An impassioned insider's view of the Canadian soldier's war in Afghanistan and why it matters.

A Line in the Sand takes up where the bestselling Fob Doc left off-this time, with a focus on the Canadian soldier in Afghanistan. What Captain Ray Wiss saw in Afghanistan during his first tour there in 2007-08 convinced him that this conflict was a rare example of a moral war. When the Canadian Forces asked him to return to the combat area, he agreed. Once again, he kept a diary. This time, he wrote something completely different.

The conflict in Afghanistan continues to command the nation's attention. Written in an accessible and engaging style, A Line in the Sand's goal is to ensure that the efforts, sacrifices and achievements of those Canadians who served with such distinction are never forgotten. Illustrated with over 50 colour photographs, A Line in the Sand tells us about virtually every kind of soldier fighting in Afghanistan: the bomb technician, the woman who lugs heavy artillery shells, the engineer, the tank driver, the combat medic, the "grunt." We accompany Captain Ray Wiss as he treats the casualties of war-Canadian, Afghan (civilian and military) and Taliban. We follow combat patrols through dangerous terrain. We learn about the Afghans, from whom we are seemingly so different yet with whom we share so much.

All profits from A Line in the Sand will be donated to the Military Families Fund, created by former chief of the defence staff General Rick Hillier to assist military families.

Captain Ray Wiss is an emergency medicine specialist from Sudbury, Ontario, and a member of the Canadian Forces Reserves. From November 2007 to February 2008, and again from May to September 2009, he served with Task Force Afghanistan. Very unusually for a physician, he spent both tours in the combat area, at forward operating bases (FOBs) in Kandahar province.

Ray Wiss' profile page

"With A Line in the Sand, Ray Wiss has given us a moving and personal account of his second tour of duty as a doctor with the Canadian Forces in Afghanistan...This is a book for anyone who cares about the human face of mankind�s oldest activity. Highly recommended reading!"

Bruce Cockburn, OC, Singer/Songwriter

"For interested Canadians, there is now a wealth of diverse first-hand accounts of the war in Afghanistan...Readers who enjoy the frisson of such recollections, or admirers of FOB Doc looking for more of the author�s candid, casual style, will enjoy A Line in the Sand."

Quill & Quire

"A doctor with an infantry background, Captain Ray Wiss gives us a unique insight into the lives and sacrifices of Canadian soldiers 'outside the wire' in Afghanistan. Read on and be proud to be Canadian."

Lewis Mackenzie, CM, OOnt, MSC and Bar, CD

"Wiss doesn't hold back his admiration for his fellow military personnel...[and] his unwavering support of Canada's Afghan mission and his constant praise and glowing descriptions of his fellow soldiers will be welcomed by those in the military as well as their families."

Ottawa Citizen

"Thanks to Ray Wiss, we have the chance to understand what Canadian troops experience on Afghanistan�s front lines, and why what they�re doing is worth it. Canadians should be very proud of our men and women in uniform, and of the extraordinary job that they are doing."

The Right Honourable Stephen Harper, Prime Minister of Canada

"""This is a gripping, heartbreaking and inspiring book. It�s about ordinary Afghans and ordinary Canadian soldiers whose humbling, everyday bravery will take your breath away . . . The Afghanistan in the pages of this book is the one that matters."""

Terry Glavin