David Bercuson – författare

First published in 1995 as Maple Leaf Against the Axis, Our Finest Hour has been completely revised and updated, with new chapters that reflect the latest research about Canada''s home front in the war and the formulation and execution of Canadian war strategy at the highest levels. Although Canada was not ready for war in 1939, the people of Canada and their armed forces eventually overcame major challenges—from the building of tanks, planes, ships and trucks and the production of huge amounts of grain, meat and vegetables to the creation of the only full Canadian field army in history and a navy and air force crucial to Allied victory. From Hong Kong to the Rhine River Crossing, Our Finest Hour delves incisively into the pivotal battles of the Second World War and the roles of the Canadian army, navy and air force. Bestselling author David Bercuson probes the war on the ground, on the seas and in the air—from the bomber offensive over Germany to the Typhoon fighter squadrons with the Second Tactical Air Force in Europe. With an unfliching eye, he provides insight into the successes and failures, triumphs and shortcomings of the Canadian military.

Our Finest Hour is at once a masterpiece of historical narrative and a celebration of a growing country''s contribution during the Second World War.

The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) was founded in 1924 as a sort of federal air service, carrying out civilian-type operations for Ottawa. In the Second World War, the RCAF grew to more than 200,000 personnel in overseas squadrons and performed virtually every type of mission, including bombing and hunting submarines. Over the decades since, the RCAF has tried valiantly to carry out its mission of defending Canada, even when starved of funds by the federal government. Today, it is once again on the verge of becoming a modern, well-equipped air force.

In Canada’s Air Force, historian David J. Bercuson shares the history of the first one hundred years of the Royal Canadian Air Force, from its inception in 1924 to its centennial in 2024. Drawing on memoirs, diaries, unpublished histories, archival sources, interview transcripts, and standard reference works such as The Bomber Command War Diaries, Bercuson traces the history of the RCAF as not only a fighting force but also a human institution.

Canada’s Air Force analyses the first century of the RCAF through the clear-eyed perspective of a Canadian historian who has closely scrutinized one hundred years of the RCAF’s story.

The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) was founded in 1924 as a sort of federal air service, carrying out civilian-type operations for Ottawa. In the Second World War, the RCAF grew to more than 200,000 personnel in overseas squadrons and performed virtually every type of mission, including bombing and hunting submarines. Over the decades since, the RCAF has tried valiantly to carry out its mission of defending Canada, even when starved of funds by the federal government. Today, it is once again on the verge of becoming a modern, well-equipped air force.

In Canada’s Air Force, historian David J. Bercuson shares the history of the first one hundred years of the Royal Canadian Air Force, from its inception in 1924 to its centennial in 2024. Drawing on memoirs, diaries, unpublished histories, archival sources, interview transcripts, and standard reference works such as The Bomber Command War Diaries, Bercuson traces the history of the RCAF as not only a fighting force but also a human institution.

Canada’s Air Force analyses the first century of the RCAF through the clear-eyed perspective of a Canadian historian who has closely scrutinized one hundred years of the RCAF’s story.