Two Generals

I rarely read graphic novels, but as the son and grandson of WWII veterans and the nephew of a Normandy campaign veteran, I was caught by this true account of the author’s grandfather at war.I expected to read a good story about someone else’s war. What I did not expect was to be be so captured by a narrative that so well captured the essence of my own loss and the memory of my own comrades who we lost in foreign fields.This is a grand but simple story, and a healing one at that. And is a powerful use of the medium.

War stories are complicated and difficult to tell, which makes comics the perfect medium for telling them: The creator can show not only the characters and their actions but also their surroundings, the details of military life, maps of battles and strategy, and the carnage that comes with war, all without breaking the narrative with blocks of description. Scott Chantler uses the medium to its fullest in an unusual sort of war story: His grandfather's experiences in the D-Day invasion as a lieutenant in the Canadian Highland Light Infantry. The story is drawn largely from the diary of Chantler's grandfather, Law Chantler, and the letters of his best friend, Jack Chrysler. In keeping with the source material, the book itself is designed to look like a diary, complete with elastic-loop bookmark.The book is divided into two parts. The first is mostly taken up with the period before the invasion, when Law Chantler and Jack Chrysler were going through training in England. This part of the book is mostly light-hearted, chronicling the two men's experiences in a new country and the trials they face in their training, but there a few moments that foreshadow what is to come, as when Chantler and Chrysler witness a bus accident in which a woman is killed. As the day draws near, the unit begins training with live ammunition (which means real casualties), and they are issued collapsible bicycles for use in the invasion. Important dignitaries, including the King of England, come to wish them well, and then--after a false start--they board ships and learn that they are indeed going to be part of the invasion of Normandy.Part Two is the story of the invasion itself. Chantler's unit hits the beach but then stalls and can move no further. The Canadians were up against one of the elite units of the German army, commanded by Field Marshal Erwin Rommel himself, and they were both outnumbered and outgunned. There are periods of waiting--even a few more light-hearted moments, as when Chantler captures a German soldier who is relieving himself in the woods--before the story culminates in a final, bloody assault on the town of Buron, which was key to the capture of Caen. Here the palette shifts from gray-green to red as the characters engage in hand-to-hand combat and press forward even as their comrades and commanders are killed on either side of them. After all that, though, the book ends on a quiet note, with Law Chantler standing quietly among the scattered bodies, his mind in another time and place.The art and storytelling in this book are nothing short of superb. Scott Chantler has a clear, crisp style that suits this type of story well. He uses muted colors in a thoughtful way--gray-green for most of the story, red to accent a moment of blood or violence and, later, as the dominant color in the battle scenes. This is never overdone, and in fact the art has a coolness to it that makes the sometimes disturbing subject matter easy to take. We are, after all, looking at this story from a distance.Chantler composes his pages carefully, starting with a nine-panel grid but often breaking it to introduce horizontal and vertical shapes. The small panels mean we are often looking at the story in a series of small details--a face, an object, a gesture--and sometimes objects or shapes mirror those on the opposite page. When he widens the view, as he does for a two-page spread of the ships on D-Day, the effect is truly stunning.The book winds up with a description of the significance of the battle of Buron and some more personal reflections. This is a war story that never glamorizes war; Chantler not only shows the injuries men receive on the battlefield, he hints at the longer-lasting consequences for those who survive, and there is a profound personal loss at the heart of it. Two Generals is a moving story, beautifully drawn and artfully told, and all the more important because it is true.Chantler has posted some of his research and the original photos and documents he drew on to create Two Generals at the Two Generals Research Blog.-- Brigid Alverson

Reason for Reading: I love reading journals,memoirs and books based on them.Wow! That one word could some up my complete review. Wow to the story! Wow to the graphics! Wow to the physical book itself!Let's start with the book. The top and bottom halves are faux leather-look, the corners are rounded on the board and the pages. The pages are a nice thick quality paper and the book virtually looks like a moleskin journal. It even has an elastic band to hold it together. Beautiful book to behold!The story is centred on the true life WW II experiences of the author's grandfather Lew Chantler and his best friend Jack. Little did they know it but they would end up being in the famous attack on the beaches of Normandy and be the Canadian division who recaptured Caen, France and ultimately ended up in the battle at Buron. The book spends plenty of time describing their training in England and life for the soldier not on active duty there before the meat of the story switches over to the Invasion at Normandy and the horrors of war. Examine the horror and tragedy of war the book certainly does while still recognizing the bravery and honour of the men who fought and those who died for their country. Taken up to the leadership level of majors, presidents, kings and those who plan the war, irony can often be found in Chantler's book. This is also the story of the bond of friendship and how one doesn't know how strong a friendship is until it is put to the test of a hardship.The artwork is fantastic. The majority of the work is done in b/w drawing with one colour added and for the majority of the book that colour is khaki, obviously representing the army, but whenever a scene that mentions the upcoming war or its possible dangers a bit of red is added which provides an unsettling contrast. As the scenes become more dangerous the khaki is left behind and red becomes the one colour in each frame, easily representing war. But when it comes to the most barbaric scenes in the middle of battle with limbs flying and death everywhere, the scheme turns to red and a light terracotta colour and these colours clearly represent death and horror.The author wrote his story using as source material, his grandfather's journal, letter's to his wife and letter's received by him from others. Chantler was also able to track down some remaining survivors/or their families who could help him with other source materials. A brutal yet compelling story of war. One that shows the horrors of war but also shows the bravery of those who fought and the respect we owe them. Scott Chantler has done his late grandfather proud. A compelling piece of Canadian history from the point of view of one Canadian who served his country.

An interesting biography, focusing on a Canadian regiment at D-Day, but it felt like a series of vignettes and lacked depth.Part of that is the graphic format and breadth of the story being attempted.Read this if you are interested in D-Day history, as it adds to the story and will prompt me to do a little more research.

This graphic novel is truly an amazing piece of contemporary Canadian literature! I read this novel for one of my classes and was very pleased to keep it and re-read it. Chantler tells his grandfather's story in a truly compelling way. Additionally, I really liked the quality of the book itself. I have to say, for the material and the overall presentation, this is a very fair price for the book!! It's a great buy and read; you'll be immediately drawn in by the great artwork, the top-notch quality of the pages, and the well-crafted storyline. Lastly, shipping was amazingly quick, just in time for when I would need it for my class!

As a high school teacher of lower level learners this is a wonderful tool with which to teach WWII. Living just north of where the book was written (St. Thomas - I am in London) the content details of things like Wolsely Barracks make the book come alive for my students!

A very enjoyable read. The research and historical detail are excellent, with one notable exception: a panel showing German paratroopers dropping into Normandy (they fought there, but did not jump in).

The artwork is top notch and the story is told in a way that really makes you think of what life was like for our soldiers fighting in World War II. I couldn't put this book down. I really became immersed in the story, I loved the detail in the artwork and in the story, really made me think of what life was like during those times.