On July 10, 1943, twenty thousand Canadian soldiers joined two great Allied armies on the beaches of southern Sicily for Operation Husky -- the first western Allied thrust to win a toehold inside HItler's Fortress Europe.

Guarding the renowned Eighth Army's left flank, 1st Canadian Infantry division and 1st Canadian Army Tank Brigade struck out fro the sand into the island's rugged interior. In searing heat, these untried tropps clashed in ever-intensifying battle to wrest towering mountains and ancient hill towns away from the elite veterans of Germany's Hermann Goring and 1st Parachute divisions.

When Eighth Army's main drive up Sicily's estern coast stalled, General Montgomery ordered the Canadians to save the day by turning the German left flank. The fighting reached a fever pitch as the Canadians struggle dto break thourhg a series of German defensive lines. Celebreated military historian Mark Zuehlke vividly recreates this little-known campaign, which became the Canadian Army's first triumph of World War II.

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

"Cements Zuehlke's position among our foremost chroniclers of Canada at war."

Globe & Mail

"There is no question that Mark Zuehlke has become one of Canada's best historical writers."

Esprit de Corps

"Finally a book about Canadians in Sicily! Operation Husky details the Canadian army's Second World War baptism by fire."

Maclean's

"Zuehlke's skill in writing battle narrative remains unsurpassed."

Quill & Quire