Lest We Forget Transcripts.pdf

Michael Robbins, Lest We Forget

Historian and award-winning author Michael Robbins talks about the writing process for the Museum & Library's newest book Lest We Forget: The Great War, with the book's Executive Editor and Creative Director Kenneth Clarke. This program was filmed as part of the 2017 ON WAR Military Symposium. Sponsored by BMO Wealth Management, Tyrone and Anne Fahner, JAHN, LLC, Reed Smith, The Satter Foundation, and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund.

In 2015, the Pritzker Military Museum & Library had the opportunity to acquire a large WWI collection from Dr. Bruce Hunter, who collected more than 10,000 artifacts, posters, prints, photographs, books, original letters, music scores and periodicals in his lifetime. This collection made stronger the Museum & Library’s already impressive collection of WWI items, acquired by founder and chair Colonel Illinois Jennifer N. Pritzker Illinois army national guard retired - and other donors. The Museum & Library already had an extensive collection of WWI materials, but the addition of these materials expanded the collection into a more robust and diverse assortment of resources for our patrons.

In keeping with the mission of the Museum and Library to expand and broaden the understanding of military history and affairs, it was decided that the best way to share these stunning posters, maps and artifacts with a larger audience would be to create a book; giving context to some of the contents in the collection through a short history of the world’s first global conflict.

The publication was timed for the centennial of the U.S. involvement in WWI as the nation commemorates the millions of sailors, sammies, and doughboys who fought over there in WWI. The book focuses on the overall war, from declarations of war in Europe in 1914 to the armistice in 1917. Proceeds from the sale of the book will help build a new national WWI memorial in Washington D.C.

The book acts as a companion piece to a more locally-focused exhibition at the Museum & Library, which serves as the official exhibit of the World War One Centennial Commission.

An official product of the United States World War One Centennial Commission, the book, Lest We Forget: The Great War, features over 160 posters, maps, and artifacts with contextual references written by author Michael Robbins.

MICHAEL W. ROBBINS is a historian and award-winning writer and editor of magazines and books. Recently retired as editor of MHQ, the Quarterly Journal of Military History, he was also the editor of Military History magazine and previously served as editor of Audubon. Robbins has a Ph.D. in American history from George Washington University. He is a partner in the book-packaging firm of Palitz & Robbins and resides in Kinderhook, New York.