โIn Flanders Fields,โ the iconic poem which gives its title to this collection of poems and selected prose, is one of Canadaโs โ and the worldโs โ best known poems of the Great War. It was written in 1915 by Canadian John McCrae, an artillery man, poet, and medical doctor, upon the death of a friend and fellow soldier during the Second Battle of Ypres in 1915.
This is a faithful reissue of the Canadian first edition of McCraeโs writings, originally issued by his friends in 1919 in his honour and memory. It includes the best of his poetry and selections of his letters from the front lines together with a thoughtful essay of appreciation by his friend and fellow medical officer, Sir Andrew Macphail.