On to Victory: The Canadian Liberation of the Netherlands, March 23-May 5, 1945 - by Mark Zuehlke (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

BOOK EIGHT in the Canadian Battle Series.

On to Victory is the little-told story of the tense final days of World War II, remembered in the Netherlands as "the sweetest of springs," which saw the country's liberation from German occupation. The Liberation Campaign, a series of fierce, desperate battles during the last three months of the war, was bittersweet. A nation's freedom was won and the war concluded, but these final hostilities cost Canada 6,298 casualties, including 1,482 dead. With his trademark "you are there" style that draws upon official records, veteran memories, and a keen understanding of the combat experience, Mark Zuehlke brings to life this concluding chapter in the story of Canada in World War II.

Published to coincide with the 65th anniversary of Canada's dramatic liberation of Holland. May 4, 2010, will mark the 65th anniversary of the end of the fighting for Canada's army and the conclusion of the Netherlands' liberation. Major events of remembrance, both here and in the Netherlands, will celebrate this milestone.

Review Quotes

"[On to Victory] reveals a far deeper engagement with the official records and a desire to place the story of the intense fighting into Germany and the liberation of the Netherlands into a wider context. Zuehlke succeeds in finding that middle ground between writing academic history and relying exclusively on strung-together eyewitness accounts. This is good history, told well, and makes for powerful reading." - Canada's History

"Every time a veteran dies, we lose another vital link with our history. That is why it is imperative to hear those voices now and to record those words if possible. That is why the work of Mark Zuehlke, the Victoria author who has written eight books on Canadian battles in the Second World War, is so vital." - Victoria Times Colonist

"Popular historian Mark Zuehlke returns to a key Canadian battleground in On to Victory: The Canadian Liberation of the Netherlands." - Quill & Quire

"The book is a testament to the persistence and tenacity of the Canadian soldiers." - Victoria News

"The eighth Canadian Battle Series volume details the little-told story of the tense final days of World War II, remembered in the Netherlands as 'the sweetest of springs'...Zuehlke brings to life this concluding chapter in the story of Canada in World War II." - History Magazine

"The previous volumes in Mark Zuehlke's Canadian Battle Series have proven to be an extremely popular addition to the literature on the Second World War. On to Victory will be no exception." - Chronicle-Herald