material and personal reminiscences and anecdotes, Julie Summers traces the history of this organization and explores the contributions made to the Commission's work by such individuals as Rudyard Kipling, its first literary adviser, and the renowned architects Edwin Lutyens, Reginald Blomfield and Herbert Baker. Specially commissioned images by awarding-winning photographer Brian Harris provide a moving tribute to those servicemen and women commemorated in the Commission's cemeteries and on its memorials around the world, from isolated graves in Newfoundland, Canada, to the majestic silent cities of Tyne Cot in Belgium, Etaples in France, El Alamein in Egypt and Chungkai in Thailand, and the tranquility of the Gallipoli peninsula in Turkey.

191 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 2007

About the author

I was born near Liverpool and grew up first on the Wirral and then in Cheshire. Although the greater part of my childhood was spent outside pursuing any number of outdoor activities, I have always wanted to be a writer.

I am passionate about writing and unembarrassed to be so. I love researching my books, especially when they involve meeting people and finding out about their lives. I have a little study in the attic of our house with one of the best views in Oxford – the dreaming spires seen from Iffley. I write in the mornings after the children have gone to school and find the problem is not sticking to the routine but tearing myself away from writing at the end of the day. I describe myself as a biographer and historian but the most important thing for me is to be a story teller.

Reviews

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a beautiful book made slightly difficult to read due to tears in the eyes. The text history is very short and simple but interesting and definitely enhances the appreciation of the photographs which make up the majority of the volume. Julie Summers describes the decisions that had to be made about memorials - from adapting to the local geography to allowing (or not) the repatriation of bodies. She also describes the painstaking, reverent but grim work of graves registration - and the vast numbers of unidentified or missing dead.

Brian Harris's photographs of the Commission's war memorials - from a lone grave in a Labrador cemetery to Gallipoli, India and the Far East, and of course the many many in France and Belgium, from ordered rows of thousands to Polygon Wood where men are commemorated on the spot where they died and were buried - are a wonderful tribute to the fallen and to those who work so hard to ensure they are not forgotten.

[Jordan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing photographs and a nice addition to any bookshelf.