The Battle Of Alberta

An up-close look at the rivalry between the Calgary Flames and the Edmonton Oilers, told from the perspective of those that were there. Sports writer and on-air personality Mark Spector pays tribute to the province's hockey heyday with a unique blend of humour and homage. "I hated every single guy on the Oilers, 'cause they all hated me." --Tim Hunter, the Calgary Flames In the 1980s, the province of Alberta was home to the two best hockey teams in the NHL. Aptly dubbed "Death Valley" due to the sheer talent and ability of its players, the province not only begat rivalry with other NHL teams, but also sparked fierce competition within its own borders. Thus began The Battle of Alberta, the historic struggle between the Edmonton Oilers and the Calgary Flames. In The Battle of Alberta, veteran sports journalist Mark Spector presents homage to Albertan hockey, and the two teams that inspired one of the most bitter competitions in NHL history. Through exclusive interviews with coaches, trainers, and players, Spector provides an unbiased, often hilarious look at the brawls, the clashes, and the schemes. A chronicle of an unforgettable time in hockey history (filled with never-before-seen photographs), The Battle of Alberta is guaranteed to entertain fans and educate newcomers alike.

An up-close look at the rivalry between the Calgary Flames and the Edmonton Oilers, told from the perspective of those that were there. Sports writer and on-air personality Mark Spector pays tribute to the province's hockey heyday with a unique blend of humour and homage. "I hated every single guy on the Oilers, 'cause they all hated me." --Tim Hunter, the Calgary Flames In the 1980s, the province of Alberta was home to the two best hockey teams in the NHL. Aptly dubbed "Death Valley" due to the sheer talent and ability of its players, the province not only begat rivalry with other NHL teams, but also sparked fierce competition within its own borders. Thus began The Battle of Alberta, the historic struggle between the Edmonton Oilers and the Calgary Flames. In The Battle of Alberta, veteran sports journalist Mark Spector presents homage to Albertan hockey, and the two teams that inspired one of the most bitter competitions in NHL history. Through exclusive interviews with coaches, trainers, and players, Spector provides an unbiased, often hilarious look at the brawls, the clashes, and the schemes. A chronicle of an unforgettable time in hockey history (filled with never-before-seen photographs), The Battle of Alberta is guaranteed to entertain fans and educate newcomers alike.

Alberta has long been a big part of the frantic Canadian hockey scene, and even before Alberta became a province in 1905, the intense hockey rivalry between Calgary and Edmonton was in full swing. Long before the glory days of the '80s, teams from Edmonton and Calgary worked each other over with relish and passion, all the while creating a hockey rivalry unequalled anywhere. In The Battle of Albertathe rough-and-tumble relationship between two hockey hotbeds is presented in all its colourful glory. The century-long tussle got its start in 1895 when an all-star team from Calgary journeyed to Edmonton to take on the mighty Thistles and a team of North West Mounted Police pucksters. Calgary came away victorious, Edmonton vowed revenge, and thus began a long procession of battling teams in both cities: the Edmonton Eskimos (the hockey Eskimos featuring the renowned Eddie Shore), the Calgary Tigers, the Edmonton Superiors, the Calgary Bronks, the Edmonton Flyers (with Glenn Hall between the pipes), the Calgary Stampeders, the briefly named Alberta Oilers, the short-lived Calgary Cowboys, the Edmonton Oilers and the Calgary Flames. Great teams, exciting games, masterful players—hockey at its best.

A dramatic account of Canada's first major triumph of World War II, the December 1943 battle for Ortona, Italy.

During the winter of 1944–45, the western Allies desperately sought a strategy that would lead to Germany’s quick defeat. After much rancorous debate, the Allied high command decided that First Canadian Army would launch the pivotal offensive to win the war—an attack against the Rhineland, an area of Germany on the west bank of the Rhine. Winning this land would give them a launching point for crossing the river and driving into Germany’s heartland. This was considered the road to victory. For those who fought, the names of battlegrounds such as Moyland Wood and the Hochwald Gap would forever call up memories of uncommon heroism, endurance and tragic sacrifice. Their story is one largely lost to the common national history of World War II. Forgotten Victory gives this important legacy back to Canadians.

It’s not surprising if you’ve never heard of Ernie Gare; the man behind innovations that paved the way for many Canadians to pursue their athletic dreams without sacrificing education cared more about the future of the athletes and the sports than garnering fame for himself. Without Gare and his drive to create the scholarship program, the world may not have seen Nancy Greene win an Olympic gold medal, or the Crazy Canucks take Canada to the top of the ski racing world. Without Gare’s collaboration with Bob Nicholson, the Program of Excellence might never have been created to help keep Canada one of the top hockey nations in the world. This is the story of the man who changed the future of Canadian winter sports.

The ninth book in the Canadian Battle Series, Breakout from Juno, is the first dramatic chronicling of Canada's pivotal role throughout the entire Normandy Campaign following the D-Day landings. On July 4, 1944, the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division won the village of Carpiquet but not the adjacent airfield. Instead of a speedy victory, the men faced a bloody fight. The Canadians advanced relentlessly at a great cost in bloodshed. Within 2 weeks the 2nd Infantry and 4th Armoured divisions joined coming together as the First Canadian Army. The soldiers fought within a narrow landscape extending a mere 21 miles from Caen to Falaise. They won a two-day battle for Verrières Ridge starting on July 21, after 1,500 casualties. More bloody battles followed, until finally, on August 21, the narrowing gap that had been developing at Falaise closed when American and Canadian troops shook hands. The German army in Normandy had been destroyed, only 18,000 of about 400,000 men escaping. The Allies suffered 206,000 casualties, of which 18,444 were Canadians. Breakout from Juno is a story of uncommon heroism, endurance and sacrifice by Canada's World War II volunteer army and pays tribute to Canada's veterans.

Mark Zuehlke is an expert at narrating the history of life on the battlefield for the Canadian army during World War II. In Terrible Victory, he provides a soldiers-eye-view account of Canada's bloody liberation of western Holland. Readers are there as soldiers fight in the muddy quagmire, enduring a battle that lasted three weeks and in which 6,000 soldiers perished. Terrible Victory is a powerful story of courage, survival, and skill.