Learning the Hard Way
The Leadership Experiences of Lieutenant Agar Adamson during the South African War, 1899-1902. This book investigates the early military career of AA who later commanded the PPCLI during the First World War for a length of time. Essentially I argue that his accomplishments during the Great War cannot be fully understood and appreciated without an understanding of his early service (in this case, with Strathcona’s Horse).
In Their Own Words
Canadian Stories of Valour and Bravery from Afghanistan, 2001-2007. For this book project, I interviewed a number of soldiers from the PPCLI and RCR who earned military valour or bravery decorations for their actions overseas. Each interviewee described what he did on a specific day that resulted in recognition. The vast majority of the book is first-hand “testimony” and thus is extremely powerful.
With the Princess Pats in Korea
With the Princess Pats in Korea is written in the form of a novel, yet is a very detailed factual history of the 2nd Battalion of the Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry Regiment’s service in the Korea War. Raised from volunteers to fight in Korea in August, 1950, the Pats sailed for Korea just three months later in November, and were on the ground in Pusan in December. The narrative follows several actual soldiers through all of the initial early engagements with the enemy, through to the epic Battle of Kapyong, in April, 1951.
For half a century, the Korean War was forgotten. Now, with the final survivors in their late 80’s or their 90’s, historians seek out their stories with grim urgency, although, alas, many still will refuse to recount them.