"No part of the Empire has given up more completely of her splendid men than Yukon ... Such being the case, the Dominion should not be forgetful of this region--the Empire's farthest North, and take pride in the encouragement of the spirit that dominates the people of the Land of the Midnight Sun."

--Dawson Daily News, May 15, 1918

Nearly a thousand Yukoners, a quarter of the population, enlisted before the end of the Great War. They were lawyers, bankers, piano tuners, dockworkers and miners who became soldiers, nurses and snipers; brave men and women who traded the isolated beauty of the north for the muddy, crowded horror of the battlefields. Those who stayed home were no less important to the war's outcome--by March of 1916, the Dawson Daily News estimated that Yukoners had donated often and generously at a rate of $12 per capita compared to the dollar per person donated elsewhere in the country. Historian Michael Gates tells us the stories of both those who left and those on the home front, including the adventures of Joe Boyle, who successfully escorted the Romanian crown jewels on a 1,300-kilometre journey through Russia in spite of robbers, ambushes, gunfire, explosions, fuel shortages and barricades. Gates also recounts the home-front efforts of Martha Black, who raised thousands of dollars and eventually travelled to Europe where she acted as an advocate for the Yukon boys. Stories of these heroes and many others are vividly recounted with impeccable research.

Michael Gates is the author of From the Klondike to Berlin (Harbour Publishing, 2017) which was shortlisted for the Canadian Authors Fred Kerner Book Award. He is also the author of Dalton’s Gold Rush Trail: Exploring the Route of the Klondike Cattle Drives (Harbour Publishing, 2012) and History Hunting in the Yukon (Harbour Publishing, 2010). He was formerly the curator of collections for Klondike National Historic Sites in Dawson City and pens the popular column “History Hunter” for the Yukon News. He lives in Whitehorse, YT.

Michael Gates' profile page

• Short-listed, Canadian Authors Fred Kerner Award

“Through impressive research, photographs, and maps, Gates explores stories overseas and on the home front that involve heroes like Joe Boyle, Martha Black, and many others.”

Yukon, North of Ordinary

“From the Klondike to Berlin: The Yukon in World War I is packed cover to cover with amazing, true-life stories of war heroes (and heroines!) from the rugged Yukon region. Expertly researched, yet thoroughly accessible to readers of all backgrounds, From the Klondike to Berlin makes history come alive.”

Midwest Book Review