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Ghosts of Ortona: Reckoning with the Traumas of Canadian World War II Veterans
Author(s): Ian Cosh (Author)
- Publisher: Sutherland House
- Publication Date: April 28, 2026
- Language: English
- Print length: 564 pages
- ISBN-10: 1998365964
- ISBN-13: 9781998365968
Book Description
“The general gave us a talk. He said the more Germans you kill, the quicker you’re gonna get home.”
As a young anthropologist, Ian Cosh set out to document the memories of a little-known but costly World War II battle fought over Christmas in the Italian town of Ortona. His research took him across western Canada, and to Italy and Germany, interviewing veterans and civilians. In their stories, he encountered puzzling details―hints of things unspoken and unresolved. Sam was obsessively mapping a minor skirmish on graph paper. Mel kept mentioning an Indigenous sniper he’d never met. Ted was haunted by the ghost of a church. Bill recalled nothing of Christmas dinner, though his comrades swore he was there.
When the project ended, Ian tried to leave it behind. Now returning to his field notes and interview transcripts, he’s determined to understand what was missed.
Ghosts of Ortona is a powerful, empathetic exploration of the hidden psychological costs of killing and survival. Rich in dialogue, imagery, and insight, it immerses readers in the lives of those affected―and challenges the way we remember war.
Editorial Reviews
Review
“How do people and societies remember, and just as importantly, what and why do they remember the things they do? In Ghosts of Ortona, Ian Cosh ponders these questions after interviewing dozens of Second World War veterans of the Battle of Ortona. The result is a fascinating and insightful exploration of the intangible wounds of war. A reminder that what many soldiers recall decades or a lifetime afterwards isn’t an analytical reconstruction of the war, its strategies, plans and ideologies, but the more universal sentiments of fear, camaraderie, loyalty and a shared humanity, even with their opponents.”
— – Stephen R. Bown, Canadian historian, recipient of the Governor Generals History Award for Popular Media and author of The Company: The Rise and Fall of The Hudson’s Bay Empire and Dominion: The Railway and the Rise of Canada
Ian Cosh’s book Ghosts of Ortona is an extraordinarily moving and insightful account of Canadian World War 2 veterans and their mental struggles to repress or heal the emotional wounds of war.
— Alistair Thomson, Oral historian, Professor Emeritus of History at Monash University, author of Anzac Memories: Living with the Legend
“Cosh is a young man who wants some old men to tell him about the fierce World War II battle they fought in Ortona, Italy. In humane and lucid language, the author explores both the nature of war and the forever wounds it leaves, and the need of those who have never been in that cauldron to know how anyone survives this most inhuman institution of war. There are rich insights on virtually every page of this horribly beautiful story.”
— Catherine Lutz, Professor Emerita of Anthropology at Brown University, co-founder of the Costs of War project
About the Author
Ian Cosh is an applied anthropologist who lives in Toronto, Canada. He holds a Ph.D. in social anthropology from York University (Toronto) and a B.A. in history and anthropology from McGill University (Montreal).
