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December 31, 2001 - "Canada at War and Peace, II: A Millennium of Military Heritage"
Edited by Scott Taylor, w/46 contributors vol 2., 480 pages each
Print run limited to 1000 sets
Recently I was on a campaign to draw attention to Canada's Hong Kong veterans, their part in
the defense of Hong Kong, its 60th anniversary from December 8th to 25th, 2001, and the
terrible 1377 days the survivors spent as Japanese prisoners of war. I was also promoting
the Hong Kong Veterans Commemorative Association and its objectives to ensure that people
"Never Forget" what the 1973 men and 2 nurses of "C" Force endured. While doing so I
literally stumbled upon these books. They so impressed me that I thought they should be
reviewed for the benefit of collectors and students of Canada's military postal history.
The first edition, published in 1999, consisted of three volumes, and was sold out.
The completely revamped second edition has more than 250 additional pages. While fewer
than half of the 373 "articles" are reprints (many appeared originally in Esprit de Corps magazine),
they have all been rewritten and updated with more information. The new material consists of
additional articles, and brings coverage up to the NATO occupation of Kosovo.
Reproduction of the numerous, well chosen and appropriate illustrations of people and events
is superior to that in the original edition. There are now 64 pages in full colour. The
descriptive sub-titles for each volume encapsulate their contents: "Forged in Fire: 1000-1919.
From the Vikings to Versailles," and "In Defense of Others: 1920-2000. World Warriors and Peace
keepers." Each volume has an excellent 3-page table of contents and comprehensive 18 and 14 page
detailed indexes respectively. References to illustrations are in bold typeface. At the beginning
of each of the 26 sections there is a chronology of the major events that follow, with extensive
coverage in both text and illustrations.There is a useful 3 page bibliography under "General"
and 13 other headings by era. It includes a table comparing the ranks of Canada's three services
before and after the 1967 unification, and information on their historic origins. A 3 page
glossary defines military abbreviations and terms. The 66 Canadian First World War and 16 Second
World War Victoria Cross winners are listed alphabetically with their units and a brief
description of their award winning actions. Additional data on many of the recipients
appear throughout the text. I believe that these books are really encyclopedias, and
should be in every Canadian public, high school, and university library. In his review
("Comment," Sunday Sun, June 17, 2001), Peter Worthington, the well known observer and
commentator on military matters, states "…the contents are a gold mine of Canadiana and
fascinating incidents..."
He goes on with "Every one of the nearly 1000 pages…is an invaluable source, laced with pictures
and details about our country…," particularly its military. However, words cannot do justice to
these volumes that must be examined to determine their usefulness to you - if you are "computerized,"
check the publisher's web site.I must also mention and recommend Esprit de Corps magazine,
which is in its eighth year of publication and averages 34 pages per issue. It is a must
for collectors of peacekeeping postal history, to keep up to date on Canada's participation.
It can also be assessed on the web site. A one-year subscription is $29.95 in Canada,
$39.95 in the US, $44.95 else were. Each edition features articles on the First and Second
World Wars and on Korea. Other wars and past peacekeeping assignments also receive regular
coverage. Often written by veterans actually involved in the episode, the articles have the
input of recognized historians to ensure their accuracy. They are factual, and usually have
a human-interest element which I particularly like, and which makes for more enjoyable reading.
C. R. McGuire
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