Bercuson is a leading Canadian military historian. Based on wide research into the primary sources and many interviews, his well-written history of the Canadian army in Korea is now the basic book on its subject. In July 1950, the Canadian government had no intention of sending its tiny army to fight in Asia, but American pressure forced it to reconsider, and Ottawa decided to raise a brigade off the street. The recruiting process was a shambles, but the brigade eventually made its way to Korea. Although it and its successor battalions performed reasonably well in action, Bercuson is unsparing in his criticisms. The British commanders of the First Commonwealth Division in which the Canadians served were inadequate. The Canadian junior officers were ill-trained, equipment was almost always below standard, and both the army and its men were ill-prepared for the war they faced. What is significant, however, is that Korea taught the army its lesson, and hard training replaced the slapdash methods of 1950-53. Canadian forces in NATO service were very good, and the Korean experience played its part in ensuring this was so. A model military history by a skilled practitioner. All levels. J. L. Granatstein; Canadian War Museum