The dramatic story of how the superpowers collected secrets and used intelligence to build an advantage during the Cold War, the longest and most dangerous confrontation of the twentieth century.The Cold War, which lasted from the end of the Second World War to the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, was fought mostly in the shadows, with the superpowers maneuvering for strategic advantage in an anticipated global armed confrontation that thankfully never happened. How did the int...

St. John’s has been called the “City of Fire” for a reason, and the St. John’s Fire Department has responded to every call for help. Faithful and Fearless is a richly detailed history of over four hundred years of fighting fires in St. John’s. Outlining the equipment used and the firefighting methods employed from the seventeenth century to present day, the book also introduces the reader to the many firefighters who have worked to keep the city safe. Dramatic historic photographs compleme...

Proactivity, Intentionality, CommitmentTake the reins and experience the satisfaction, fulfillment, and rewards from proactively and intentionally crafting and living the career and path of your choosing rather than a career chosen for you. Recognize that your path may not be linear and your career plan will evolve along with your knowledge and interests, allowing you to ultimately arrive at your desired destination.This book shows you how to d...

During World War II St. John’s, Newfoundland played a critical role in the fight against Nazi Germany. Seamen from all over the world sailed to and from the old seaport, chosen for duty because it was closest to Europe and because its people knew both the peril and glory of the North Atlantic. In his introduction to this absorbing collection of stories, Bill Rompkey examines the city’s service to one of the most famous battles in military history and the effect it had on the people of St. ...

NATIONAL BESTSELLER * by the author ofThe Gales of November: The Untold Story of the Edmund FitzgeraldThe "riveting" (National Post) tick-tock account of the largest manmade explosion in history prior to the atomic bomb, and the equally astonishing tales of survival and heroism that emerged from the ashes“Enthralling. ... Gripping. ... A captivating and emotionally investing journey.” —Pittsbur...

COP is the true story of Bill Sharp's service in the Royal Canadian Mounted Police from 1968 to 2011. For over forty-three years he served in British Columbia where he upheld the law in Trail, Burnaby, Castlegar, Surrey, North Vancouver, Coquitlam and Langley. These are his stories of basic training, followed by first-hand accounts of violence, tragedy and interesting events — experiences recounted with honesty and humour. It is a lucid, credible and articulate memoir of the author's career a...

The human story behind Canada's worst chemical fire"Why you leaving Stelco?" the friend asked the rookie firefighter."'Cause it's hot and dirty and I don't like shifts."Enter the world of Hamilton's firefighters. Theirs is a smouldering, combustible workplace, and in the effort to save lives they routinely put their own on the line. They know the ways of fire and fight to engage it, to be the one to break down the door and enter the furnace. They never give up...

On the morning of June 13, 1886, a rogue wind fanned the flames of a small clearing fire—and within five hours, the newly incorporated city of Vancouver, British Columbia, had been reduced to smoldering ash. Vancouver is Ashes: The Great Fire of 1886 is the first detailed exploration of what happened on that pivotal, yet seldom revisited day in the history of Canada’s third-largest city. Lisa Anne Smith tells the story with numerous archival photographs. She uses eye-witness accounts to de...

For thousands of years, men and women have known who to turn to in times of trouble - a dog. All over the world dogs have risked, and often lost, their lives to look after the human beings they care for. Their intelligence, devotion and astonishing courage to help humans in distress on countless occasions almost defies belief. Their stories range from Roselle the Labrador, who led her blind owner to safety from the carnage of the World Trade Centre, to the legends of Balto and Togo, two of...

The first four Canadian soldiers killed in Afghanistan were repatriated at Canadas largest military base in 2002. The fallen soldiers were driven down the 172-kilometre stretch of highway between Trenton and Toronto, and pedestrians lined the overpasses, hoping to make a connection with the grieving families. The support these people show isnt political; its not a movement for or against Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan. Its always been a grassroots movement about showing respect for our f...

During the Roaring Twenties, Ben Kerr was known as the "King of the Rumrunners." The U.S. Coast Guard put him at the top of the most-wanted list and offered a reward of $5,000. But ending up in Club Fed was not Kerr's only worry - he had to contend with Hamilton crime lords Rocco and Bessie Perri.Whisky and Ice takes the reader back to the Prohibition era, when Canada and the United States were obsessed with "demon liquor" (not to mention the endless posturing by politicia...

George Sweanor was sent, along with fellow Allied Air Forces prisoners of war, to what he considers his Alma Mater, Stalag Luft III, Sagan, Silesia, Germany, after his Halifax bomber was shot down on the return leg from Berlin in March of 1943. The prisoner-of-war camp, famous for The Great Escape, was run by the German Luftwaffe (air force), and through their mutual respect for their profession the captors and their prisoners generally got along well. This afforded George the opportunity ...