Conduct Unbecoming: The Story of the Murder of Canadian Prisoners of War in Normandy [Hardcover]

Howard Margolian (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 17, 2000 | ISBN-10: 0802042139 | ISBN-13: 978-0802042132 | Edition: First

On the afternoon of 7 June 1944, Lorne Brown, a private serving with the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division in Normandy, was bayoneted to death while trying to surrender to troops of Nazi Germany's Tlite 12th SS Division 'Hitler Youth.' Over the next ten days, more than a hundred and fifty Canadian soldiers were brutally murdered after capture by the 12th SS. Despite months of post-war investigation by Allied courts, however, only two senior officers of the 12th SS were ever tried for war crimes.

Drawing extensively on archival sources, Howard Margolian reveals the full account of an atrocious chapter in history and exposes the causes - an inept and indifferent Canadian military justice system, and a Canadian government all too willing to let bygones be bygones - of the flagrant inaction that followed. Highly praised for both its meticulous research and its engaging passion, this book will resonate with veterans, those interested in war crimes, military buffs, and historians.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The plethora of war books and biographies published in the 1990s about Canadians in uniform during the century's two world wars has not produced a more moving and chilling story of cruelty than that told in Conduct Unbecoming. Even this book's all-encompassing 75 pages of notes adds to its authenticity. At the same time, the book's easy style, marked both by the author's emotional engagement and his expertise ... unravels a slow and stark story that details one of the most brutal and heart-rending experiences of our army during the Second World War.'

(John D. Harbron The Globe and Mail )

"Conduct Unbecoming should make every Canadian seethe with rage. Margolian pulls together ... all the pathos, treachery, outrage, villainy and terror that resulted in the needless and illegal deaths of those 156 men. [It is one of the best researched books I have read.'

(Gary Hebbard The Sunday Telegram )

'This was a story that needed to be told, and we should be glad that Howard Margolian has told it with such intelligence and feeling.'

(Alex Good Kitchener-Waterloo Record )

"[This book is clear, documented, and though very sad is neither mawkish nor vengeful.'

(Douglas Fisher The Ottawa Sun )

About the Author

Howard Margolian specializes in the history of the Second World War. From 1990 to 1997, he worked as an investigator for the Crimes against Humanity and War Crimes Section of the Department of Justice of Canada.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 336 pages
• Publisher: University of Toronto Press, Scholarly Publishing Division; First edition (January 17, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0802042139
• ISBN-13: 978-0802042132
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.3 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,607,292 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent and well-researched book, September 8, 2001

By 

B. MacDonald (Saskatoon, Saskatchewan Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Conduct Unbecoming: The Story of the Murder of Canadian Prisoners of War in Normandy (Paperback)

Howard Margolian's book is a well-written and -researched book that explores the conflict between the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division and the 12th SS Panzer Division, particularly the issue of murdering Prisoners of War by the Germans. By documenting several previously uncredited murders, Margolian has revealed the full extent of the SS atrocities. Each incident is treated with respect and by using forensic evidence he has made a plausible reconstruction of the events. A credit to scholarship.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars WOW! What a great and complete history book, September 6, 2007

By 

Scott Kevin Pick - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Conduct Unbecoming: The Story of the Murder of Canadian Prisoners of War in Normandy (Paperback)

I read this one eagerly. As a Canadian I always had heard about the executions of Canadian POWs in Normandy by the SS. By reading this very detailed and well researched book I understood what happened right from the time of the invasion all the way through the post-war trails.
I really recommend this book!