9780774809238
Distributed for University of British Columbia Press
Saints, Sinners, and Soldiers
Canada’s Second World War
The first-ever synthesis of both the patriotic and the problematic in wartime Canada, Saints, Sinners, and Soldiers shows how moral and social changes, and the fears they generated, precipitated numerous, and often contradictory, legacies in law and society. From labour conflicts, to the black market, to prostitution, and beyond, Keshen acknowledges the underbelly of Canada’s Second World War, and demonstrates that the “Good War” was a complex tapestry of social forces – not all of which were above reproach.
Table of Contents
Figures; Tables; Illustrations; Acknowledgments
Introduction
1 Patriotism
2 Growth, Opportunity, and Strain
3 The Wartime Prices and Trade Board and the Accommodation Crisis
4 Black Market Profiteering: "More than a fair share"
5 (Im)moral Matters
6 Civilian Women: "Two steps forward and one step back"
7 Women Warriors: "Exactly on a par with the men"
8 The Children’s War: "Youth Run Wild"
9 The Men Who Marched Away: "Everyone here is optimistic"
10 A New Beginning: "A very clear tendency to improve upon pre-enlistment status"
Notes; Index