"This volume offers a new and original perspective that shows the reader the civilian side of World War I through a succession of "snapshots": 130 excerpts from leading American and Canadian newspapers provide a collective portrait of life behind the battle lines, what is often called the "second" front. Written principally by Paris-based journalists, and intended for popular reading audiences, these articles depict ordinary people in a way that still touches the reader of today. They record eyewitness testimony of Paris under aerial bombardment, the gutted cathedrals at Reims and Arras, the cemeteries around Compiegne, the subterranean living quarters at Cambrai, and the heart-breaking orphanages at Chambly.". "With an introduction and conclusion by the editor, the volume also offers biographical notes on some of the leading journalist contributors, maps to familiarize readers with the geography of northern France, and detailed subject and geographical indices. The volume ends with a select bibliography of works on the subject of French civilian life during the War."--BOOK JACKET.