War at sea

On the first Sunday of May, Canada remembers the Second World War Battle of the Atlantic and recognizes the efforts and sacrifices of members of the Royal Canadian Navy, Royal Canadian Air Force, and Canadian merchant navy.

More than 4,000 Canadians perished during the battle, which was the Second World War’s longest continuous campaign.

In honour of the annual commemoration, we’ve selected a few of the best recently published books about Canada and the Battle of the Atlantic. See the list here.

Financial progress

This spring we spoke to Joe Martin, who along with with Christopher Kobrak wrote From Wall Street to Bay Street: The Origins and Evolution of American and Canadian Finance. Our interview with Martin will appear in the June-July issue of Canada’s History magazine, but you can read it online now.

Martin will also speak about the book at a public event at the University of Winnipeg’s Convocation Hall on May 30, beginning at 4:00 p.m.

First Blood in the Gulf

In the June-July 2012 issue of Canada’s History, we featured an excerpt from Roger Sarty’s book War in the St. Lawrence: The Forgotten U-Boat Battles on Canada’s Shores.

For three years the Battle of the Atlantic spilled into Canadian waters — the only major combat to occur within Canada's borders during the twentieth century. Read the excerpt.

Metis matriarchs

Recipients of the Reading Den are automatically entered to win one of three copies of Metis Pioneers: Marie Rose Delorme Smith and Isabella Clark Hardisty Lougheed, by Doris Jeanne MacKinnon, courtesy of University of Alberta Press. The book tells of two Metis women and the roles they played in the region that became the province of Alberta.