This short microhistory details the life and death of Eddie McKay, a varsity athlete at Western University, who flew with the Royal Flying Corps in the First World War. Graham Broad switches creatively from telling McKay's fascinating story to teaching valuable lessons on how to do history: why the past matters, why historians take different approaches, how to pose historical questions, how to identify relevant source materials, and the importance of thoughtful, intelligent, and respectful treatment of historical subjects.

The book includes a timeline of the subject's life, a map of relevant combat areas in the Battle of the Somme, and nine illustrations. It concludes with four unsolved events in McKay's life: a mysterious woman, a strange advertisement for batteries, an empty envelope, and an unknown grave—demonstrating that even a detailed history about one person's life is never really complete.

Graham Broad is a professor in the department of history at King’s University College at the University of Western Ontario, in London. A specialist in the field of Canadian cultural history, he has published in The Beaver, Canadian Military History, Ontario History, the Urban History Review, and several other magazines and journals. In 2007, he received the “Most Valued Professor” award from the graduating students at King’s University.

Graham Broad's profile page

"Broad offers a very important study of both the history and historiography of one pilot’s experiences in the RFC during two of the most critical years of the air war over the Western Front. The relevance of his work is not confined to aviation or military history scholars but the non-specialist reader as well. His academic research, unique methodological approach, and use of primary and secondary sources are first-rate."

<em>First World War Studies</em>

"Professor Broad’s extensive notes on how to identify relevant source materials, how to pose questions, and how to assemble a book into a coherent story are invaluable."

World War One Illustrated, July 2018