Just in time for Remembrance Day comes a history of Canadian military regiments and their achievements. In four parts, historian David Bercuson starts with early Canadian military history, including aboriginal military practices and the first regiment, the Régiment Carignan-Salières. He then devotes sections to WWI, and WWII, with the fourth part devoted to 20th century contingents active during the Korean War, Cold War and in Afghanistan. An Honourary Lieutenant Colonel with the 33 Field Engineer Squadron, Bercuson even includes the Royal Newfoundland Regiment (often left out of other “Canadian” histories about the Great War since they were still a colony of Britain during WWI) whose designation of Royal came after their virtual decimation during the opening battle of the Somme at Beaumont-Hamel. The Fighting Canadians isn’t just a military history, it is a history of how our military companies have influenced our national development and our international reputation through the actions of the Princess Patricias, Hasty P’s, Van Doos and other famous companies. While it is not as exciting to read as an action-adventure novel, it is not mired in exhaustive details, so the sectioned chapters are easy to navigate and quite clear. The book could use more than its sixteen pages of photos, but those included tell a thousand more tales. Lest we forget.

October was breast cancer awareness month - an estimated 22,570 women and men (yes, men) will be diagnosed with it in 2008 - so it is fitting that at its close we find a new book about this terrifyingly common disease. Dede Bonner, the "Question Doctor" actually provides 200 questions that those diagnosed with breast cancer are likely to have, and these are divided into three sections: talking to your medical team, choosing a treatment, and living and coping with the disease and its effects. Each of these three parts are broken down into further specific areas. For example in the 'choosing a treatment' part, she provides 10 questions to ask about choosing a hospital, about radiation, clinical trials, and so on, while part three includes advice for breaking the news to a spouse, to children, to employers and others. Her answers are comfortingly succinct and extremely practical: she includes a section for financial health, and one for the “10 worst questions to ask a breast cancer patient” for those of us who are unsure how to respond in the face of this disease. At the end of every chapter there is a list of resources concerning the previous topic, and Bonner also includes an easily accessible index, a chapter-by-chapter bibliography for further reading and research, and a list of the more than 50 experts she consulted. This book should prove valuable to anyone touched by breast cancer, especially those who are newly diagnosed or in the early stages of treatment.

Click here to find it in the on-line catalogue.