For more than ten years, I have been photographing war graves around West London, the UK, Europe and the wider world.
I did so because I was a volunteer with Canada’s Maple Leaf Legacy Project and the UK’s War Graves Photographic Project.
I did so because I believe strongly in remembering and acknowledging the sacrifice made by my country’s servicemen and women.
The problem was what to do with all the images I have collected over the years.
I know, I thought, I’ll publish a coffee-table style book of words and photos.
The downside of self-publishing is that single copies work out quite expensive, especially if you have 104 pages of A4 and full colour photos. The Brainy One has very kindly paid for 20 copies to be printed so that I can give them to family and friends.
Maybe even give away one or two on here, if I thought there was enough interest.
I’m not pretending that this is a great piece of literary work.
It is what it is.
Twenty fourteen is our year of being more.
Twenty fourteen is the 100th anniversary of the outbreak of the Great War.
Twenty fourteen sees me realise the idea of being print.
And that’s enough.
This West London Life 
As a family historian I know lots of people who would be thrilled to see a copy of your work. Have you looked at self publishing on Amazon?
Most of the people who follow my hobby have an ancestor who was in the great war and might know where they are remembered from information on the CWGC web site. seeing a picture of the cemetery is something special. Well done you for taking all those pictures
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How fascinating. well done you
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What a special project. Great job.
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Ruth! This is a fantastic project and I feel so proud of you for doing this. It must be such an amazing feeling to have all of those years of photos printed in one amazing book. It's just awesome! I know the recipients will love it, and I do hope you hold a giveaway here on your blog so we can have a chance to win a copy. Well done!!!
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It is a fantastic project….and, like Ladykis,I think you should look at self publishing on Amazon.
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what a marvellous project and well done for bringing it all together in a printed book
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congratulations Ruth it must be amazing to hold your book in your hands. Wow what an amazing project too that must have been an emotional journey, well done on follwoing it through to the end xxx
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Wow! Well done Ruth, what a wonderful achievement x
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Ruth that is an incredible project. As a historian and a photographer, I can't get enough of this, especially with the military connections in my family. Congratulations on getting printed and thank you for the memories you have recorded.
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Well done you. Looking forward to getting mine in the post!!! xxx
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Well done! I will watch for the postie.
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You know I think it is a fabulous idea, and there are also people who love cemeteries for their own beauty. I would shop it around and see if you can get a grant to publish it. It is a huge service to genealogists!
I have no family in England unless they go back centuries as most of my ancestors emigrated early on, but I love England and would treasure a book like that. Are there American war dead in he pictures, too? I am sure that there are historians, genealogists, and military members that would love something like this.
I am SO proud of you, Ruth! SO proud! xoxoxo
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As one of your many Canadian readers, I want to thank you for volunteering for the Maple Leaf Legacy Project.
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Gosh Ruth this is amazing – what a fantastic project to work on.
On another note – so glad you have found the weekend trigger to the dreaded outbursts – I do hope the school lets him do his spelling sentences there instead of at home.
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How fantastic! You and your excellent photos are in print! Very exciting: not many of us can say we have a legacy like that to leave
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Fascinating project and well done on getting the book put together like that. I think you should look at getting Amazon self publishing – there will be others out there who will be grateful for the amount of work you've done and are so freely sharing.
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Well done Ruth!…what a great project to have worked on
Alison xx
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