A NATION FORGED IN FIRE - Canadians and the Second World War 1939-1945 by Granatstein, J. L. & Morton, Desmond

TORONTO: Lester & Orpen Dennys, 1989, Canadian first edition, hard bound in dust jacket, 8 x 10, FINE/FINE CONDITION, 287 pages, prof. illustrated in B&W and color, maps, appendices, index............................................................ "With Hitler, Mussolini, and Tojo seeking to enslave the world, Canadians were forced to take up arms once more. They did so without joy, but with ample courage and resolution. And while the fires of war inflicted terrible sufferings on many Canadians, they also forged a stronger, surer, and more sovereign nation."In 1939 Canada still had strong emotional and political links to Britain. But as the United Kingdom reeled under the Axis onslaught and the prospect of a Nazi-occupied England loomed, Ottawa had to turn to the United States for the economic and strategic aid that might turn the tide of war..................................................... While Canadian soldiers fought and died in foreign lands — while the RCN braved U-Boat Wolfpacks to protect precious supply convoys — while the RCAF joined the battle against the Luftwaffe — Canada itself was changing dramatically. Women moved boldly into the workforce, at all levels. Industry boomed, creating a new and sophisticated expertise. The country became a major supplier of food and armaments, and politicians used this new clout to demand a voice in international decisions. Old traditions and loyalties were being swept away on all sides; the country would never be the same.