Product Description
On 2 February 1968 all assets of the Royal Canadian Navy, Canadian Army and Royal Canadian Air Force were unified into the Canadian Armed Forces, which thus became the first modern defense force to be fully integrated on land, at sea, and in the air.

Formed during the Cold War, the air element of the CAF was the largest component, with major commitments to both NORAD in North America and NATO in Europe, as well as a growing role in the protection of Canada's sovereignty in the Arctic. This book traces the history of aircraft on charge at the time of the reorganization. It also records aircraft acquired by the newly created Canadian Armed Forces, for the thirty years which have passed since unification.

The fifteen aircrafttypes, representing the operational fleets, which were under abridgment"at that time are also included, even though they entered service several years before the formation of the Canadian Forces. Many of these aircraft have multiple listings, although aircraft purchased after unification did not undergo such registration changes.

Complete listings of tow aircraft and gliders operated by the Air Cadet League of Canada, as well as aircraft with Canadian civil registrations operated at the Canadian Aviation Training Centre at Southport, Manitoba are included. The book also provides coverage of aircraft transitions both out of, and into Canadian and foreign civil and military incarnations. 90 pages of photographs include examples of each type of aircraft and of some types in their RCAF and CF registrations. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

At long last...Canadian aviation history!
This long, long, long awaited effort is to be admired for the depth and completeness in the authors' dedication to detail. They've filled the bill about the "what-went-where" data and is worthy to have in hand when researching and referencing the history of military aircraft in Canada's "Forces." BUT, be advised, the real drawback and disappointing aspect of this book is the photos and their reproduction. Poor half-tones, poor originals, "air-show" amateur examples mar what could have been a true campanion volume to their original effort of 30+ years ago. And after 30+ years...not one color photo? Shelf-worthy but no eye-candy.

All Canadian Military Aircraft for 30 Years
This register of Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) aircraft contains information about every plane operated by the CAF since the 1968 amalgamation of the Royal Canadial Air Force, the Royal Canadian Nary, and the Canadian Army into the CAF. It follows the format of the forerunner book 'Canadian Military Aircraft, Serials and Photographs' which covered all 22,000 aircraft used by the Canadian forces prior to 1968. This book includes information on the fifteen types that were restricted in the previous book for security reasons.

The basic idea of this book is that by looking an ID number for any CAF plane you can identify its type, when it was taken into service, when retired, its squadron or base and more. The book is largely tables of information because there were so many types, so many aircraft that the inclusion of much information would be prohibitive. The book ends in 1998, encompassing 30 years of CAF operations. This is information simply not available anywhere else. ... Read more

Product Description
The Halifax Explosion of 1917 is a defining event in the Canadian consciousness, yet it has never been the subject of a sustained analytical history. Astonishingly, until now no one has consulted the large federal government archives that contain first-hand accounts of the disaster and the response of national authorities.

Canada's recently established navy was at the epicentre of the crisis. Armstrong reveals the navy's compelling, and little-known, story by carefully retracing the events preceding the disaster and the role of the military in its aftermath. He catches the pulse of disaster response in official Ottawa and provides a compelling analysis of the legal manoeuvres, rhetoric, blunders, public controversy, and crisis management that ensued. His disturbing conclusion is that federal officials knew of potential dangers in the harbour before the explosion, took no corrective action, and kept the information from the public. As a result, a Halifax naval officer was made a scapegoat and the navy received lasting, and mostly undeserved, vilification.

This is a provocative read not only for military and naval devotees but for anyone who wants to understand one of the events that shaped Canada in the twentieth century.

Published in association with the Canadian War Museum. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

A Well Written Examination of a Disaster�s Aftermath
I purchased The Halifax Explosion and the Royal Canadian Navy thinking it was a depiction of the navy's efforts to assist victims of this disaster.While that aspect is slightly covered, the majority of the book deals with the ramifications that the explosion had on the Canadian Navy's organization and morale.Even though it turned out to be a different book than I expected, I still found it to be absorbing and informative.

The main reason I still enjoyed the book was due to Armstrong's superb summarization of various legal and military documents associated with the disaster's inquiry.This summarization showed how political pressure distorted an otherwise perfunctory legal hearing.The documents' sections that he chose also brought to life the scapegoats for the catastrophe and the villains behind the pillorying that followed the hearing.In bringing these proceedings and people to life, Armstrong showed that the political traumas resulting from the calamity affected people and institutions in ways that were as destructive as the explosion itself.

Many potential readers may not think that this book is worth reading, because it barely focuses on the tales of survival and heroism that sprung from the tragedy.But, thanks to his meticulous research and solid writing, Armstrong presents a cautionary tale that is especially relevant in the aftermath of September 11th.This book is one that will appeal to anyone who is interested in how people and institutions react to disaster.

A depressing but educational story of institutional CYA
On December 6, 1917, two ships in the harbor at Halifax, Nova Scotia, collided. The resulting fire soon led to a massive explosion that destroyed the ships, much of the harbor, and a good part of the surrounding city. The scope and impact of the tragedy is almost unimaginable. And yet, according to author John Griffith Armstrong, the event is largely forgotten by Canadians and almost universally unknown to Americans. That's too bad -- not only for the sake of the people killed or wounded, but also for the lessons we can still learn from the event and its aftermath today. Armstrong's book shows us why.

As the author notes early in his book, the Halifax explosion, to the extent it's been studied by historians at all, is generally approached from a sociological viewpoint that concentrates on the event's impact on the people of Halifax. Armstrong's brief is different. He analyses the effect of the explosion and subsequent investigation on the Royal Canadian Navy.

In so doing, he's created a surprisingly interesting story that, while it gets a little bogged down in the minutia of inquiry transcripts quoted at length, nevertheless develops a number of themes that are still relevant today. For example: the tendency of military and political bureaucracies to obfuscate, shift blame, and throw others to the wolves in order to protect themselves (and the difficulties military and civilian bureaucracies have in communicating with, or even understanding, one another); the dangers that result from unclear divisions of responsibility; the ease with which opportunistic politicians can manipulate and enflame public opinion; and much more.

It's also very interesting to see the developing institutional ethos of the Royal Canadian Navy, which had existed as a nominally independent body for less than a decade at the time of the explosion.

On the whole, this book is a study of bureaucracy, legal proceedings, and institutional evolution that frankly may not appeal to a lot of people. But for students of disasters, institutions, the navy, or just an overlooked chapter in Canadian history, this title has a lot to recommend it. ... Read more

Product Description
The history of Canada is filled with charismatic and talented military leaders. Each of the men featured in this collection was wildly successful in business and used his private wealth to provide Canada with a military unit at its times of greatest need. Today these respected units continue to serve Canada and Canadians. ... Read more

Product Description
An unromanticized, nuanced, and complex book. Based on revealing first-hand accounts from the nurses themselves, as well as published memoirs and military documents, Toman's analysis of the ways in which nursing culture came into conflict with military culture over medical treatment and technology is brilliant. An Officer and A Lady is both pioneering scholarship and a well-told story. - Christina Bates, co-editor of On All Frontiers: Four Centuries of Nursing in Canada. ... Read more

Product Description
This significant new book provides an overview of the history of military bands in Canada, including bands, marches, pipes, drums and tattoos. Through their longtime interest and experience with military bands the authors have collected information on individual bands, marches and songs, recordings, and many rare photographs which are featured in this book. Their careful research into this subject not previously well documented presents the remarkable tale of the men and women of the Canadian Forces Music Branch, past and present. This book explores the immense talent and creative ability of the band musicians, who have never received the recognition they deserve.

Also included: Histories of the Regimental Marches, A song book, A chart of military band instruments, Biographies of Canadian Directors of Music and Bandmasters and Pipe Majors. ... Read more

Product Description
Base closures, use of airspace for weapons testing and low-level flying, environmental awareness, and Aboriginal land claims have focused attention in recent years on the use of Native lands for military training. But is the military's interest in Aboriginal lands new? Battle Grounds analyzes a century of government-Aboriginal interaction and negotiation to explore how the Canadian military came to use Aboriginal lands for training. It examines what the process reveals about the larger and evolving relationship between governments and Native communities, and how increasing Aboriginal assertiveness and activism have affected the issue.

Battle Grounds will appeal to those in military history, Native studies, and historical geography, as well as to general readers interested in military and aboriginal affairs. ... Read more

Product Description
The extended peace the world anticipated following the decisive Allied victory in the Second World War was abruptly shattered in June 1950 by the invasion of South Korea by communist North Korea. Responding to a United Nations’ call to assist the South Korean regime, Canada deployed an 8000-man brigade to the peninsula to fight as part of an American-led UN force.

This comprehensive account of the Canadian campaign in Korea provides the first detailed study of the training, leadership, operations, and tactics of the brigade under each of its three wartime commanders as well as its relationship with American and Commonwealth allies. An impeccably researched analytical history, the book examines the uneven performance of the various Canadian units and argues that the soldiers of the "Special Force" initially sent to Korea were more thorough and professional in their operations than were the army’s regular battalions that eventually replaced them at the front.

The revisionist interpretations of A War of Patrols will attract both academic and military professionals, as well as general readers interested in a fresh look at an important part of Canada’s military past.

Published in association with the Canadian War Museum. ... Read more

Product Description
In January 1944, Canada's top admiral, Percy Walker Nelles, was fired from his post as head of the Royal Canadian Navy. Traditional accounts maintain that Nelles's termination was the result of severe operational deficiencies within the navy. This intriguing history reveals the true story behind Vice Admiral Nelles's dismissal: a divisive power struggle between two elite groups within the RCN -- the navy's regular officers, and a small group of self-appointed spokesmen of the voluntary naval reserve.

Richard Mayne shows how influential, but relatively junior, reserve officers were able to parlay their social stature to bypass normal military channels. These men, most notably Andrew Dyas MacLean, nephew of the Maclean's magazine founder, came from among Canada's most prominent civilian families. Their network, unhappy with the permanent force officers, used their connections to create an alternative chain of command, which deployed threats of public scandal, warnings of mass insurrection, and political intimidation, to cause one of the worst breakdowns in Canadian civil-military relations.

This fascinating investigation into the machinations of a divided navy tackles important questions of military professionalism, leadership, and identity. Betrayed will appeal to readers interested in military history and security studies, political science, and sociology. ... Read more

Product Description


Buster is a biography of James Sutherland Brown, CMG, DSO, a distinguished Canadian soldier who advanced from boy bugler to Brigadier General. He was noted for his organizational and planning abilities as well as his humane command. As Assistant Quartermaster General of the 1st Canadian Division he was substantially responsible for the rapid advance of the Division through Mons, Beligium, to the Rhine in the last 100 days of WWI. He also provided for the efficient demobilization of the Canadian Expeditionary Force in 1919-20. As Director of Operations and Intelligence he was the author of Defence Scheme No.1 designed to defend Canada in case of an attack by United States in the 1920s, a plan that has been mocked by academic historians but praised by his colleagues.

As District Officer Commanding in Victoria during the Great Depression he managed on a slim budget to get military facilities built and the Militia as prepared as possible in anticipation of WWII. He then lost a confrontation with his immediate superior, General McNaughton, centred on the humane treatment of the unemployed in Relief Camps in the 1930s and consequently he resigned. Though he sought one, he was refused a role in WWII as a result of this clash. ... Read more

Product Description
This is the story of 1st Canadian Radar Battery between 1944 and 1945. The account deals with the true beginnings of Counter-Mortar operations by the Army Operational Research Group and shows how their work helped the Allies rid Europe of the Axis powers. ... Read more

Product Description
Canada's military aviation history reflects a proud tradition of excellence and valour displayed by its personnel throughout years of adversity, challenge and conflict. Aircraft of the Canadian military include an exotic blend of types from many different manufacturers. Many of these aircraft types have been uniquely modified for Canadian service.This book is a brief summary of the majority of aircraft used by the various arms of the Canadian Forces in an easy reference format. It includes a comprehensive list of all the aircraft types on strength by the Canadian Air Corps, Canadian Air Force, Royal Canadian Air Force, Royal Canadian Navy, Canadian Army and the Canadian Forces since 1914. It lists the aircraft name, year taken on strength, year struck off strength and the quantity acquired, as well as providing a brief operational description and aircraft specifications.

The book is divided into four broad categories:* Aircraft on strength with Canadian Forces* Canadian Forces aircraft announced or contracted for but not yet in use or delivered* Non-Canadian forces (i.e. civilian leased) aircraft flown by the CF personnel during training, test or other military missions* Non-Canadian aircraft flown by Canadians in operations or combat missions while on exchange to other air forces

This is the only book available on this subject. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

An excellent reference
Every aircraft that has been used by the Canadian forces (Army, Navy, Air Force and all the unified commands) receives a single page (or in rare cases, two pages). Coverage begins with WWI.
Airships, gliders, BOMARC, experimental aircraft (including the Arrow), UAVs, and aircraft operated by Canadians attached to British or US forces are included. Canadian aircraft, such as the Beaver, that were not operated by the Canadian military, are not covered. Aircraft contracted for, but not delivered yet, are listed. Photos are very good, and often in color. There are two Tables of Content, one by manufacturer, and one by popular name. Little technical or operational data is provided, but the author's aim of listing every Canadian military aircraft type is achieved. ... Read more

Product Description
Self-doubt so plagued him that he suffered a nervous breakdown even before fighting his first combat action. But, by the end of the Second World War, Bert Hoffmeister had exorcised his anxieties, risen from Captain to Major-General, and won more awards than any Canadian officer in the war. Fighting from the invasion of Sicily in July 1943 to the final victory in Europe in May 1945, this native Vancouverite earned a reputation as a fearless commander on the battlefield – one who led from the front, one well loved by those he led. How did he do it?

The Soldiers’ General explains, in eloquent and accessible prose, how Hoffmeister conducted his business as a military commander. With an astute analytical eye, Delaney carefully dissects Hoffmeister’s numerous battles to reveal how he managed and how he led, how he directed and how he inspired. An exemplary leader, Hoffmeister stood out among his contemporaries, not so much for his technical ability to move the chess pieces well; there were plenty who could do that. Rather, Bert Hoffmeister was exceptional for his ability to get the chess pieces to move themselves.

The most comprehensive and easy-to-understand study of any Canadian military commander to date, The Soldiers’ General will appeal as much to the student of military history as it will to anyone in search of a good story. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

The Soldier's General LTG Bertram Hoffmeister
A very critical study on a Canadian General Officer. LTG Hoffmeister proved himself on the battlefields of Sicily,Italy and N.W. Europe. Never a political general like many of Canadians Generals tend to be, he was in the thick of it and had earned the respect of British, American allies. This book is a tribute to a real hero that most Canadians don't know about. ... Read more

Product Description

Show No Fear is a collection of essays that captures the richness of Canadian military history. Although Canadians see their nation as a peaceable kingdom and themselves as an unmilitary people, the truth is that Canada has a proud military heritage. Moreover, the nation’s citizens and their descendants share a legacy of courage, tenacity, and warfighting prowess. This volume of daring actions showcases the country's rich and distinct national military experience while capturing the indomitable spirit of the Canadian soldier.

Actions studied include military bravery in the Seven Years’ War, the British attacks on Fort Mackinac and Fort Detroit in the War of 1812, the Lake Erie expeditions during the American Civil War, courage displayed at Paardeberg in the Boer War, trench raiding in the First World War, bold valour in the ill-fated Dieppe Raid in the Second World War, toe-to-toe fighting with the Chinese in the Korean War, and present-day heroics in Afghanistan.

Product Description
It was the "Good War." Its cause was just; it ended the Depression; and Canada's contribution was nothing less than stellar. But the dark truth was that not all Canadians were saints or soldiers. Indeed, many were sinners.

The first-ever synthesis of both the patriotic and the problematic in wartime Canada, Saints, Sinners, and Soldiers shows how moral and social changes, and the fears they generated, precipitated numerous, and often contradictory, legacies in law and society. From labor conflicts, to the black market, to prostitution and beyond, Keshen acknowledges the underbelly of Canada's Second World War, and demonstrates that the "Good War" was a complex tapestry of social forces. Essential to both military and social historians, Saints, Sinners, and Soldiers will also prove fascinating to anyone interested in the evolution of Canada's social fabric. ... Read more

Product Description
The first comprehensive study of naval operations involving North American squadrons in Nova Scotia waters, Frigates and Foremasts offers a masterful analysis of the motives behind the deployment of Royal Naval vessels between 1745 and 1815, and the navy's role on the Western Atlantic.

Interweaving historical analysis with vivid descriptions of pivotal events from the first siege of Louisbourg in 1745 to the end of the wars with the U.S. and France in 1815, Julian Gwyn illuminates the complex story of competing interests among the Admiralty, Navy Board, sea officers, and government officials on both sides of the Atlantic. In a gripping narrative encompassing sea battles, impressments, and privateering, Gwyn brings to life key events and central figures. He examines the role of leadership and the lack of it, not only of seagoing heroes from Peter Warren to Philip Broke, but also of land-based officials, such as the various Halifax naval yard commissioners, whose important contributions are brought to light.

Gwyn's brilliant evocation of people and events, with the scholarship he brings to bear on the subject makes Frigates and Foremasts a uniquely authoritative history. Wonderfully readable, it will attract both the serious naval historian and the general reader interested in the "why" and "what" of naval history on North America's eastern seaboard.

Published in association with the Canadian War Museum ... Read more

Product Description
Ranging from the early explorations of New France to recent peace-keeping efforts with the United Nations, these anecdotes capture the Canadian experience of war: the warmth of wartime friendships, the sudden anguish of loss, the chaos and, at times, comic confusion of the battle field. ... Read more

Product Description
Another Kind of Justice is the first historical survey of Canadian military law, providing insights into military justice in Canada, the purpose of military law, and the level of legal professionalism within the Canadian military.

Drawing on a wide range of materials, Chris Madsen traces the development of military law from 1867 to 1997. After delving into the British roots of Canadian military law, he brings his discussion up to date with analysis of recent sexual discrimination cases and the Somalia inquiry. He explains how the law has served a strictly functional purpose in maintaining discipline, and demonstrates how it claims its legitimacy and distinct status in relation to civil law. It becomes clear that military law has responded to pragmatic needs in a reactive rather than a planned manner.

Another Kind of Justice describes the statutes and regulations that govern Canada's armed forces, the institutions responsible for overseeing military law, and how knowledge about military law is disseminated. Madsen concludes that longstanding organizational problems and training deficiencies bear some of the responsibility for the unfortunate behaviour of Canadian soldiers in Somalia. ... Read more