Ted Barris

Another Barris masterpiece using the method he has employed for so many of his books about Canada's history. As he title suggests, this is about Canada's contribution to the Allied victory in the Battle of the Atlantic. Starting the War with just thirteen warships and 3500 sailors, at the conclusion in May 1945 Canada's navy had grown to 400 fighting ships and 100,000 personnel to become the fourth largest navy in the world.

In these pages, Barris explains how that happened and who the men and women to made it happen were and he includes hundreds of their individual experiences manning ships in the violent, cold Atlantic while fighting off Hitler's submarines, aircraft and war ships.… (mer)

Barris combines a history of medical treatment on the battle field with a description of his father's experiences as medic in the Us Army in WW II. He also weaves stories of men and women who were the first responders on battle fields from the US Civil War to the experiences of Canadian medics in Afghanistan with stops in WW I, Vietnam, WW II, Hong Kong and Iraq. In doing so, he explains how the first field ambulances were developed, gas masks, blood transfusions and other medical developments.

Because his father, Alex Barris, was caught up in the Battle of the Bulge, he spends a great amount of time telling the experiences of his father and other medics and nurses who worked under great danger saving the lives of soldiers and civilians who were trapped in Bastogne.

Loaded with detail but in an extremely readable format that he employs in all his books.… (mer)