Painting by André
THIS WAS A STORY ABOUT THE COURAGE of my grandparents and their five boys during World War I. I wish, in conclusion, to acknowledge my grandparents for having written the greater part of the book, while they played their role in their new country.
It goes without saying that the book would not have been possible without the considerable support of many others, and I list some hereunder:
My wife and children for being awakened at 5 a.m. as I scrambled down the stairs. Nathalie Sorenson for her special relationship with our grandmother. Carol Brettell, for teaching me how to write an introduction. Jacques, Sylvie, and Philippe Baylaucq for having discovered the pile of letters. Ted Bieler for having found the pictures to replace my father’s missing letters. Andy Powell, Desmond Morton, and Philip Cercone for encouraging me to keep going. Erskine Holmes for pointing out that many of my assumptions were incorrect. Carles Riba for having transformed the words into something more or less readable. Mandi O’Neill for finding photographs that met the publisher’s specifications. Marilyn Timmerman for insisting that the letters were the key. Thalia Field for introducing me to Mr. Scrivener’s magic formula, and Adwoa Hinson for her administrative skills. Susie Forbath for having helped me discard the unimportant. And the horde of brilliant writers at the Hay Festival who confirmed that I was an unlikely author.
Philippe Bieler