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John J. Robinette, Canada's greatest trial lawyer, was admired and respected by the bench and his fellow lawyers alike. A quiet, unassuming man outside the courtroom, he was a consummate performer when appearing before a judge and jury. Robinette became a household name as the defender of Evelyn Dick, who was charged with killing her husband and infant son in Hamilton in 1946, and of Steven Suchan, a member of the infamous Boyd Gang.

One of the legendary figures of Ontario history, John Graves Simcoe was the commander of the Queen’s Rangers during the American Revolution. In 1791 he was appointed the first lieutenant-governor of Upper Canada, and upon his arrival in 1792 he founded the town of York (present-day Toronto). John Graves Simcoe completes a trilogy of Simcoe books published by Dundurn Press. Mary Beacock Fryer’s Elizabeth Posthuma Simcoe was first published in 1989, while Our Young Soldier: Lieutenant Francis Simcoe, 6 June 1791-6 April 1812 was released in 1996.

In 1946, Winnipeg’s struggling medical student received an injection of new life when scientist and army doctor Joe Doupe came home from the war. He assembled the school’s first research group and in 1949, took over the physiology department. Doupe soon blended science and clinical teaching, objecting to their seperation in the curriculum, which was usual at that time. He required Winnipeg medical students of the 1950s and early 1960s to take a critical look at the scientific knowledge they relied on and in their methods of scientific inquiry.

Beginning with the first Jewish settler, Moses David, the important role that Windsor Jews played in the development of Ontario’s south is mirrored in this 200-year chronicle. the founding pioneer families transformed their Eastern European shtetl into a North American settlement; many individuals were involved in establishing synagogues, schools, and an organized communal structure in spite of divergent religious, political, and economic interests.

Jan Rubes has been a leading performer and director on stage, film, and TV, and in concert, opera, musical comedy, and drama. With an operatic career already established, the Czechoslovakia native immigrated to Canada in 1949 and was soon the leading bass in the Canadian Opera Company. He has performed throughout Canada and the U.S. both with the company and in countless solo recitals and appearances with symphony orchestras. Rubes has done more than 100 operatic roles and has appeared in more than 70 films, including the well-remembered Witness with Harrison Ford.

James Wilson Morrice (1865–1924) was a Canadian painter of extraordinary passion and simplicity whose canvases and oil sketches are valued throughout the world and cherished in Canada as our first real examples of modern art.Though cut short by chronic alcohol abuse, Morrice’s restless bohemian life was spent in constant motion.

"We took our positions, five kneeling and five standing … we got the order to fire. One blank and nine live rounds … I did not have the blank." That is the voice of Deward Barnes, an unwilling but dutiful member of the firing squad that shot Harold Lodge, one of 25 Canadians executed during the First World War. In this diary we hear something that is otherwise gone forever: the authentic voice of the First World War soldier, Everyman in khaki.

While the Second World War raged in Europe, demanding most of Canada’s military effort, an equally fierce war with Japan was going on in the Far East. Army, navy, and air force signals units in Canada kept watch on the enemy’s vital radio communications. To be more effective, Number One Canadian Special Wireless Group of the Royal Canadian Signals Corps was formed to go to the Southwest Pacific war theatre for close-in radio eavesdropping.

What do Superman, Prince Valiant, Cerebus the Aardvark, and Spawn have in common? Their creators — Joe Shuster, Harold Foster, Dave Sim, and Todd McFarlane are Canadians. And while many of the cutting-edge talents of contemporary comix and graphic novels are also from Canada — artists such as Chester Brown, Seth, Dave Cooper, and Julie Doucet — far too few Canadians realize their country had a remarkable involvement with the "funnies" long before.

Command and leadership are very personal endeavours. The manner in which an individual commands others and exercises leadership speaks more to the character and personality of the individual in question than it does to the concept of command or leadership in and of themselves. Intrepid Warriors takes an intimate look at a number of Canada’s finest military commanders and leaders during the crucible of war. Collectively, the chapters in this volume offer invaluable insights into different command and leadership approaches, behaviours, and styles.