Synopses & Reviews
The Battle of Vimy Ridge, the Dieppe Raid, the Italian Campaign: the Canadian military has been indispensable to many of the greatest victories-and disasters-of our time. The evolution of Canada as a military power is chronicled here by military historians Dean F. Oliver and J.L. Granatstein in this authoritative and highly readable book.
Their entries include concise biographies from James Wolfe to Louis Riel to Rick Hillier; key military-political issues like the conscription crises, war finance, and Canada-US relations; lesser-known conflicts such as the Pig War and the Aroostook War; and more recent issues facing the Canadian Forces, including sexual harassment and post-traumatic stress disorder. We see Canada through an international lens as a war fighter and a peacekeeper-and as a participant in some darker moments.
Rare photographic material and original wartime paintings (reproduced in full colour) illustrate the people, events, and hardware that define Canada's military history. Additional material includes a timeline chart and other historical and bibliographical reference information. An authoritative guide and compelling read, The Oxford Companion to Canadian Military History reminds us of our collective history that we must continue to investigate, understand, and now-more than ever-remember.
About the Author
Dean F. Oliver is the director of research and exhibitions at the Canadian War Museum and an adjunct research professor at Carleton University's Department of History. He is the co-author, with Laura Brandon, of Canvas of War: Painting the Canadian Experience, 1914 to 1945. In 2010 he was made a Knight in the Order of Orange-Nassau by Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands in honour of his contributions to history.
J.L. Granatstein is an award-winning historian who has written more than sixty books, including Canada's Army: Waging War and Keeping the Peace and The Last Good War. He is an Officer of the Order of Canada and has received the Pierre Berton Award and the J.W. Dafoe Prize, among other distinctions. He taught Canadian history for 30 years and is a former director and CEO of the Canadian War Museum.
Table of Contents
List of Maps Preface
Acknowledgements
Timeline
A to Z
Appendix