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Among the many technological advances of this century that have shrunk our country, few have had as great an impact as aviation. Technologies evolve and national priorities change, but the qualities necessary to design aircraft, fly them in war and peace, and manage airlines remain constant. In this, his second book about pioneers of Canadian aviation, Peter Pigott brings a richness and understanding of the individuals themselves to the reader. Flying Canucks II takes us into Air Canada’s boardroom with Claude I.

Flying Canucks tells the fascinating story of aviation in Canada through this collection of 37 biographies of important aviators in our nation’s history. As early as 1908, having read the Wright brothers’ invention, Alberta farm boys and mechanics in Quebec villages were constructing large kites, attempting to fly them. Within a decade, Canadian air aces, like Bishop and Barker, swept the wartime skies over Frances, piloting deadly machines in mortal combat.

Cairine Wilson, Canada’s first female senator, was one of nine children raised in an atmosphere of rugged Scots liberalism and strict presbyterianism by affluent Montreal parents in the late nineteenth century. She displayed an interest in politics early in life and through her father’s position in the Senate, was befriended by many notable politicians of the period, including Sir Wilfrid Laurier, an experience that left a permanent mark on her.

In The Firebrand, William Kilbourn brings to life the rebel Canadian hero William Lyon Mackenzie. A skilled historian and an entertaining writer, Kilbourn reveals Mackenzie's complex character: able political editor, shrewd recorder of his times, efficient first mayor of Toronto, and gadfly of the House of Assembly.

The half-century since Elizabeth II’s coronation in 1952 has witnessed many changes, some for good and some for ill. Among these, she has been one of the few constants.Fifty Years the Queen recounts her amazing life as Canada and the Commonwealth celebrate the Golden Jubilee of her accession to the throne. Elizabeth II is a figure whose faultless devotion to duty flourishes in an age of individual self-gratification.

In 1759, Voltaire in Candide referred to Canada as "quelques arpents de neige." For several centuries, the image prevailed and was the one most frequently used by poets, writers, and illustrators. Canada was perceived and portrayed as a cold, hard, and unforgiving land. this was not a land for the fainthearted. Canada has yieled its wealth only reluctantly, while periodically threatening life itself with its displays of fury. Discovering its beauty and hidden resources requires patience and perseverance.

On February 20, 1959, Prime Minister John Diefenbaker announced to the House of Commons the cancellation of the CF-105 Arrow. Its development costs to that time were $340 million. The Arrow was to be the world’s unsurpassed interceptor aircraft. Yet within two months of the Prime Minister’s announcement, six completed aircraft were dismantled and all papers and documents associated with the project were destroyed. Here is the history and development of the Arrow - the plane that would make Canada the leader in supersonic flight technology.

Frederick Horsman Varley was unique among the members of the Group of Seven. One of the greatest Canadian portraitists of the twentieth century, he is an intriguing example of an artist who, despite his fame as a portrait painter, remains better known for his landscapes. This is due mainly to his position as one of the founding members of the Group of Seven and their deliberate attempt to raise awareness of our national identity by depicting the Canadian landscape.

From Pioneer Public Health Nurse to Advocate for the Aged: Eunice Henrietta Dyke. A dynamic personality whose determination improved public health care and nurses’ education, and began the recognition of senior citizens’ needs; yet she was fired at the height of her nursing career. A woman described as "ahead of her time."

Regimental histories are a virtual window to a nation. They provide insight into a country’s culture, values, and martial spirit. But more specifically they tell the story of the men and women who fight their nation’s wars.Created as an infantry school corps to train the Militia, the Royal Canadian Regiment quickly grew to serve the national interest at home and abroad.