Embedded - by Ted Glenn (Paperback)

About the Book

In 1870, Colonel Garnet Wolseley set off for Red River with 1,100 soldiers to end the rebellion started by Louis Riel. Two reporters accompanied the military expedition, the Daily Telegraph's Robert Cunningham and the Globe's Molyneux St. John, as well as St. John's wife, international burlesque star Kate Ranoe.

Book Synopsis

A first-hand chronicle of Wolseley's expedition to end Riel's Red River Rebellion by a remarkable trio embedded on the mission.

In the spring of 1870, two reporters set off from Toronto to cover one of the biggest stories in Canadian history: Colonel Garnet Wolseley's 1870 expedition to Red River. Over the course of six months, the Daily Telegraph's Robert Cunningham and the Globe's Molyneux St. John brought readers along as they paddled and portaged alongside the expedition's 1,100 troops and 400 voyageurs and guides from the shores of Lake Superior to Fort Garry.

But that's not the whole story. Buried well below the fold was the fact that St. John's wife -- international burlesque star Kate Ranoe -- accompanied him and the expedition, and not just as an adventurer. Owing to an accident early on, Ranoe ended up ghostwriting many of St. John's stories.

Embedded is the remarkable story of two reporters and one extraordinary woman as they journeyed to Red River with Colonel Garnet Wolseley and his expeditionary force.

Review Quotes

Black-and-white illustrations and photographs bring the key personalities and various scenarios to life, while a fascinating appendix that profiles some of the artists who travelled with the expedition is worthy of its own book.-- "Canada's History"

Embedded offers an accessible narrative...like the readers of the Globe and the Daily Telegraph, [readers will] follow the journey, feel the excitement and dread of running rapids, traversing rivers, forests, and lakes and fleeing and fighting fires.-- "Bettina Bradbury, Professor Emeritus York University"

A fascinating account of life on the edge. Embedded encourages us to rethink the drama of imperial expansion. A great read.-- "Jeremy Black, author of Imperial Legacies"

Masterful weaving of the voices of Cunningham, St. John and Ranoe... Glenn's history brings forth a truly remarkable story.-- "Winnipeg Free Press"

Ted Glenn's book brings a largely forgotten tale to life in a fine and exuberant style.-- "J.L. Granatstein, author of Canada's Army: Waging War and Keeping the Peace"

About the Author

Ted Glenn is a professor at Humber College and the author of Riding into Battle: Canadian Cyclists in the Great War. He divides his time between Grey County and Toronto.