September 08, 2023

Jonathan Sandler, "The English GI: World War II Graphic Memoir of a Yorkshire Schoolboy's Adventures in the United States and Europe" (2022)

58 minutes

Jonathan Sandler’s The English GI: World War II Graphic Memoir of a Yorkshire Schoolboy’s Adventures in the United States and Europe, is an adaptation of his grandfather’s 1994 war memoir. His grandfather, Bernard Sandler, was a British citizen of Latvian Jewish descent who served in the American Army. The book is illustrated by Brian Bicknell. The English GI sheds light into the experience of average people caught up in extraordinary circumstances. Jonathan Sandler’s treatment of Bernard Sandler’s memoir engages issues of diaspora, bravery, and fear. This graphic memoir also makes an important contribution to our understanding the complexity of Jewish identity.

Jonathan Sandler studied Politics and History at Leicester University and has spent much of his career in the software industry, leading and managing complex projects. Jonathan, a keen sketcher, has always been passionate about World War Two history and graphic novels. In 2020, he combined these dual interests and commenced work on The English GI, which was published in 2022. Since then, Jonathan has maintained his passion for graphic novels and history by curating a blog on his website “Graphic Memoir”, spotlighting authors and books in the genre. Jonathan lives in London with his wife and three children, who are active members of North West London's Jewish Community.

Brian Bicknell is a commercial artist and illustrator whose work with Comics, Graphic Novels, Television, and Film, as a Co-Writer, Illustrator, and Storyboard/Concept Artist has appeared in the United States, and internationally. Brian founded his own illustration company, Bicknell Designs, in 2008. Brian was classically trained in Illustration, and Graphic Design in Boston MA., and cannot remember a time when he was not drawing or sketching.

Michael G. Vann is a professor of world history at California State University, Sacramento. A specialist in imperialism and the Cold War in Southeast Asia, he is the author of The Great Hanoi Rat Hunt: Empires, Disease, and Modernity in French Colonial Vietnam (Oxford University Press, 2018). When he’s not reading or talking about new books with smart people, Mike can be found surfing in Santa Cruz, California.

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