The Commission for Relief in Belgium —

The largest food relief the world had ever seen.


Yanks Gives A Fascinating Overview

NINE-TIME FINALIST in 7 Contests
(5 National, 2 Colorado) WINNER of the Colorado Book Awards History Category


Yanks behind the Lines: How the Commission for Relief in Belgium Saved Millions from Starvation during World War I

“This is a powerful work of history, as informative
as it is dramatically gripping. An impressive blend
of painstaking historical scholarship and
riveting storytelling.”
Kirkus Review
about Yanks Behind the Lines

NINE-TIME FINALIST in Seven Book Contests (5 national, 2 Colorado)
WINNER in two (1 national, 1 Colorado)

       The Little-known True Story: During World War I (1914-1918), the American-led Commission for Relief in Belgium (CRB) and its Belgian counterpart, the Comité National (CN), did what was thought to be impossible — save from starvation an entire nation that was trapped in the middle of a world war. The CRB and CN initiated, organized, and supervised the largest food relief the world had ever seen. Nearly 10 million Belgians and northern French trapped behind German lines were saved from starvation during four years of the Great War. Young, idealistic Americans volunteered to go into German-occupied territory as CRB delegates to guarantee the imported food would not be taken by the Germans. These humanitarian crusaders were committed to helping the civilians and maintaining strict neutrality as they watched the Belgians suffer under the harsh German regime. The relief efforts faced huge logistical challenges, international intrigues, and internal conflicts between the CRB and CN leaders. It is one of America’s greatest humanitarian efforts that few know of today.

Book Trailer

Three Ways to Read the Story

The Fascinating Overview
Published October 22, 2020

Yanks Behind The Lines book about the Commission for Relief in BelgiumYanks behind the Lines — This 300-page book published by international book publisher Rowman & Littlefield is the distillation of more than 10 years of work and my previous two books into a concise and fascinating overview for general readers. Covering August 1914 until May 1917 when the last Americans had to leave Belgium because of America’s April entry into the war, Yanks is structured thematically, providing chapters for all the critical issues while interweaving intriguing personal details about individual Americans and Belgians. (Preorder direct from Rowman and Littlefield or from Amazon.) See reviews and book blurbs.

The Chaotic Beginnings
Published October 2014

Behind The Lines books about the Commission for Relief in Belgium

Behind the Lines — A Kirkus Best Books of 2014, the book was described as “An excellent history that should catapult Miller to the top tier of popular historians.” (I’m still waiting for the catapult!) It details the war’s chaotic first five months (August-December 1914), the complexities of starting the CRB and the CN, and the initial civilian resistance to the harsh German rule. Order at Amazon.

The Full Story
Published 11-11-2018

WWI Crusaders book about the Commission for Relief in BelgiumWWI Crusaders — A Kirkus Best books of 2018, this 762-page book for general readers tells the interlacing stories of German brutality, Belgian resistance, and the American humanitarian crusaders of the CRB. Covering August 1914 to May 1917, Crusaders follows a handful of young CRB delegates, two US diplomats, a 22-year-old Belgian woman, and the publishers of an underground newspaper. A substantial epilogue wraps up all major stories and people through the end of the war and beyond. Order at Amazon.

See/Hear The Author

Zoom Presentation

Iowa Radio Interview

Presidential Library Speech

C-SPAN Speech

Bunge Limited Speech

Public Appearances:
Past Appearances: In Denver: The Denver Public Library, the Tattered Cover Book Store, the Applewood Kiwanis Club, and the Denver Southeast Rotary Club.

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This blog has followed my research, writing, production, marketing and sales of Behind the Lines and WWI Crusaders. Soon it will follow the PR/marketing journey of my newest book, Yanks Behind the Lines, while reminding readers why we should not forget World War I and the Commission for Relief in Belgium (CRB).