Review of A Small Price to Pay: Consumer Culture on the Canadian Home Front, 1939-1945 by Graham Broa

German, Daniel

English

Scholars Commons

Canadian Military History
Volume 26 | Issue 2 Article 10
11-24-2017
“A Small Price to Pay: Consumer Culture on the
Canadian Home Front, 1939-1945 (Book
Review)” by Graham Broad
Daniel German
This Book Review is brought to you for free and open access by Scholars Commons @ Laurier. It has been accepted for inclusion in Canadian Military
History by an authorized editor of Scholars Commons @ Laurier. For more information, please contact scholarscommons@wlu.ca.
Recommended Citation
German, Daniel (2017) "“A Small Price to Pay: Consumer Culture on the Canadian Home Front, 1939-1945 (Book Review)” by
Graham Broad," Canadian Military History: Vol. 26 : Iss. 2 , Article 10.
Available at: http://scholars.wlu.ca/cmh/vol26/iss2/10
14 Book Reviews
Graham Broad. A Small Price to Pay: Consumer Culture on the 
Canadian Home Front, 1939-1945. Vancouver: University of British 
Columbia Press, 2013. Pp. 278.
It may be a little trite for me to quote the aphorism that an army 
travels on its stomach to emphasise the importance of a strong 
economy to the successful conduct of a war, but it is nonetheless 
true that far too many studies of warfare have ignored the important 
necessity of fiscal solvency for military success in order to belabour 
the always colourful aspects of military prowess.  In Graham Broad’s 
A Small Price to Pay, he attempts to explore some of this overlooked 
area as he addresses Canada’s home front experience during the 
Second World War, particularly in a careful examination of commerce 
and consumerism under the exigencies of wartime controls.
Broad, an Associate Professor of history at Western University, 
originally conducted the research which resulted in this publication for 
his PhD dissertation (uwo 2008), although his bibliography indicates 
some post-dissertation research. The text of the book is composed 
of eight chapters (6 are numbered, with an unnumbered chapters 
as Introduction and Conclusion) and the Appendix entitled “Guns 
and Butter: Consumer Spending, Inflation, and Price Controls.” The 
text also includes more than thirty pages of notes, a bibliography, 
and an index. It is well illustrated with contemporary images, which 
primarily demonstrate examples of advertising or propaganda. Since 
the book is published as part of a series titled Studies in Canadian 
Military History, the final pages include a complete listing of the 
other titles published under this imprimatur.
The introduction establishes the context in which Broad places 
his research.  In his own words, it is “… a contribution to the ongoing 
effort to produce a history of Canadians’ domestic experience in the 
Second World War” (p. 2), and if we accept it on those terms then it 
clearly meets its objective—the book contributes to our understanding 
of the topic and the era. Certainly, there are flaws, some of which will 
be discussed later in this review, but that should not detract from the 
fact that Broad has addressed a little considered area and one that 
calls for further examination to better understand the factors and 
issues that affected the home front. The book may not be definitive, 
but then it is questionable whether any historical study is definitive—
in fact, the only instance that any author has informed me that his 
work was definitive was when a noted Canadian military historian 
1
German: A Small Price to Pay (Book Review)
Published by Scholars Commons @ Laurier, 2017
  15C A N A D I A N  M I L I TA RY  H I S T O RY 
proclaimed this, adding “… if only because no-one else would ever 
write on such a boring topic”. Fortunately for researchers, this topic 
is much more interesting.
After establishing the intent of his monograph in the introduction, 
Broad launches into his study of Consumer Culture on the home 
front. His study covers governmental controls, corporate interests 
and influences through to, curiously enough, a chapter dedicated to 
the impact of motion pictures on the Canadian viewer.  In his first 
numbered chapter, Chapter 1, he addresses the importance of the 
Wartime Prices and Trade Board (wptb), which he had identified in 
his introduction as “… the agency most directly involved in consumer 
affairs” (p. 10). His fulsome description of the importance of this 
agency touches upon something personal to myself—the volumes of the 
published decisions of the wptb rest on a shelf near to my office, and I 
always knew that if I ever wanted to know more about their activities 
I could just pop down the hall to look at the assorted volumes. Alas, 
when examining them to check one of Broad’s references I found to 
my chagrin that the set is incomplete, requiring more information, 
more context, and additional data. I mention this because, as with 
the published decisions of the wptb, there is something missing from 
Broad’s account, perhaps something quite important.
Broad emphasises the methods utilised by federal and provincial 
governments and the private sector to convince Canadians as to the 
proper path to follow. Whether it was through attempting to persuade 
consumers to spend less on frivolities and invest in War Bonds, or 
whether it was to direct the spending dollar in other, more corporatist 
avenues, in essence much of this book is a study in the methods used 
in Canada by advertisers (for the private sector) or by propagandists 
(usually but no means exclusively the Government). As such this is 
an extremely valuable addition to our understanding of this issue, 
perhaps more valuable than Broad himself may have realised. And 
therein lays a problem.
Broad discusses the activities of the wptb, not just in their role 
of controlling prices and helping direct trade, but also in their role 
of convincing Canadians about the wisdom of a certain measure. 
For example, in one passage Broad refers generally to a change in 
“Ottawa’s increasingly strident and even accusatory propaganda 
…” (p. 74) in reference to the activities of the wptb, and what he 
refers to as “other agencies”, as though any other agencies were mere 
appendages to the propagandist efforts of the wptb. In another 
2
Canadian Military History, Vol. 26 [2017], Iss. 2, Art. 10
http://scholars.wlu.ca/cmh/vol26/iss2/10
16 Book Reviews
section, he refers to Canadian propaganda published in the United 
States (to secure American tourist dollars to support the Canadian 
war effort) without addressing who was ultimately responsible for such 
a campaign, even though four of his six numbered chapters actually 
include direct references to advertising in their titles (ranging from 
“Business as Usual: Adworkers and the Coming of War” through to 
“Advertising to Win the War and Secure the Future”). Broad has 
omitted the overarching influence of the Wartime Information Board 
and its predecessor, the Bureau of Public Information, the agencies 
responsible for coordinating the federal government’s propaganda 
and advertising activities. While the wptb operated its own 
information dissemination programme, that an in-depth examination 
of propaganda in Canada during the Second World War could ignore 
the Wartime Information Board is, to say the least, surprising.1 For 
instance, Broad provides only one reference to John Grierson, the 
acting General Manager of the Wartime Information Board, albeit to 
his persona as head of the National Film Board (p. 176).
Nonetheless, Broad has served his audience well.  His coverage of 
advertising meshes well with the existing limited published sources, 
and his examination of private sector advertising fills a much-
neglected gap in our understanding of the home front. When added 
to his studies of big ticket purchases (and what that represented 
in consumer activities and interests), and his fascinating dip into 
the area of leisure and the Canadian movie-going public (see his 
numbered chapter 6, “The Grim Realities of War, as Pictured by 
Hollywood”), this helps complete a good, if incomplete, study in 
Canadian consumer activities during the Second World War.  And 
if I use the word incomplete, it is clear, from his conclusion that 
Broad would agree. The book is incomplete and requires additional 
research, but as previously mentioned, any good, interesting topic, 
such as this will always require more research.  This book provides 
an excellent starting point from which to launch further explorations 
of the subject area, drawing from the sources Broad has utilised, as 
well as other, related studies (I note that the bibliography is selective, 
1  Readers interested in this topic could consult William Robert Young, “Making the 
Truth Graphic: The Canadian Government’s Home Front Information Structure and 
Programmes during World War II,” (PhD diss., Vancouver: University of British 
Columbia, 1978), or the numerous articles published in the 1980s by Young, who is 
now a retired Parliamentary Librarian.
3
German: A Small Price to Pay (Book Review)
Published by Scholars Commons @ Laurier, 2017
  17C A N A D I A N  M I L I TA RY  H I S T O RY 
and does not list, for example, Pauline Jewett’s 1950 Radcliffe PhD 
dissertation on the wptb, although the titles listed appear quite 
apt).  I encourage neophytes and specialists alike interested in the 
Canadian home front to read this book. It should not be ignored for 
anyone interested in the topic.
daniel german, library and archives canada
4
Canadian Military History, Vol. 26 [2017], Iss. 2, Art. 10
http://scholars.wlu.ca/cmh/vol26/iss2/10


“A Small Price to Pay: Consumer Culture on the Canadian Home Front, 1939-1945 (Book Review)” by Graham Broad

Wilfrid Laurier University

Canadian Military HistoryVolume 26 | Issue 2 Article 1011-24-2017“A Small Price to Pay: Consumer Culture on theCanadian Home Front, 1939-1945 (BookReview)” by Graham BroadDaniel GermanThis Book Review is brought to you for free and open access by Scholars Commons @ Laurier. It has been accepted for inclusion in Canadian MilitaryHistory by an authorized editor of Scholars Commons @ Laurier. For more information, please contact scholarscommons@wlu.ca.Recommended CitationGerman, Daniel (2017) "“A Small Price to Pay: Consumer Culture on the Canadian Home Front, 1939-1945 (Book Review)” byGraham Broad," Canadian Military History: Vol. 26 : Iss. 2 , Article 10.Available at: http://scholars.wlu.ca/cmh/vol26/iss2/1014 Book ReviewsGraham Broad. A Small Price to Pay: Consumer Culture on the Canadian Home Front, 1939-1945. Vancouver: University of British Columbia Press, 2013. Pp. 278.It may be a little trite for me to quote the aphorism that an army travels on its stomach to emphasise the importance of a strong economy to the successful conduct of a war, but it is nonetheless true that far too many studies of warfare have ignored the important necessity of fiscal solvency for military success in order to belabour the always colourful aspects of military prowess.  In Graham Broad’s A Small Price to Pay, he attempts to explore some of this overlooked area as he addresses Canada’s home front experience during the Second World War, particularly in a careful examination of commerce and consumerism under the exigencies of wartime controls.Broad, an Associate Professor of history at Western University, originally conducted the research which resulted in this publication for his PhD dissertation (uwo 2008), although his bibliography indicates some post-dissertation research. The text of the book is composed of eight chapters (6 are numbered, with an unnumbered chapters as Introduction and Conclusion) and the Appendix entitled “Guns and Butter: Consumer Spending, Inflation, and Price Controls.” The text also includes more than thirty pages of notes, a bibliography, and an index. It is well illustrated with contemporary images, which primarily demonstrate examples of advertising or propaganda. Since the book is published as part of a series titled Studies in Canadian Military History, the final pages include a complete listing of the other titles published under this imprimatur.The introduction establishes the context in which Broad places his research.  In his own words, it is “… a contribution to the ongoing effort to produce a history of Canadians’ domestic experience in the Second World War” (p. 2), and if we accept it on those terms then it clearly meets its objective—the book contributes to our understanding of the topic and the era. Certainly, there are flaws, some of which will be discussed later in this review, but that should not detract from the fact that Broad has addressed a little considered area and one that calls for further examination to better understand the factors and issues that affected the home front. The book may not be definitive, but then it is questionable whether any historical study is definitive—in fact, the only instance that any author has informed me that his work was definitive was when a noted Canadian military historian 1German: A Small Price to Pay (Book Review)Published by Scholars Commons @ Laurier, 2017  15C A N A D I A N  M I L I TA RY  H I S T O RY proclaimed this, adding “… if only because no-one else would ever write on such a boring topic”. Fortunately for researchers, this topic is much more interesting.After establishing the intent of his monograph in the introduction, Broad launches into his study of Consumer Culture on the home front. His study covers governmental controls, corporate interests and influences through to, curiously enough, a chapter dedicated to the impact of motion pictures on the Canadian viewer.  In his first numbered chapter, Chapter 1, he addresses the importance of the Wartime Prices and Trade Board (wptb), which he had identified in his introduction as “… the agency most directly involved in consumer affairs” (p. 10). His fulsome description of the importance of this agency touches upon something personal to myself—the volumes of the published decisions of the wptb rest on a shelf near to my office, and I always knew that if I ever wanted to know more about their activities I could just pop down the hall to look at the assorted volumes. Alas, when examining them to check one of Broad’s references I found to my chagrin that the set is incomplete, requiring more information, more context, and additional data. I mention this because, as with the published decisions of the wptb, there is something missing from Broad’s account, perhaps something quite important.Broad emphasises the methods utilised by federal and provincial governments and the private sector to convince Canadians as to the proper path to follow. Whether it was through attempting to persuade consumers to spend less on frivolities and invest in War Bonds, or whether it was to direct the spending dollar in other, more corporatist avenues, in essence much of this book is a study in the methods used in Canada by advertisers (for the private sector) or by propagandists (usually but no means exclusively the Government). As such this is an extremely valuable addition to our understanding of this issue, perhaps more valuable than Broad himself may have realised. And therein lays a problem.Broad discusses the activities of the wptb, not just in their role of controlling prices and helping direct trade, but also in their role of convincing Canadians about the wisdom of a certain measure. For example, in one passage Broad refers generally to a change in “Ottawa’s increasingly strident and even accusatory propaganda …” (p. 74) in reference to the activities of the wptb, and what he refers to as “other agencies”, as though any other agencies were mere appendages to the propagandist efforts of the wptb. In another 2Canadian Military History, Vol. 26 [2017], Iss. 2, Art. 10http://scholars.wlu.ca/cmh/vol26/iss2/1016 Book Reviewssection, he refers to Canadian propaganda published in the United States (to secure American tourist dollars to support the Canadian war effort) without addressing who was ultimately responsible for such a campaign, even though four of his six numbered chapters actually include direct references to advertising in their titles (ranging from “Business as Usual: Adworkers and the Coming of War” through to “Advertising to Win the War and Secure the Future”). Broad has omitted the overarching influence of the Wartime Information Board and its predecessor, the Bureau of Public Information, the agencies responsible for coordinating the federal government’s propaganda and advertising activities. While the wptb operated its own information dissemination programme, that an in-depth examination of propaganda in Canada during the Second World War could ignore the Wartime Information Board is, to say the least, surprising.1 For instance, Broad provides only one reference to John Grierson, the acting General Manager of the Wartime Information Board, albeit to his persona as head of the National Film Board (p. 176).Nonetheless, Broad has served his audience well.  His coverage of advertising meshes well with the existing limited published sources, and his examination of private sector advertising fills a much-neglected gap in our understanding of the home front. When added to his studies of big ticket purchases (and what that represented in consumer activities and interests), and his fascinating dip into the area of leisure and the Canadian movie-going public (see his numbered chapter 6, “The Grim Realities of War, as Pictured by Hollywood”), this helps complete a good, if incomplete, study in Canadian consumer activities during the Second World War.  And if I use the word incomplete, it is clear, from his conclusion that Broad would agree. The book is incomplete and requires additional research, but as previously mentioned, any good, interesting topic, such as this will always require more research.  This book provides an excellent starting point from which to launch further explorations of the subject area, drawing from the sources Broad has utilised, as well as other, related studies (I note that the bibliography is selective, 1  Readers interested in this topic could consult William Robert Young, “Making the Truth Graphic: The Canadian Government’s Home Front Information Structure and Programmes during World War II,” (PhD diss., Vancouver: University of British Columbia, 1978), or the numerous articles published in the 1980s by Young, who is now a retired Parliamentary Librarian.3German: A Small Price to Pay (Book Review)Published by Scholars Commons @ Laurier, 2017  17C A N A D I A N  M I L I TA RY  H I S T O RY and does not list, for example, Pauline Jewett’s 1950 Radcliffe PhD dissertation on the wptb, although the titles listed appear quite apt).  I encourage neophytes and specialists alike interested in the Canadian home front to read this book. It should not be ignored for anyone interested in the topic.daniel german, library and archives canada4Canadian Military History, Vol. 26 [2017], Iss. 2, Art. 10http://scholars.wlu.ca/cmh/vol26/iss2/10

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“A Small Price to Pay: Consumer Culture on the Canadian Home Front, 1939-1945 (Book Review)” by Graham Broad

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