Yesterday, the shortlist for CBC’s Canada Reads 2012 was announced. This year the contest is focusing exclusively on works of non-fiction and the shortlist includes a couple of history based works. The list includes:
- The Boy in the Moon by Ian Brown
- Cockeyed by Ryan Knighton
- The Game by Ken Dryden
- Louis Riel by Chester Brown
- On a Cold Road by Dave Bidini
- Paris 1919 by Margaret MacMillan
- Prisoner of Tehran by Marina Nemat
- Something Fierce by Carmen Aguirre
- The Tiger by John Vaillant
- Shake Hands with the Devil by Roméo Dallaire
Paris 1919 deals with the peace talks that took place after WWI and takes a look a both the social and political upheaval that existed following the war. I’m also intrigued by Louis Riel by Chester Brown. The work focuses on the life of Riel, but does so in as a graphic novel. The graphic novel medium has the potential to reach audiences that may not normally be interested in a traditional work of history. I’m interested in how accurately Brown’s work depicts Riel and the era.
Do you know of any other non-fiction graphic novels based on historical events?