Canadian soldiers, sailors and pilots have fought consistently above their weight class in the forefront of the world's major conflicts. And it was a Canadian, Lester B. Pearson, whose idea of a peacekeeping force defined Canada's world role in a new way, drawing respect and recognition from countries around the world: * Afghanistan: Operation Medusa, an attempt to retake the Panjwavi District in Kandahar Province from the Taliban, turned into a deadly battle for Canadian troops. * Croatia: Sent as peacekeepers, Canadian soldiers engaged in fierce action and were respected for their role in quelling the civil war and genocide. * Korea: Members of the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry repelled a massive Chinese attack and won the only U.S. Presidential Citation ever awarded to a Canadian battalion. * World War II: In some of the fiercest battles of the war, Canadian forces were in the forefront during the Dieppe Raid, D-Day and the Battle of the Atlantic. * War of 1812: Les Canadiens and the British troops fought to defend Canada, while Laura Secord walked into history. * Seven Years' War: During a naval blockade on the Restigouche River, a French fleet was destroyed at the cost of only 24 British casualties. * And more.

Norman Leach is the author of the bestselling Passchendaele: Triumph and Tragedy on the Fields of Flanders. He served as historical advisor on the Paul Gross feature-film production of Passchendaele. His other publications include: Great Military Leaders: Charismatic Canadian Commanders; Canadian Battles: Canada's Role in Major World Conflicts; Broken Arrow: America's First Lost Nuclear Weapon; and Canadian Peacekeepers: Ten Stories of Valour in War-Torn Countries. He is the recipient of no less than 5 Crystal Book Awards from the University of Lethbridge. Saskatchewan-born, Norman Leach graduated with a degree in Strategic Studies from the University of Manitoba, and he gives speeches around the world on Canadian military history. He has been awarded both the Canadian 125 and Alberta Centennial Medals, and has also been named an honourary peacekeeper by the Canadian Armed Forces

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