The Canadian Army's involvement with Afghanistan after the 9-11 attacks in 2001 was as dramatic as it was historically significant. The conflict was Canada's first war since Korea in the 1950s and was the first counterinsurgency campaign undertaken by the Army. Acts of valour by Canadian men and women, not seen outside of the pages of Second World War history books, once again became commonplace. Canada was now up against a new type of enemy, global in scope, agile and adaptable.

Twenty-four Canadians, among nearly 3000 other people, were killed in the 9-11 attacks by Al Qaeda, an organization that hid behind a shield provided by the Pakistan-supported Taliban movement. Once the Taliban were removed from power by Operation ENDURING FREEDOM, renewed fighting among factions had to be avoided. Some form of governance had to be established before the international community would invest in reconstruction efforts. Al Qaeda was itself in the process of being defeated in Iraq, countered in Somalia, challenged in the Philippines, and confounded in its attempts to destroy civilian airliners throughout the world.

The coalition reconstruction effort in Afghanistan led by the International Security Assistance Force was a tempting collection of fragile targets and there were plenty of aggrieved elements that could be employed by the adversary as proxies in such a fight. Afghanistan was one front in Al Qaeda's war, while it became the only front left for a renewed Taliban and their allies.

Protecting the Afghanistan reconstruction effort was a necessary part of confronting Al Qaeda, the Taliban, and their allies. It was crucial that the coalition create space and time for Afghans to recover from two decades of violence. In order to achieve this goal it was vital that the insurgency be thwarted from attaining its objectives. These volumes explain how the Canadian Army's soldiers succeeded against all odds in doing so.

From our country's most important war historian, a gripping account of the turbulent relationship between Canada and the US during the Second World War. The two nations entered the war amidst rivalry and mutual suspicion, but learned to fight together before emerging triumphant and bound by an alliance that has lasted to this day.

When the Second World War broke out in 1939, it set in motion a deadly struggle between the Axis powers and the Allies, but also fraught negotiations between and among the Allies. On questions of diplomacy, economic policy, industrial might, military capabilities, and even national sovereignty, thousands of lives and the fate of the free world depended on back-room deals and desperate trade-offs between soldiers, diplomats, and leaders.

In North America, Canada and the US strained to forge a new military alliance to guard their coasts and fend off German U-boats and the menace of a Japanese invasion. Wartime economies were entwined to produce a staggering contribution of weapons to keep Britain and other allies in the war. The defence of North America against enemy threats was essential before the US and Canada could send armies, navies, and air forces overseas.

In his trademark style, Tim Cook employs eyewitness accounts to vividly lay bare the brutality of combat and the courage of North Americans under fire. Behind the fighting fronts, the charged and often secret communications between national leaders Churchill, Roosevelt, and King reveal how their personalities shaped the outcome of history's most destructive war, the fate of the British Empire, and the North American alliance that lives on to this day.

The Good Allies is a masterful account of how Canadians and Americans made the transition from wary rivals to steadfast allies, and how Canada thrived in the shadow of the military and global superpower. In exploring this complex and crucial dimension of the Second World War and its legacy, Cook recounts two nations' story of cooperation, of sacrifice, and of bleeding together to save the world from the fascist threat.

THE HILL TIMES TOP 100 BOOKS OF 2024

Punching Above Our Weight takes readers on a riveting exploration spanning one hundred and fifty years of Canadian forces.

This photograph-rich history of 150 years of the Canadian military traces the evolution of the country's armed forces from a small, underfunded, poorly trained militia to the modern, effective military it is today. From the Red River Resistance and the Boer War through the world wars to modern peacekeeping and the long war in Afghanistan, David A. Borys details the conflicts and operations that Canadian soldiers have served in. He highlights the key battles, among them Amiens, the Scheldt Estuary, and Operation Medusa; the significant people, including Louis Riel, Arthur Currie, and Guy Simonds; and the decisive moments, such as the passing of conscription in August 1917, Canada's declaration of war in 1939, and the peacekeeping crises of the 1990s, that came to define the scope of Canada's participation in international conflicts and cement its global reputation.

Borys also explores the challenges that the Canadian nation and its military have faced over those years, including major cultural and demographic shifts, a continual struggle for resources from generally disinterested governments, battlefield failures, and notorious and shocking scandals, along with ever-changing global threats. Punching Above Our Weight brings to light a new perspective on the Canadian military and its place in the world.

If not us, who? If not now, when?

In November 2022, Michel Maisonneuve, retired Lieutenant-General of the Canadian Armed Forces, was presented the prestigious Vimy Award in recognition of his outstanding lifetime contributions to the defence of Canada and its democratic values. Before an elite audience of 650 representing government, judicial, academic, corporate and military professions, he launched a stirring defence of the nation he served for five decades. His bracing acceptance speech at the Canadian Museum of History in Gatineau warned that the principles he was being celebrated for protecting were under assault as never before. Canada was abandoning its history, its civil liberties, its fiscal prudence, its concern for the vulnerable, and its commitment to global stability--things that had long made it not only a great place to live but an important member of the family of nations.

The standing ovation Maisonneuve received that night was followed the next morning by calls for his cancellation. His stalwart defence of his views and his courage in speaking out where others dared not have since earned him the nickname the anti-woke general and made him a folk hero among Canadians tired of apologizing for their country.

In Defence of Canada is one warrior's heartfelt rallying cry for Canadians to face the reality of their country's decline, recommit to principles of peace, order and good government, and build for the benefit of future generations a tolerant and diverse nation with boundless potential.

The year 1910 saw the 50th anniversary of the Queen's Own Rifles, Canada's longest-serving reserve regiment. To celebrate this landmark, a series of events, military parades, and spectacular historical pageants featuring hundreds of participants were held in Toronto, all of which were bankrolled by financier and Commanding Officer of the QOR, Sir Henry Pellatt-better known to Canadians as the man who built Toronto's Casa Loma as a private residence for his family.

The highlight of the jubilee celebrations was Pellatt's sponsorship of a trip to the UK for more than 600 young reservists to train in military manoeuvers with the British Army for four weeks, including a week's vacation. The group was accompanied by reporters-known as the Press Gang- from six Toronto newspapers. Author Mima Brown Kapches' father, J.N.M. (Jim) Brown, was one such reporter. When researching her father's journalism career, Brown Kapches came across an article filed by her father in Toronto World about the trip. Surprised to discover that there was little comprehensive documentation of this fascinating bit of Canadian history, she set about painstakingly reconstructing the trip, primarily through newspaper accounts written by her father and his fellow journalists. The English Trip of 1910: Toronto, Sir Henry Pellatt, the Queen's Own Rifles and the Press Gang is a meticulously researched and eloquently written account of the English excursion.

During the winter of 1944-45 the Allies desperately sought a strategy for Germany's quick defeat. From the Swiss border to the North Sea, hundreds of thousands of soldiers in trenches and dugouts suffered through the bitterest European winter in 50 years, while their generals debated and schemed in the war rooms. In this grim environment, First Canadian Army engaged in deadly patrols behind the German lines and fought costly skirmishes to gain control of small patches of contested ground. After much debate, the Allied high command decided that First Canadian Army would launch the pivotal offensive to win the war -- an attack against the Rhineland. Winning this land would give them a launching point for driving into Germany's heartland. On February 8, 1945, First Canadian Army launched Operation Veritable. Advancing on the heels of the greatest artillery bombardment yet fired by the western Allies, thousands of Canadian and British troops advanced into an inferno of battle. Infantrymen were forced to fight relentlessly, alone and often at close quarters, for 38 grueling days. Their story is one largely lost to the common national history of World War II -- Forgotten Victory gives this important legacy back to Canadians.

BOOK EIGHT in the Canadian Battle Series.

On to Victory is the little-told story of the tense final days of World War II, remembered in the Netherlands as the sweetest of springs, which saw the country's liberation from German occupation. The Liberation Campaign, a series of fierce, desperate battles during the last three months of the war, was bittersweet. A nation's freedom was won and the war concluded, but these final hostilities cost Canada 6,298 casualties, including 1,482 dead. With his trademark you are there style that draws upon official records, veteran memories, and a keen understanding of the combat experience, Mark Zuehlke brings to life this concluding chapter in the story of Canada in World War II.

Published to coincide with the 65th anniversary of Canada's dramatic liberation of Holland. May 4, 2010, will mark the 65th anniversary of the end of the fighting for Canada's army and the conclusion of the Netherlands' liberation. Major events of remembrance, both here and in the Netherlands, will celebrate this milestone.

The first in-depth book that sheds light on Canada's elite warriors who operate in the shadows.

In 2001, the Canadian government sent elements of its Joint Task Force 2 counterterrorist unit to Afghanistan to assist the Americans with Operation Enduring Freedom and the global war on terror. Withdrawn a year later, after a brief hiatus JTF 2 returned to Afghanistan in 2005, beginning a continuous tour of duty for Canadian Special Operation Forces (CANSOF) up to the cessation of Canadian combat operations in 2011. This book reveals six untold special operations that CANSOF personnel undertook in their desperate struggle in the shadows to capture or kill Taliban leaders, facilitators, and bomb-makers, as well as efforts to mentor Afghan National Security Forces from 2005 to 2011. The missions highlight that the nation's SOF were no ordinary men.

The Fredericton Region Museum boasts an impressive collection of cap badges and medals. Operated by the York-Sunbury Historical Society, our rich holdings date back over 90 years, to when the Society was first established in 1932. From the very outset, cap badges and medals occupied an important interest for local collectors, who through the years have generously donated their prized holdings to the museum. The assemblage of cap badges featured within this publication covers the time period of the Second World War. It represents a concerted effort, on the part of several museum volunteers, to gather together a substantial number of our military badges. All are now safeguarded in the Fredericton Region Museum. We invite you to visit the museum to view these historic badges for yourself.

The ninth book in the Canadian Battle Series, Breakout from Juno, is the first dramatic chronicling of Canada's pivotal role throughout the entire Normandy Campaign following the D-Day landings.

On July 4, 1944, the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division won the village of Carpiquet but not the adjacent airfield. Instead of a speedy victory, the men faced a bloody fight. The Canadians advanced relentlessly against Hitler's finest armoured divisions, at a great cost in bloodshed. Initially, only the 3rd Division was involved, but in a couple of weeks two other Canadian divisions -- 2nd Infantry and 4th Armoured -- along with a Polish division and several British divisions came together as First Canadian Army.

While their generals wrangled and planned, the soldiers fought within a narrow landscape extending a mere 21 miles from Caen to Falaise. The Canadians won a two-day battle for Verriï res Ridge starting on July 21, costing them 1,500 casualties. More bloody battles followed, until finally, on August 21, the narrowing gap that had been developing at Falaise closed when American and Canadian troops shook hands. The German army in Normandy had been destroyed, only 18,000 of about 400,000 men escaping. The Allies suffered 206,000 casualties, of which 18,444 were Canadians.

Breakout from Juno is a story of uncommon heroism, endurance and sacrifice by Canada's World War II volunteer army and pays tribute to Canada's veterans at a time when many Canadians, young and old, are actively engaged in acts of remembrance.

In December 1915, as the First World War wore on, Acadian leaders meeting in New Brunswick deplored how soldiers from their communities were lost in the crowd of the Canadian Expeditionary Force. They successfully lobbied the federal government for the creation of an Acadian national unit that would be French-speaking, Catholic, and led by their own. More than a thousand Acadians from across the Maritime provinces, Quebec, and the American northeast answered the call. In Lost in the Crowd Gregory Kennedy draws on military archives, census records, newspapers, and soldiers' letters to present a new kind of military history focusing on the experiences of Acadian soldiers and their families before, during, and after the war. He shows that Acadians were just as likely to enlist as their English-speaking counterparts across the Maritimes, though the backgrounds of the volunteers were quite different. Kennedy tackles controversial topics often missing from the previous historiography, such as underage recruits, desertion, and army discipline. With the help of the 1921 Canadian Census, he explores the factors that influenced post-war outcomes, both positive and negative, for soldiers, families, and communities. Lost in the Crowd offers a completely new and replicable approach to the traditional regimental history, reconstituting the lives of soldiers and their families. The focus on the Acadians, a francophone minority group in the Maritime provinces, significantly shifts our understanding of French Canada and the First World War.

Canada's varied roles in the South African War, from mounted troops to artillery, highlight its complex contribution and military impact.

The story of Canada in the South African War is a complex one. How it even came about that the Canadian Government agreed to the dispatch of troops has its many talking points.

Serving as units integrated within a larger British force, several contingents were sent during the course of the conflict, the first being the 2nd (Special Service) Battalion of the Royal Canadian Regiment of Infantry. Subsequent contingents were made up mostly of mounted troops but also artillery and later a field hospital. The first mounted units were the 1st and 2nd Canadian Mounted Rifles, the first of these becoming the Royal Canadian Dragoons. Then there was the privately raised Strathcona's Horse. Of considerable interest are the more than 1000 Canadians who enlisted in the South African Constabulary.

There was no single manner in which the Canadian Contingents were raised and paid for, though the men mostly served under fixed terms of enlistment. Those joining the South African Constabulary, however, frequently found themselves in action for longer periods as, though they were raised as a para-military police force, the unanticipated extended period of hostilities meant they were engaged in much more of a military role than had been expected.

Canada's role in the changing and evolving conditions of the South African War was complex and varied, and Canadian troops rose to the task and performed well. The impact of the war on the development of the Canadian military is also of considerable interest.

The Canadian Army's involvement with Afghanistan after the 9-11 attacks in 2001 was as dramatic as it was historically significant. The conflict was Canada's first war since Korea in the 1950s and was the first counterinsurgency campaign undertaken by the Army. Acts of valour by Canadian men and women, not seen outside of the pages of Second World War history books, once again became commonplace. Canada was now up against a new type of enemy, global in scope, agile and adaptable.

Twenty-four Canadians, among nearly 3000 other people, were killed in the 9-11 attacks by Al Qaeda, an organization that hid behind a shield provided by the Pakistan-supported Taliban movement. Once the Taliban were removed from power by Operation ENDURING FREEDOM, renewed fighting among factions had to be avoided. Some form of governance had to be established before the international community would invest in reconstruction efforts. Al Qaeda was itself in the process of being defeated in Iraq, countered in Somalia, challenged in the Philippines, and confounded in its attempts to destroy civilian airliners throughout the world.

The coalition reconstruction effort in Afghanistan led by the International Security Assistance Force was a tempting collection of fragile targets and there were plenty of aggrieved elements that could be employed by the adversary as proxies in such a fight. Afghanistan was one front in Al Qaeda's war, while it became the only front left for a renewed Taliban and their allies.

Protecting the Afghanistan reconstruction effort was a necessary part of confronting Al Qaeda, the Taliban, and their allies. It was crucial that the coalition create space and time for Afghans to recover from two decades of violence. In order to achieve this goal it was vital that the insurgency be thwarted from attaining its objectives. These volumes explain how the Canadian Army's soldiers succeeded against all odds in doing so.

Undeniably, the 1990s were a period of crisis for the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF). Drastic budget reductions and a series of endless scandals all collided to form the perfect storm. The outcome of this was nothing short of the implosion of the Canadian Armed Forces Officer Corps.

Stripped by the government of the right to regulate itself, the Officer Corps, which represented the nation's stewards of the profession of arms, was forced to reform itself. Key to this transformation was education. However, the road was not easy, as cultural change rarely is.

Forced to Change tells the story of how the Canadian Armed Forces found itself at its lowest point in history and how it managed to reform itself. The question is whether it was a fundamental transformation or just a temporary adjustment to weather the storm.

All the Ship's Men: HMCS Athabaskan's Untold Stories is a collection of personal stories of sailors on-board Canada's Tribal Class Destroyer, HMCS Athabaskan when it was sunk by enemy fire mere days before the Normandy Invasion. This revised edition includes seventeen new tales.

Steve MacBeth, a three-tour Afghan war veteran, offers a compelling, first-hand account of Canada's involvement in one of the most protracted and most complex conflicts of the 21st century. Through vivid and unfiltered interviews with 150 frontline soldiers, this collection captures the diverse experiences of those who served. These soldiers share their stories from the front lines of Afghanistan, detailing the challenges, sacrifices, and moments of camaraderie they encountered. The title, inspired by the military expression no names, no pack drill-intended to ensure lessons are learned from soldiers' experiences without identifying those involved-reflects the humility and quiet professionalism of the Canadian soldiers, who are culturally uncomfortable with recognition for their service.

From harrowing combat operations to the calmer, often overlooked aspects of deployment, these personal stories provide a raw and intimate portrait of the war. Shared from one veteran to another, these stories are told using the soldier's vernacular, ensuring that the voices were genuine and answered basic questions for the record:

What was Afghanistan like for you?

What were the tastes and smells like?

How did you feel when you killed or when someone tried to kill you?

What did you carry?

What were your daily routines?

How did it feel when you came home?

Was it worth it?

This book is not about building discourse on Canada's strategy in Afghanistan. It leaves complex political discussions behind. It does not try to put the experiences into context or explain who was right or wrong or whether the tactical decisions made were good or bad. It strips the events down to their rawest form and shares them in the words of those who lived in Canada's experience in Afghanistan. The work bears witness to the experiences of the average soldier and provides a historical first-person record for future generations. This gripping collection reveals the untold human side of modern warfare, shedding light on its profound impact on those who served.

The Red Knight was the product of thirty years of meticulous research by aviation historian John Charles Corrigan. It is arguably the most comprehensive account ever written about the Royal Canadian Air Force's legendary solo jet-aerobatics program. Now the author follows up that important work with The Red Knight Aircraft, a careful documentation of the triumphs and tragedies of each of the aircraft used by the program between 1958 and 1969. John digs into the stories of the four Silver Stars and two Tutors. He pays tribute to the pilots who gave their lives trying to push the limits of aerobatics, and the people connected to this colourful part of Canada's past. Also included are the civilian revivals of the Red Knight and the static display aircraft painted in the colours of the RCAF's famous aerial performer. Readers who saw the Red Knight in action will deepen their knowledge and be swept up in nostalgia as they peruse rare photos, clippings, and remembrances, all gathered together in one beautiful book. Aviation and air show aficionados will be treated to behind-the-scenes details of a bygone era, as they appreciate the achievements of the Red Knight pilots - and their metal steeds.

From Canada's top war historian, a definitive medical history of the Great War, illuminating how the carnage of modern battle gave birth to revolutionary--and sometimes shocking--life-saving innovations.

Medical care in almost all armies during the Great War, and especially in the Canadian medical services, was sophisticated and constantly evolving. Vastly more wounded soldiers were saved than lost. Doctors and surgeons prevented disease from decimating armies, confronted ghastly wounds from chemical weapons, remade shattered bodies, and struggled to ease soldiers' battle-haunted minds. After the war, the hard lessons learned by doctors and nurses were brought back to Canada.

But medical advances were not the only thing brought back from Europe: Lifesavers and Body Snatchers exposes the disturbing story of the harvesting of human body parts in medical units behind the lines. Almost 800 individual body parts were removed from the dead and sent to London, England, where they were stored, treated, and presented in exhibition galleries. After being exhibited there, the body parts were displayed in Canada. This uncovered history has never been told before and is part of the hidden legacy of the medical war.

Based on deep archival research and unpublished letters of soldiers and medical personnel, Lifesavers and Body Snatchers is a powerful narrative, told in Tim Cook's classic literary style, which reveals how the medical services supported the soldiers at the front and forged a profound legacy in shaping Canadian public health in the decades that followed.

A brilliant recounting of the Battle of the Atlantic, Canada's longest continuous military engagement of the Second World War and the key to its victory

In the twentieth century's greatest war, one battlefield held the key to victory or defeat--the North Atlantic. It took 2,074 days and nights to determine its outcome, but the Battle of the Atlantic proved the turning point of WWII.

For five and a half years, German surface warships and submarines attempted to destroy Allied transatlantic convoys, most of which were escorted by Royal Canadian Navy destroyers and corvettes, as well as aircraft of the Royal Canadian Air Force.

Throwing deadly U-boat wolf packs in the paths of Merchant Navy convoys, the German Kriegsmarine nearly strangled this vital lifeline to a beleaguered Great Britain and left any hope of liberating Europe in doubt. In 1939, Canada's navy went to war with exactly thirteen warships and about 3,500 sailors. During the desperate Atlantic crossings, the RCN grew to 400 fighting ships and over 100,000 men and women in uniform. By VE Day in 1945, it had become the fourth largest navy in the world. The Battle of the Atlantic proved to be Canada's longest continuous military engagement of WWII. The story of the country's naval awakening in the bloody battle to get convoys to Britain is a Canadian wartime saga for the ages.

The untold story of Point Frederick, where early nineteenth-century Canadians built warships that stopped invasion, brought peace, and the world's longest undefended border.

Opposite Kingston, Point Frederick became the 1789 dockyard home of the navy on Lake Ontario. Armed vessels were built to transport settlers and the military.

War in 1812 prompted the need for larger warships. Shipwrights were critical to winning the war. French Canadians from Quebec shipyards worked with the British to build warships with massive firepower.

In 1814, two invading armies advanced on outnumbered British and Canadians holding Niagara. Meanwhile, powerful Royal Navy warships sailed toward the action, unchallenged. When advised he was without naval support, the American commander halted his advance and withdrew from Canada.

With peace, the need for warships vanished. But threats of rebellion and insurgence demanded gunboats, and continued naval presence until 1853, when the dockyard finally closed. Glimpses of dockyard legacy are found today in Kingston waters, and on the grounds of the Royal Military College of Canada.