Saturday, November 27, 2010

Collishaw & Company, Canadians in the Royal Naval Air Service 1914 – 1918






Collishaw & Company Canadians in the Royal Naval Air Service 1914 – 1918
By J. Allan Snowie
ISBN 978-0-69200989-5

Author J. Allan Snowie is well known in naval aviation circles as the Canadian Navy’s last LSO, Air Canada pilot, author and his transcontinental flight in a First World War Nieuport replica.
The book is a labor of love compiled over many years and was well and truly worth the wait. Snowie spent many days in research the UK’s PRO in Kew as well as in North America in research. A biographical sketch of each pilot as well as a photo when available.
The book is a welcome addition to the historical recollection in this often forgotten period of naval aviation history.

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

PROJECT AZORIAN—The CIA and the Raising of the K-129

PROJECT AZORIAN—The CIA and the Raising of the K-129





By Norman Polmar and Michael White


Naval Institute Press, 2010 ISBN/SKU: 9781591146902. $29.95 US list price.

The book Project Azorian describes the Nixon Administration’s attempted salvage of the Soviet Golf-II submarine in 1974, based on CIA records. It is a quick read, about 180 pages less illustrations. Interesting items include:
• Very good illustrations and diagrams provide much technical information.
• The submarine was lost when two of its liquid-fuel missiles ignited inside their launch tubes and fractured the submarine.
• The salvage project focused on recovering the third missile in its tube, which was the forward-most of three, along with the bow section forward of it;
• The Soviet embassy in Washington received an anonymous revelation of the operation but no known reaction resulted.
• According to the ComSubPac plans officer at the time, should USSR ships seize the recovery ship Hughes Glomar Explorer, USS Tautog (SSN 639) and another submarine carried WW2 anti-ship torpedoes specifically to sink her, a contingency not told to the crew of the recovery ship.
• A supposed attempt to dig further under the Soviet submarine strained the huge recovery mechanism, nicknamed Clementine, and resulted in the loss of most of the salvaged section during the ensuing hoist.
The authors of Project Azorian say little about what actually was learned but somewhat wishfully ask the reader to regard the operation as successful. Project Azorian challenges particular statements in other books and newspaper articles but is silent about contradictory analyses that have previously appeared:
• The book Blind Man's Bluff—The Untold Story of American Submarine Espionage by Sherry Sontag and Christopher Drew (2000) stated that USN personnel suggested use of submarines and vehicles to break open the hull to salvage the contents, instead of waiting six years for the huge grappling device that fractured. Blind Man’s Bluff is a cited reference in Project Azorian.
• A past television program, not the upcoming program associated with the book Project Azorian, quoted one participant that when the submarine section lifted free from the sea bed, the resulting sudden increase in buoyed mass caused Hughes Glomar Explorer naturally to settle deeper in the water. The suspended submarine and the grappling mechanism crashed back on the sea bed. According to the program, that impact was the cause of the structural damage to the mechanism.
• Blind Man’s Bluff contends that the hull structure, which was the primary item that the CIA’s mission could obtain over the Navy’s proposed alternative, had little value for intelligence purposes.
• The National Security Archive at The George Washington University posted on February 12, 2010, the web page “Project Azorian—The CIA's Declassified History of the Glomar Explorer” (http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/nukevault/ebb305/index.htm). A director with the National Security Archive commented there that the operation “resembles the Bay of Pigs more than U-2 or Corona.”
Items that this reviewer adds:
• The acceptance of the six-year duration for this operation, against the alternative faster USN proposal, suggests that recovery of Soviet crypto gear and publications, offered as one justification for the huge project, had no urgency. The risk of disclosure was high and occurred during the six-year duration.
• The above TV program did not mention that the dynamic change in buoyancy is known in salvage, which suggests that the interviewed participant did not know of it, which in turn suggests that actual salvage expertise was missing from conception to the end.
• In terms of project management, and also in terms of a military commander’s estimate of the situation, the planning phase for this operation should have recognized that multiple risks of the chosen method were very high and were of a nature that no increase in time and resources could recover.
Project Azorian contains source notes, an index, and as mentioned, very good illustrations. This is the first public access to relevant newly-declassified documents and to the authors’ interviews of former Soviet personnel. Project Azorian is inexpensive and easy to read and adds significant authoritative information, including many dramatic details, to Blind Man's Bluff. While a comprehensive analysis of this operation has yet to appear, Project Azorian adds greatly to available information.


(MP)

Monday, June 7, 2010

Legacy of Leadership: Lessons from Admiral Lord Nelson


Hardcover, 148 pages, published in 1999 by Hellgate Press. ISBN: 1555715109

A concise history of the career of the Royal Navy’s Admiral Lord Nelson, the most famous naval leader of all time and hence has set the example for others to follow. The book is divided into Nelson's most famous operations and battles with an inherent lesson what leadership lessons could be learned from this book. A valuable tool in teaching aspiring naval officers that leadership and not just Power Point skills are essential to the leaders of tomorrow.

Camping Haida Gwaii A Small Vessel Guide Revised Second Edition

Boat Camping Haida Gwaii A Small Vessel Guide Revised Second Edition

by Neil Frazer

978-1-55017-487-8 • 1-55017-487-8
$29.95 • Paperback 8.5 x 11 • 176 pp • March 2010

With information on ancient native settlements, hidden campsites and everything in between, Boat Camping Haida Gwaii offers a fascinating and comprehensive marine guide to the wild beauty of the Queen Charlotte Islands for kayakers and other small vessel operators. The book has a wide range of informative maps and numerous photographs of the Queen Charlotte coast; offering meticulously field-tested paddling and boating routes to the islands’ majestic attractions. Detailed descriptions are given of each campsite and special appendices are provided with helpful hints on bear safety, tides and currents. The book also contains invaluable information about the history and culture of the Haida, the indigenous people of the Queen Charlotte Islands. This guide’s comprehensive information will be valuable to kayakers, canoeists, those in small motorboats and everyone interested in exploring this unique area.
This book is finished in Harbour’s usual high quality standard and at first glance looks very nice. The format is similar to a number of coastal sailing and boating references published over the years but ultimately disappoints.
Unfortunately the author ascribes to the “natives are one with nature and all non-natives are inherently evil” camp which puts an unfortunate spin on the book which means it should not be used as a meaningful reference work. This is a real shame as obviously a lot of work was put into this book. An example of this is an illustration on page 76 showing the (now scrapped if the author had done his research would have known) Haida Brave with the caption “A log carrier with the gratuitously insulting name Haida Brave self loads at Ferguson Bay….”
The author sets a bad example for boaters by including a photo of his boat on page 29 with the occupants not wearing lifejackets.
Author Frazer should determine if he wants to have his writings in the “New Age” section of the book store or “Local Interest” or “Boating.” The biases in this book ultimately are its demise and resultant lack of recommendation.

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Politics of Procurement: Military Acquisitions in Canada and the Sea King Helicopter

The Politics of Procurement - Military Acquisition in Canada and the Sea King Helicopter



By Aaron Plamondon


UBC Press 2010 978-0-7748-1715-8 Soft Cover


The Canadian Navy in the late 1950s realized it would never be able to provide the ASW escorts they had pledged to NATO. So to fill this gap, it was decided to introduce a large shipborne helicopter onto its destroyer and destroyer escort sized ships that were capable of autonomous operations. This was in fact several years before other nations followed suit; they believing that a smaller airframe, acting as an extension of the ship's weapon system was preferable. Canada introduced the Sikorsky HSS-2 Sea King, an aircraft originally designed for operation from aircraft carriers. The Sea King was purchased in the early 1960s from United Aircraft in Quebec who built them under license, a program that saw the last delivery in 1969. Replacement planning was planned to begin in 1975 but this convoluted program is still going on today (2010) with deck trials of a replacement S-92 recently taking place in Halifax. The book goes into great detail on the behind the scenes machinations of the workings of Ottawa and the intrigues. One aspect missed that I would have like to see was the purported deal between Maritime Command head VADM Douglas Boyle handing over control of the Sea Kings to the Air Force in exchange for the latter's support in maintaining the current surface fleet. The eventual choice of the EH-101 to replaced the Sea King in the 1980s would have provided an up to date successor but this being Canada, was not to be. After calling the EH-101 an "attack" helicopter and promising to scrap the program if elected. He eventually was and he cancelled the program, an act costing almost half a billion dollars in termination fees. The program was dragged out again and the specificaitons constantly changed to preclude the EH-101 to avoid political embarrassment to the Prime Miinster. One small research error was noted: describing the post-World War Two fleet as containing four Tribal Class destroyers when in fact it was only three (HMCS Athabaskan was sunk in the English Channel in 1944). After he finally left office the inferior S-92 was selected from Sikorsky which should hopefully be operational by 2015, fully 40 years after the original replacement specification. Writer Aaron Plamondon is commended for his excellent research and narrative skills and I sincerely hope he focuses his next work in the military field.

Sunday, March 7, 2010

Conflict In The North

Conflict in the North



By Daniel L Little


iUniverse New York 2009 978-1-4401-7674-6 Soft Cover

This book is the second effort to date from Nova Scotian Daniel Little on novels based on the Canadian military. Not since the 1970s efforts of Richard Rohmer has this been done. While Rohmer's work started well and later descended to unreadable, we certainly hope Mr Little continues to improve. With his second book, improvement is certainly evident. The story takes place during 1966 when Soviet submarines, aircraft and Spesnatz support a secret base in Labrador with the intent of undermining the Pinetree radar defense network. A combination of naval, army and air force assets from Canada are employed to take out the base with the effort being lead on the ground by an army sergeant and a squad of Canadian Rangers, a group of volunteers from the Arctic native population. Little brings these elements together along with an attempt at American intervention to a conclusion that makes sense but lacks a little in suspense. Apart from that the book was an enjoyable read.

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

The Lost Flight of Amelia Earhart


The book is actually a screenplay and as such is not really suitable as an authoritative work of history.

Upon Their Lawful Occasions: Reflections of a Merchant Navy Officer During Peace and War

By Vernon G.A. Upton



Paperback 444 pages Matador 2008 978-1904744252


Vernon Upton served in the Merchant Navy from just before the outbreak of World War II. His experiences of life in peace and war are vividly described in this comprehensive history.
 
One of the nice features of this book are the plethora of tables and photographs. While nice, at times the tables distract from the narrative and might have been better served with being placed in appendices.
 
This book is an excellent narrative and is recommended to studies of the Second World War.

THE WHEEZERS AND DODGERS: The Inside Story of Clandestine Weapon Development in World War II

By Gerald Pawle

304 pages Seaforth Publishing April 2009 978-1848320260 Paperback

This is the story of the Admiralty's Department of Miscellaneous Weapon Development, the so-called 'Wheezers and Dodgers', and the many ingenious weapons and devices it invented, improved or perfected.

The author was one of a group of officers with engineering or scientific backgrounds who were charged with the task of winning the struggle for scientific mastery between the Allies and the Germans in what Churchill enthusiastically called 'the wizard war'. Their work ranged from early stop-gap weapons like the steam-powered Holman projector, via great success stories like the Hedgehog anti-submarine mortar, to futuristic experiments with rockets, a minefield that could be sown in the sky, and the spectacularly dangerous Great Panjandrum, a giant explosive Catherine-wheel intended to storm enemy beaches.

The development of these and many other extraordinary inventions, their triumphs and disasters, is told with panache and humor and a diverse group of highly imaginative and eccentric figures emerge from the pages.

First published in 1956, this book is welcome reprint and is a highly worthwhile read.

Avoiding Armageddon Canadian Military Strategy and Nuclear Weapons, 1950-63

By Andrew Richter


9780774808880 UBC Press


$32.95 224 Pages


Published in association with the Canadian War Museum as part of the Studies in Canadian Military History series


The advent of nuclear weapons in the 1940s brought enormous changes to doctrines regarding the use of force in resolving disputes. American strategists have been widely credited with most of these; Canadians, most have assumed, did not conduct their own strategic analysis. Avoiding Armageddon soundly debunks this notion.


Drawing on previously classified government records, Richter reveals that Canadian defense officials did come to independent strategic understandings of the most critical issues of the nuclear age. Canadian appreciation of deterrence, arms control, and strategic stability differed conceptually from the US models. Similarly, Canadian thinking on the controversial issues of air defense and the domestic acquisition of nuclear weapons was primarily influenced by decidedly Canadian interests.


Avoiding Armageddon is a work with far-reaching implications. It illustrates Canada’s considerable latitude for independent defense thinking while providing key historical information that helps make sense of the contemporary Canadian defense debate.


Nuclear weapons were long the untold element of Canada’s military in the 1960s and 70s with the BOMARC surface to air and GENIE air to air missiles as part of NORAD, the RCAF CF-104 purchased for the NATO nuclear strike role in Europe and the RCN’s purchase of the ASROC nuclear ASW torpedo launching system. The most famous result of these programs was the still controversial cancellation of the Avro Arrow jet interceptor by the Deifenbaker government.


Canada has traditionally thought small in defense matters but occasionally aspired to greatness. This book covers well the behind the scenes planning and thought processes behind thoughts on what was and still is a controversial topic.


I was quite happy to see the UBC Press publish this work by Andrew Richter. Although the finished product would have been much improved by the inclusion of illustrations, it is still recommended.

Saturday, January 30, 2010

Another Place, Another Time: A U-Boat Officer's Wartime Album

Another Place, Another Time: A U-Boat Officer's Wartime Album



By Werner Hirschman with Graves, Donald E (Foreword by Timothy P Mulligan, Maps B Hirschmann (Author)


Hardcover: 256 pages Robin Brass Studio / Chatham Publishing Toronto 2004 978-1896941387


8.1 x 8 x 0.7 inches


One of the services with the highest casualty rate during World War II was the German U-Boat service. Of the 40,000 men who served in that branch, 28,000 were killed. Werner Hirschmann was one U-Boat officer that entered the German Navy in 1940 and served until 1945 when he and his boat surrendered to Canadian forces.


This book covers several different subjects. The first few chapters deal with his joining the Navy and the training he received. Then it's to see on a destroyer, including escort duty for the Bismark when it left for the Atlantic raid. Finally he is transferred to U-Boats with more training followed by going to war. Finally came the sixth and last patrol, ending in surrender.


There are two appendices to the book. The first is a Pictorial Tour of the authors boat, the U-190 and the U-889, both type IXC long range boats. The type of submarines that were used in the patrols to North America, the Caribbean, the southern Atlantic, the Indian Ocean and the Orient. This pictorial tour is well illustrated. Mr. Hirschmann was the engineering officer on the boat, so as you would expect, these pictures feature most of the technical aspects of the boat. There is even a picture of the quite rare four rotor Navy Enigma machine.


The second and somewhat smaller appendix is titled Life on a U-Boat. Again, it is fairly technical in nature.


This is a splendid book, especially for the technically minded.

SEA LOGISTICS: Keeping the Navy Ready Aye Ready


By Mark Watson

Hardcover: 280 pages Publisher: Vanwell Publishing (April 2004) Language: English ISBN-10: 1551250810 ISBN-13: 978-1551250816 Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 7.3 x 0.9 inches



The history of the navy's Supply Branch has often been passed over for more exhilarating aspects of naval warfare such as submarine hunting or the latest marvels of naval technical engineering.


The important contribution of the men and women who make up the Supply Department is nonetheless an essential element of the Canadian Navy. It affects every soldier's ability to carry out his or her role in combat or in peacetime. Without effective logistics service people would not be transported to battle, fed their dinner, or supplied with their ammunition. Every member of the ship sees its impact on a daily basis - from food services, pay and spare parts to replacement of clothing, posting arrangements and canteen services.


This book examines the development of the Accountant, Supply and Secretariat, and Logistics Branch from the Navy's earliest days through the busy peace enforcement operations of the 1990s, up to the beginning of the twenty-first century. Along with the extensively researched and documented history the author has provided profiles of some of the support personnel whose service was outstanding, and humorous anecdotes from various contributors.


This book looked good at first glance, but reading it left one with a real sense of disappointment. The “history” is mostly anecdotal and riddled with numerous errors. A few examples of the errors include:


• Rear Admiral Cossette photo captioned with the rank Commodore


• Staged photo on page 67


• HMCS Cape Breton was made into an artificial reef and not scrapped


• The AOR concept was trialed by the US and Royal Navies with captured German tankers in the late 1940s long before Canada planned them for inclusion in their fleet


• A mast is misidentified as a yardarm in one photo


• HMCS Preserver operated off Somalia and not HMCS Protecteur


• And most shocking of all, use of “the HMCS” instead of the grammatically correct “HMCS”


This book is rubbish and definitely NOT recommended.


The Brooklyn Navy Yard

The Brooklyn Navy Yard



By Thomas F. Berner


9780738556956


128 Pages Arcadia Publishing 1999


Price: $21.99

Not much larger than a few city blocks (219 acres, plus 72 acres of water), the Brooklyn Navy Yard is one of the most historically significant sites in America. It was one of the U.S. Navy’s major shipbuilding and repair yards from 1801 to 1966. It produced more than 80 warships and hundreds of smaller vessels. At its height during World War II, it worked around the clock, employing some 70,000 people. The yard built the Monitor, the world’s first modern warship; the Maine, whose destruction set off the Spanish-American War; the Arizona, whose sinking launched America into World War II; and the Missouri, on whose deck World War II ended. On June 25, 1966, the flag at the Brooklyn Navy Yard was lowered for the last time and the 165-year-old institution ceased to exist. Sold to the City of New York for $22.4 million, the yard became a site for storage of vehicles, some light industry, and a modest amount of civilian ship repair.


In The Brooklyn Navy Yard, author Thomas F. Berner restores what were fast-fading memories of the yard’s days of glory. An attorney who practices law in New York City, Berner presents stunning photographs to illustrate the vital role of this small yard. His sources include the Brooklyn Public Library, the New York Historical Society, the Museum of the City of New York, and the United States Naval Institute.


With seemingly never ending redevelopment of the former Brooklyn Navy Yard still ongoing 11 years after this book was first published, it still holds up as a nice reference tool. A pictured of the never completed aircraft carrier USS Reprisal (probably the best warship name ever!) under construction in the yard was the first I had ever seen.


The book is well illustrated with photos of both the yard and the ships built and repaired there. One historical piece of trivia missed by the author was the requirement until the 1960s that US warships had to be able to fit under the Brooklyn Bridge. The last aircraft carrier built at the yard, USS Constellation was also the last ship built with this capability which was a fold down mast.


One small criticism was the use of the commonly misused grammatical error “the USS” when just “USS should’ve been used.


This was the first book we have reviewed from Arcadia Publishing and hope their other titles are as enjoyable.

DEVIL'S BRIGADE

By Robert Adleman and George Walton


9781591140047 US Naval Institute Press Annapolis MD


Paperback


Number of Pages: 270 Number of Photos: 25 Number of Line Art: 10 Total Illustrations: 35

 

The first special service forces of World War II were known as the Devil's Brigade. Ferocious and stealthy combatants, they garnered their moniker from the captured diary of a German officer who wrote, "The black devils are all around us every time we come into line and we never hear them." Handpicked U.S. and Canadian soldiers trained in mountaineering, airborne, and close-combat skills, they numbered more than 2,300 and saw action in the Aleutians, Italy, and the south of France.


Co-written by a brigade member and a World War II combat pilot, the book explores the unit's unique characteristics, including the men's exemplary toughness and their ability to fight in any terrain against murderous opposition. It also profiles some of the unforgettable characters that comprised the near-mythical force. Conceived in Great Britain, the brigade was formed to sabotage the German submarine pens and oil storage areas along Norway's coast, but when the campaign was cancelled, the men moved on to many other missions. This World War II tale of adventure, first published in hardcover in 1966 and made into a movie not long after, is now available in paperback for the first time.


A curious choice for reprint by USNI Press; however it was an enjoyable read.

AT CLOSE QUARTERS PT Boats in the United States Navy

AT CLOSE QUARTERS PT Boats in the United States Navy


By Robert J. Bulkley


9781591140955 US Naval Institute Press Annapolis MD


Paperback


Number of Pages: 604 Number of Photos: 109 Number of Line Art: 7 Total Illustrations: 116



Small though they were, PT boats played a key role in World War II, carrying out an astonishing variety of missions where fast, versatile, and strongly armed vessels were needed. Called "weapons of opportunity," they met the enemy at closer quarters and with greater frequency than any other type of surface craft. Among the most famous PT commanders was John F. Kennedy, whose courageous actions in the Pacific are now well known to the American public. The author of the book, another distinguished PT boat commander in the Pacific, compiled this history of PT-boat operations in World War II for the U.S. Navy shortly after V-J Day, when memories were fresh and records easily assessable. The book was first made available to the public in 1962 after Kennedy's inauguration as president of the United States interest in PTs was at a peak.


Bulkley provides a wealth of facts about these motor torpedo boats, whose vast range of operation covered two oceans as well as the Mediterranean and the English Channel. Although their primary mission was to attack surface ships and craft close to shore, they were also used effectively to lay mines and smoke screens, to rescue downed aviators, and to carry out intelligence and raider operations. The author gives special attention to the crews, paying well-deserved tribute to their heroism, skill, and sacrifice that helped to win the war.


Robert J. Bulkley, a retired USNR captain now deceased, commanded PT boats in the southwest Pacific, mostly in New Guinea and the Philippines, from June 1942 to war's end. This truly is reflected in the command of the subject he displayed.


The text flows well and being someone who thought he had a fairly good grasp on Second World War naval operations, was amazed at how much I learned. One example – a curious case of naval protocol, the individual boats were not commissioned ships but squadron units as in aircraft squadrons – but still flew the naval jack when moored.


This book represents the US Naval Institute Press at its best. This is why many long for a return to the days of the publisher being synonymous with high quality naval history instead of the various tangents that have been explored in the past several years.


The illustrations were truly impressive with one small error noted – a photo of a Royal Navy MTB was misidentified as a PT.


I can’t recommend this book highly enough.

Encyclopedia of Raincoast Place Names

Encyclopedia of Raincoast Place Names



A Complete Reference to Coastal British Columbia


by Andrew Scott


978-1-55017-484-7 • 1-55017-484-3


$49.95 • Hardback


7 x 10 • 664 pp • September 2009





In 1909 Captain John T. Walbran published one of the most beloved and enduring of all BC books, British Columbia Coast Names. Harbour Publishing celebrates the hundredth anniversary of that landmark work by presenting the first book to update Walbran's classic, Andrew Scott's Raincoast Place Names. Like its progenitor, Raincoast Place Names is much more than simply a catalogue of name origins because it tells the often fascinating stories behind the names and in so doing serves as a history of the region in capsule form. It is also a monumental work, twice the size of Walbran's and including more than three times as many places. Four thousand entries consider, in intriguing detail, the stories behind over five thousand place names: how they were discovered, who named them and why, and what the names reveal. It describes the original First Nations cultures, the heroics of the 18th-century explorers and fur traders, the grueling survey and settlement efforts of the 19th century, the lives of colonial officials, missionaries, gold seekers and homesteaders, and the histories of nearly every important vessel to sail or cruise the coast.


The book also examines—for the first time—the rich heritage of BC place names added in the 20th century. These new entries reflect the world of the steamship era, the ships and skippers of the Union and Princess lines, the heroes of the two World Wars and the sealing fleet, Esquimalt's naval base and BC's fishing, canning, mining and logging industries.


Richly illustrated with photos and maps, this book is an essential reference work, a must-have guide for boaters and mariners and a standard companion for anyone interested in BC history. It also makes a fine shelf-mate for the Encyclopedia of British Columbia.


Not much more needs to be said of this, a true labor of love. The book makes a welcome update to the classic work that preceded it a century ago. It was interesting to note that certain places on the British Columbia coast are named after Captain Walbran in honor of his 1909 work.


One minor criticism is the overuse of the term “First Nation” – a Canadian political correctness term for natives that is not in use in other countries. Hence it may cause some confusion with foreign readers.


With that said, we proclaim Encyclopedia of Raincoast Place Names the 2009 SeaWaves Magazine Book of the Year.


Friday, January 1, 2010

The Naval Service of Canada, 1910-2010 The Centennial Story

The Naval Service of Canada, 1910-2010 The Centennial Story

By Richard H. Gimblett






978-1-55488-470-4
October 2009
256pp, Hardback
$39.95 CAD


Canada proudly celebrates 100 years of naval service in 2010. This lavishly illustrated commemorative volume chronicles the full century of the Canadian Navy as a proud national institution. The editor, Dr. Richard Gimblett, is the command historian of the Canadian Navy. The foreword is by Governor General Michaƫlle Jean (as Commander-in-Chief of the Canadian Forces) and the 11 contributors are highly recognized authorities on their particular period. The comprehensive coverage includes the origins of the Canadian Navy back to 1867, both world wars, the Korean conflict, the postwar period, and a look at the navy of the future.
A couple of illustrations of note in the book: a view of the four DDH 280-class ships from the 1970s when they were referred to as the “sisters of the space age.” An addition to this would have noted that class leader Iroquois was the third oldest front line combatant in the world at the time of the book’s publication in 2009. Another was a Fairey Aircraft advertisement from the 1960s optimistically but ultimately vainly hoping that Restigouche-class destroyer escorts would be converted to helicopter carrying DDH status.
There is also a section on naval war art as well as profiles of ships and aircraft through the years in Canadian naval service. Unfortunately this is where the book ultimately disappoints historcial purists.
The artist who made the profiles obviously put lots of work into them but they are marred by sloppy research. On page 47 the artwork of HMCS Champlain shows the World War II hull number for HMS Hasty and the one of HMCS Saguenay on page 51 shows the World War II hull number for HMS Hotspur and the aircraft carriers on page 147 shows HMS Nabob’s hull number as 77 instead of the correct D 77.
While a sharper eye would have improved the final product, the book is worth recommending.