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History Canada

On to Victory

The Canadian Liberation of the Netherlands, March 23–May 5, 1945

by (author) Mark Zuehlke

Publisher
Douglas & McIntyre
Initial publish date
Jan 2020
Category
Canada, World War II
  • Paperback / softback

    ISBN
    9781553658139
    Publish Date
    Sep 2011
    List Price
    $36.95
  • Paperback / softback

    ISBN
    9781771622653
    Publish Date
    Jan 2020
    List Price
    $27.95

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Description

This print-on-demand title is available by request from most booksellers.

 

BOOK EIGHT in the Canadian Battle Series.

 

On to Victory is the little-told story of the tense final days of World War II, remembered in the Netherlands as "the sweetest of springs," which saw the country's liberation from German occupation. The Liberation Campaign, a series of fierce, desperate battles during the last three months of the war, was bittersweet. A nation's freedom was won and the war concluded, but these final hostilities cost Canada 6,298 casualties, including 1,482 dead. With his trademark "you are there" style that draws upon official records, veteran memories, and a keen understanding of the combat experience, Mark Zuehlke brings to life this concluding chapter in the story of Canada in World War II.

 

Published to coincide with the 65th anniversary of Canada's dramatic liberation of Holland. May 4, 2010, will mark the 65th anniversary of the end of the fighting for Canada's army and the conclusion of the Netherlands' liberation. Major events of remembrance, both here and in the Netherlands, will celebrate this milestone.

About the author

Hailed by Jack Granatstein as Canadas leading popular military historian and short-listed for both the 2007 and 2013 Pierre Berton Award for popularizing Canadian history, Mark Zuehlke is the author of 26 books, including 14 devoted to military history. Tragedy at Dieppe is the latest in his bestselling Canadian Battle Series, which includes Ortona, The Liri Valley, The Gothic Line, Juno Beach Operation Husky, Holding Juno, Breakout from Juno, Terrible Victory, and On to Victory. He is also the co-author of The Canadian Military Atlas.

Zuehlke first began writing about the role Canadians played in World War II after discussing the Battle of Ortona with several veterans following a Remembrance Day ceremony in Kelowna, B.C. Discovering no book had been written on this pivotal battle, he decided to fill that gap, which resulted in the publication of Ortona: Canadas Epic Worl

Mark Zuehlke's profile page

Editorial Reviews

"Popular historian Mark Zuehlke returns to a key Canadian battleground in On to Victory: The Canadian Liberation of the Netherlands."

Quill & Quire

"[On to Victory] reveals a far deeper engagement with the official records and a desire to place the story of the intense fighting into Germany and the liberation of the Netherlands into a wider context. Zuehlke succeeds in finding that middle ground between writing academic history and relying exclusively on strung-together eyewitness accounts. This is good history, told well, and makes for powerful reading."

Canada's History

"The previous volumes in Mark Zuehlke's Canadian Battle Series have proven to be an extremely popular addition to the literature on the Second World War. On to Victory will be no exception."

Chronicle-Herald

"The eighth Canadian Battle Series volume details the little-told story of the tense final days of World War II, remembered in the Netherlands as 'the sweetest of springs'...Zuehlke brings to life this concluding chapter in the story of Canada in World War II."

History Magazine

"Every time a veteran dies, we lose another vital link with our history. That is why it is imperative to hear those voices now and to record those words if possible. That is why the work of Mark Zuehlke, the Victoria author who has written eight books on Canadian battles in the Second World War, is so vital."

Victoria Times Colonist

"The book is a testament to the persistence and tenacity of the Canadian soldiers."

Victoria News

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