Tim Cook's combined biography of Sir Sam Hughes and Sir Arthur Currie were a great read for this student of history. It is a book that should be in all school libraries across the country.
Although Sam Hughes was the Minister of Militia when World War I broke out and he quickly put together a contingent of volunteers to aid the Mother Country, Great Britain, in the "Great War" he did it by bullying and patronage. He was bombastic in his approach to all.
Arthur Currie was a militia leader, chosen by Hughes to be one of the Canadian Expeditionary Force's leaders. Currie would go on to keep the CEF together as a fighting force, to rise through the ranks to become the Corps Commander and to win many battles for our young nation, plus deservedly earn the respect of those commanders he served alongside. Unfortunately it took its toll on him, and he suffered from what we now recognise as post traumatic stress disorder. He would have to fight to maintain his positive reputation after the war, too.
This read reinforced my views of Hughes as not being a good leader and of Currie as being the hero that he should be remembered for.
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