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A Soldier's Sketchbook: The Illustrated First World War Diary of R.H. Rabjohn
A unique First World War diary, illustrated with more than a hundred stunning pencil sketches, for children learning history and also for adults interested in a new perspective on the War and authentic wartime artefacts.
Russell Rabjohn was just eighteen years old when he joined up to fight in the First World War. In his three years of soldiering, he experienced the highs and lows of army life, from a carefree leave in Paris to the anguish of seeing friends die around him. Like many soldiers, he defied army regulations and recorded everything he saw and felt in a small pocket diary.
Private Rabjohn was a trained artist, and as such he was assigned to draw dugouts, map newly captured trenches, and sketch the graves of his fallen comrades. This allowed him to carry an artist's sketchbook on the battlefield--a freedom he put to good use, drawing everything he saw. Here, in vivid detail, are images of the captured pilot of a downed German biplane; the horrific Flanders mud; a German observation balloon exploding in midair; and the jubilant mood in the streets of Belgium when the Armistice is finally signed. With no surviving veterans of the First World War, Rabjohn's drawings are an unmatched visual record of a lost time.
Award-winning author John Wilson brings his skills as a historian and researcher to bear, carefully curating the diary to provide context and tell the story of Private Rabjohn's war. He has selected each of the diary entries and the accompanying images, and has provided the background that modern-day readers need to understand what a young soldier went through a century ago. The result is a wonderfully detailed and dramatic account of the war as seen through an artist's eyes.
Russell Rabjohn was just eighteen years old when he joined up to fight in the First World War. In his three years of soldiering, he experienced the highs and lows of army life, from a carefree leave in Paris to the anguish of seeing friends die around him. Like many soldiers, he defied army regulations and recorded everything he saw and felt in a small pocket diary.
Private Rabjohn was a trained artist, and as such he was assigned to draw dugouts, map newly captured trenches, and sketch the graves of his fallen comrades. This allowed him to carry an artist's sketchbook on the battlefield--a freedom he put to good use, drawing everything he saw. Here, in vivid detail, are images of the captured pilot of a downed German biplane; the horrific Flanders mud; a German observation balloon exploding in midair; and the jubilant mood in the streets of Belgium when the Armistice is finally signed. With no surviving veterans of the First World War, Rabjohn's drawings are an unmatched visual record of a lost time.
Award-winning author John Wilson brings his skills as a historian and researcher to bear, carefully curating the diary to provide context and tell the story of Private Rabjohn's war. He has selected each of the diary entries and the accompanying images, and has provided the background that modern-day readers need to understand what a young soldier went through a century ago. The result is a wonderfully detailed and dramatic account of the war as seen through an artist's eyes.
112 pages, Hardcover
First published March 7, 2017
About the author
John Wilson
909 books46 followersJohn Wilson, an ex-geologist and frustrated historian, is the award-winning author of fifty novels and non-fiction books for adults and teens. His passion for history informs everything he writes, from the recreated journal of an officer on Sir John Franklin’s doomed Arctic expedition to young soldiers experiencing the horrors of the First and Second World Wars and a memoir of his own history. John researches and writes in Lantzville on Vancouver Island. There are many more details in his memoir, Lands of Lost Content, https://www.amazon.com/Lands-Lost-Con...
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
April 21, 2017
This is an incredible first hand account of the First World War with beautifully detailed illustrations throughout, and facts that I hadn't previously known.
February 9, 2017
Private Rabjohn, from Toronto Canada, enlisted to fight in WWI as soon as he turned 18. He returned a little over three years later, a seasoned veteran of numerous battles. Throughout the war, Rabjohn kept a small diary and being a trained artist, he sketched pencil and ink drawings of his surroundings - scenes of battle, faces of fellow soldiers, the glories of Paris during a 2-week leave, the endless trenches, battle equipment and machinery, etc.
A Soldier's Sketchbook: The Illustrated First World War Diary of R.H. Rabjohn features selected diary entries along with exquisitely rendered sketches. Author John Wilson also provides historical background and explanations along the way to further clarify the diary entries.
A beautifully done book that really captures a historical period less known to many people.
I received an ARC from the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.
A Soldier's Sketchbook: The Illustrated First World War Diary of R.H. Rabjohn features selected diary entries along with exquisitely rendered sketches. Author John Wilson also provides historical background and explanations along the way to further clarify the diary entries.
A beautifully done book that really captures a historical period less known to many people.
I received an ARC from the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.
March 25, 2017
Here's a peek at 18 year old Canadian R.H.Rabjohn's pocket diary/sketchbook from his 3 year's service in WWI in France. This is a sobering look at army life in wartime, suitable for grades 5 and up...and with the 100th anniversary of the US entry in WWI approaching in April, you can learn a few things that were left out of your American Historyschool textbooks. I did.
May 8, 2018
A must have for any history lover! Quite a treasure. I adored this book.
March 3, 2021
This is my selection for the 52BookClub under the prompt "a book you think they should read in schools."
This true story is about World War I from the experience and diary of 18-year-old Russell Rabjohn from Ontario, Canada. When he came of age he immediately joined the Canadian military and eventually was shipped overseas to fight. Russell began a diary September 7, 1916, which is how this book was compiled by the author who included Russell's amazing drawings.
When it was discovered that Russell was very talented at drawing, he became the official artist for the war. This book uses his diary entries in which Russell expresses his horror of things that happened. His drawings are accurate and descriptive and give the reader more understanding of warfare at that time.
This book could be used in schools in history and in art.
This true story is about World War I from the experience and diary of 18-year-old Russell Rabjohn from Ontario, Canada. When he came of age he immediately joined the Canadian military and eventually was shipped overseas to fight. Russell began a diary September 7, 1916, which is how this book was compiled by the author who included Russell's amazing drawings.
When it was discovered that Russell was very talented at drawing, he became the official artist for the war. This book uses his diary entries in which Russell expresses his horror of things that happened. His drawings are accurate and descriptive and give the reader more understanding of warfare at that time.
This book could be used in schools in history and in art.
February 6, 2018
A fascinating glimpse into the actual sketchbook/diary of a soldier who served in World War I. It follows Russell Rabjohn from “an eighteen-year-old boy enthusiastically joining the army in 1916” to a “battle-hardened twenty-one-year-old man coming home again in 1919.” Russell was a trained artist, so his superiors directed him to make technical drawings and maps. Constantly having pen and paper available enabled Russell to freely sketch his experiences on the frontlines. The drawings are a unique peek into the past.
The selected diary entries are interspersed with clearly marked context. The black-and-white pencil drawings are impressive and the sketches that show the horrors of war are respectfully rendered. What impacted me most was the innocence of the young man from Toronto going out into the world for the first time. “Saw a few fish jumping out of the water” earned a notation in his journal! It's noted that there were visual changes in Rabjohn's handwriting when he arrives in France and the reality of war sunk in. It was interesting to learn the practical concerns soldiers had to deal with, such as really sticky mud. I was impressed by Rabjohn’s empathy towards the prisoners-of-war: “It was always interesting to talk to prisoners. Some worried as to their future, others would like to know if their folks would be notified. All welcomed a cigarette, a fresh drink, or a kind word.”
In my history classes, it always seemed like we almost skipped straight from the Civil War to World War II! I appreciated this chance to get to know a little more about World War I from the memories of a Canadian soldier. It was a pleasure to get to know Private Rabjohn! I am grateful to him for his commitment to documentation. Historian and author John Wilson did a great job providing context and compiling the information into an engaging and beautifully formatted book. This book can be appreciated by older children and adults.
(An interesting article about the author John Wilson and his interest in World War I: Why John Wilson Remembers.)
_______________________
I received this book for free from Netgalley and Penguin Random House Canada/Tundra Books. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. This book will be available for purchase on March 7, 2017, almost 100 years after the United States entered the WWI (April 1917).
The selected diary entries are interspersed with clearly marked context. The black-and-white pencil drawings are impressive and the sketches that show the horrors of war are respectfully rendered. What impacted me most was the innocence of the young man from Toronto going out into the world for the first time. “Saw a few fish jumping out of the water” earned a notation in his journal! It's noted that there were visual changes in Rabjohn's handwriting when he arrives in France and the reality of war sunk in. It was interesting to learn the practical concerns soldiers had to deal with, such as really sticky mud. I was impressed by Rabjohn’s empathy towards the prisoners-of-war: “It was always interesting to talk to prisoners. Some worried as to their future, others would like to know if their folks would be notified. All welcomed a cigarette, a fresh drink, or a kind word.”
In my history classes, it always seemed like we almost skipped straight from the Civil War to World War II! I appreciated this chance to get to know a little more about World War I from the memories of a Canadian soldier. It was a pleasure to get to know Private Rabjohn! I am grateful to him for his commitment to documentation. Historian and author John Wilson did a great job providing context and compiling the information into an engaging and beautifully formatted book. This book can be appreciated by older children and adults.
(An interesting article about the author John Wilson and his interest in World War I: Why John Wilson Remembers.)
_______________________
I received this book for free from Netgalley and Penguin Random House Canada/Tundra Books. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. This book will be available for purchase on March 7, 2017, almost 100 years after the United States entered the WWI (April 1917).
November 28, 2016
The best way to learn about history is to speak to someone who lived through it. Unfortunately, there are now no more soldiers left from WWI, the war to end all wars. Short of being able to speak to them, the next best thing is to read their journals, of which this is one.
But, having read this, I would suggest actually just looking at the pictures. The journal is not awe inspiring, and that is ok. People who are thrown into wars are not trying to write great literature, and great literature this is not. But the sketches, done in the wet soggy trenches are amazing, and this done by a young twenty-something artist from Canada.
The illustrations are very moving. The diary is very brief, so it is good that there is annotations, comments and explanations for the things that are mentioned.
This would be an excellent book for the classroom, or public library. A good first-person account of what being in World War I was like for the common soldier.
Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.
But, having read this, I would suggest actually just looking at the pictures. The journal is not awe inspiring, and that is ok. People who are thrown into wars are not trying to write great literature, and great literature this is not. But the sketches, done in the wet soggy trenches are amazing, and this done by a young twenty-something artist from Canada.
The illustrations are very moving. The diary is very brief, so it is good that there is annotations, comments and explanations for the things that are mentioned.
This would be an excellent book for the classroom, or public library. A good first-person account of what being in World War I was like for the common soldier.
Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.
March 14, 2017
A Soldier's Sketchbook: The Illustrated First World War Diary of R.H. Rabjohn by John Wilson is a fascinating glimpse into the actual sketchbook/diary of a soldier who served in World War I. It follows Russell Rabjohn from 1916 to 1919 during his time in World War I. Russell was a trained artist, so his superiors directed him to make technical drawings and maps. Constantly having pen and paper available enabled Russell to freely sketch his experiences on the frontlines. The drawings are a unique peek into the past.
The selected diary entries are interspersed with clearly marked context. The black-and-white pencil drawings are impressive and the sketches that show the horrors of war are respectfully rendered. What impacted me most in the beginning was the innocence of the young man from Toronto going out into the world for the first time.
I appreciated this chance to get to know a little more about World War I from the life of a Canadian soldier. It was a pleasure to get to know Private Rabjohn. I am grateful to him for his commitment to documentation. Historian and author John Wilson did a great job providing context and compiling the information into an engaging and beautifully formatted book. This book can be appreciated by older children and adults.
I received an advanced readers copy from Penguin Random House Canada and Tundra Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The selected diary entries are interspersed with clearly marked context. The black-and-white pencil drawings are impressive and the sketches that show the horrors of war are respectfully rendered. What impacted me most in the beginning was the innocence of the young man from Toronto going out into the world for the first time.
I appreciated this chance to get to know a little more about World War I from the life of a Canadian soldier. It was a pleasure to get to know Private Rabjohn. I am grateful to him for his commitment to documentation. Historian and author John Wilson did a great job providing context and compiling the information into an engaging and beautifully formatted book. This book can be appreciated by older children and adults.
I received an advanced readers copy from Penguin Random House Canada and Tundra Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
June 16, 2017
An exceptionally insightful look at the daily life of a World War I soldier on the Western Front through the remarkably detailed pencil sketches and extracts from the diary of an eighteen-year-old Canadian soldier. Rabjohn vividly describe intimate wartime experiences of death and destruction in gruesomely dispassionate terms. An outstanding collection of firsthand impressions of a soldier on the front lines of the Great War.
November 15, 2017
I loved the drawings made by Rabjohn. He was quite a talented artist. I was a bit irritated by the small font used for the diary entries, however. The small size made me not want to read them, though when I did, I found them insightful about all the issues of soldiering during WWI. And excellent primary document.
January 28, 2018
This book was an assigned reading for a class, and I wasn't expecting much out of it. But I was surprised by how intense a soldier's simple diary entries can be. It's a humane book, and at times difficult to read because of the devastation and destructions happening around Russell. I learned quite a bit from it.
Quick read.
Quick read.
February 22, 2021
His drawing are incredible. Really take you there. War is not often seen by civilians unless they occupy the territory where the fighting is taking place. In a time before photos and cameras, these sketches offer a deep insight into the experience. They capture, sometimes the memories, but always the diverging impacts and threats of war.
October 16, 2017
I picked this up from the Greenbelt Library and I'm glad I did. It was interesting to see the artwork after my recent listen to "Blueprint for Armageddon." While I wish the secondary author had added more depth to his background writing, the sketches and Rabjohn's journal is the big draw.
January 2, 2018
RATING: 4 STARS
(I received an ARC from the NETGALLEY)
(Review Not on Blog)
A really cool book for history buffs and young ones looking to know more about WWI and history. I really like the sketches.
(I received an ARC from the NETGALLEY)
(Review Not on Blog)
A really cool book for history buffs and young ones looking to know more about WWI and history. I really like the sketches.
April 13, 2024
A researcher wanting a personal, rather than tactical, view of World War I could scarcely do better. I loved the nitty-gritty details such as a diagram of a gas mask's filtration box and a list of rations.
July 1, 2018
Fascinating, moving, and insightful, this book is equally useful for adults and older kids with an interest in WWI.
February 24, 2019
A quick read with very poignant entries in the soldier's diary and wonderful drawings of the scene. Really enjoyed it.
March 8, 2017
A harrowing book that was hard to read at times, but so interesting. I think it can be easy to distance yourself when reading about war through statistics and facts. It was definitely eye-opening reading Russell Rabjohn's diary entries and seeing the detailed sketches. I am grateful to have gotten a chance to read even a portion of his experience during war and gain some insight. Highly recommend.
Disclaimer: I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Disclaimer: I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
November 30, 2017
This book was received for free from LibraryThing’s Early Reviewers in return for a review.
In 1916 World War I, while raging, had devolved to attrition in the trenches. Any news received from the front for public consumption was censored, sanitized and reframed in such a way that most people on the home front had no idea what conditions were really like. Fortunately soldiers kept diaries, providing first-hand accounts of their own experiences. RH Rabjohn was one such soldier, signing up at 18 with the Canadian Expeditionary Force. In possession of an arts background he put his skills to use, illustrating what he saw, seeing action in such battles as Vimy Ridge, Arras and Passchendaele.
His drawings have a kinetic feel to them, most with figures in motion whether on the clock or on leave. But he doesn’t shy away from death or the aftermath of battle. These scenes provide a real sense of the horror he and others must have experienced, a true telling of the cost of war.
The book is divided up chronologically in terms of battles and locations, allowing the reader to see what Rabjohn did and where he was. This is further divided into categories such as “mud” and “POWs”. The book is clearly an abridged version of the diary but it’s unclear if only sections with accompanying illustrations were included or if the choice was random.
One confusing aspect was the font choice. Alongside the diary entries are additional notes written by the book’s author. The entries though use a more modern font while the author’s contributions look more archaic. Normally I would have expected this to be reversed to reflect and reinforce the differing time periods in which Rabjohn and Wilson wrote. The fact that this isn’t the case, sometimes led me to start reading Wilson’s portions as if they were Rabjohn’s.
Overall an enjoyable read that provided a personal look into one soldier’s experiences, peeling back the layers of time on events quickly receding into history.
In 1916 World War I, while raging, had devolved to attrition in the trenches. Any news received from the front for public consumption was censored, sanitized and reframed in such a way that most people on the home front had no idea what conditions were really like. Fortunately soldiers kept diaries, providing first-hand accounts of their own experiences. RH Rabjohn was one such soldier, signing up at 18 with the Canadian Expeditionary Force. In possession of an arts background he put his skills to use, illustrating what he saw, seeing action in such battles as Vimy Ridge, Arras and Passchendaele.
His drawings have a kinetic feel to them, most with figures in motion whether on the clock or on leave. But he doesn’t shy away from death or the aftermath of battle. These scenes provide a real sense of the horror he and others must have experienced, a true telling of the cost of war.
The book is divided up chronologically in terms of battles and locations, allowing the reader to see what Rabjohn did and where he was. This is further divided into categories such as “mud” and “POWs”. The book is clearly an abridged version of the diary but it’s unclear if only sections with accompanying illustrations were included or if the choice was random.
One confusing aspect was the font choice. Alongside the diary entries are additional notes written by the book’s author. The entries though use a more modern font while the author’s contributions look more archaic. Normally I would have expected this to be reversed to reflect and reinforce the differing time periods in which Rabjohn and Wilson wrote. The fact that this isn’t the case, sometimes led me to start reading Wilson’s portions as if they were Rabjohn’s.
Overall an enjoyable read that provided a personal look into one soldier’s experiences, peeling back the layers of time on events quickly receding into history.
November 24, 2016
I've been really into accounts of the war recently, both real and fictitious. That's what instantly drew me towards this book, the fact that it was a sketchbook as well drew me in even more (no pun intended, honest!).
I really enjoyed this book. Narrative woven in nicely with the sketches, this was a great account of the war, it was interesting, informative and gave a more personal perspective, rather than a lot of facts thrown at you like a lot of the history books.
Overall, I enjoyed this book a lot. It was a quick and interesting read.
I really enjoyed this book. Narrative woven in nicely with the sketches, this was a great account of the war, it was interesting, informative and gave a more personal perspective, rather than a lot of facts thrown at you like a lot of the history books.
Overall, I enjoyed this book a lot. It was a quick and interesting read.
March 28, 2017
This is the sort of book I would have just gobbled up as a younger reader, who loved histories in the form of diaries. The fact that it is a real diary of a real soldier, with that soldier's real sketches makes it that much better. A first hand account of what the Great War was like, told with realism, but not too much gore, makes this a great book for younger (though not too young) readers.
April 16, 2017
I first received this book on Netgalley in exchange for an honest review since I'm a huge history buff, and I live about twenty minutes away from the American National WWI museum. I looked forward to this book because the Great War was always somewhat overlooked in elementary and middle school--probably because it's a more complicated war where no one is truly the "bad guys" like in WWII-- and feel this book does a fair enough job introducing the war through a pretty awesome medium: a sketchbook from someone on the front lines. I really felt the art and the diary entries were a really novel concept for the topic and really drove home the point of how terrible the conditions were in a way children could understand, for which I give it props. My main complaint that knocked the rating back from four stars was I feel there was a lot of redundancy in the explanations of the diary entries and the diary itself, and feel a ten year old would find it annoying to read essentially the same passage twice. The author doesn't let the diary and art tell its own story, and instead over-explains points that I believe a middle schooler could figure out through the context clues, and I think the explanations could have instead been told through more diary entries. I'm not saying have no explanations, but maybe just one before a key concept instead of summing up every single diary before showing it. I also wish there was more art and diary entries, but I understand that this is essentially an annotation of the published diary from 1970. Altogether, I feel this would be a good way to introduce the concepts of WWI as part of a unit, and I can see the WWI museums carrying it because though it's flawed, it IS still an interesting story nonetheless.
April 30, 2017
'A Soldier's Sketchbook: The Illustrated First World War Diary of R.H. Rabjohn'
by John Wilson has over 100 sketches that Russel Rabjohn made during his time in the First World War.
Russell Rabjohn joined the Canadian army when he was 18. Because he was a trained artist, he was assigned to draw dugouts, maps, and graves. Because of this, he was allowed to carry a sketchbook, which was also his diary of the war. The book is broken up into chapters, including his training, his time in Vimy and Ypres and the end of the war and heading home.
Russell Rabjohn was in the fight at the Battle of Passchendaele, a brutal, bloody, muddy battle that has a 100 year anniversary this year. He lost a lot of people around him as the bombs fell.
This is a book for younger readers, so the diary entries are not completely printed, but there is text giving a flow to the events. There is also a timeline of the war and a further reading list.
What is most notable are the stunning sketches that are made. Most soldiers were prohibited from taking pictures or sketches of the war. The author of this book, John Wilson, first ran into these in a privately published book from 1977. Rabjohn has 5 written diaries in the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa.
This is a moving record of a young man, far from home, experiencing terrible things around him and recording them. I'm very glad I got a chance to read this ebook.
I received a review copy of this ebook from Tundra Books, Penguin Random House Canada, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.
by John Wilson has over 100 sketches that Russel Rabjohn made during his time in the First World War.
Russell Rabjohn joined the Canadian army when he was 18. Because he was a trained artist, he was assigned to draw dugouts, maps, and graves. Because of this, he was allowed to carry a sketchbook, which was also his diary of the war. The book is broken up into chapters, including his training, his time in Vimy and Ypres and the end of the war and heading home.
Russell Rabjohn was in the fight at the Battle of Passchendaele, a brutal, bloody, muddy battle that has a 100 year anniversary this year. He lost a lot of people around him as the bombs fell.
This is a book for younger readers, so the diary entries are not completely printed, but there is text giving a flow to the events. There is also a timeline of the war and a further reading list.
What is most notable are the stunning sketches that are made. Most soldiers were prohibited from taking pictures or sketches of the war. The author of this book, John Wilson, first ran into these in a privately published book from 1977. Rabjohn has 5 written diaries in the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa.
This is a moving record of a young man, far from home, experiencing terrible things around him and recording them. I'm very glad I got a chance to read this ebook.
I received a review copy of this ebook from Tundra Books, Penguin Random House Canada, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews