Second to None - by Kevin R Shackleton (Paperback)

About the Book

The story of the Fighting 58th, one of 50 infantry battalions to see action with the Canadian Expeditionary Force during the First World War.

Book Synopsis

One of only fifty infantry battalions to see action with the Canadian Expeditionary Force during World War I, the 58th nevertheless had no official history. Second to None tells the story of this important, yet forgotten, battalion. The soldiers who formed the 58th exemplified the ideal citizen soldiers and later evolved into the tough, battle-savvy veterans who destroyed the cream of the German Imperial Army and won battle honours. The author uses the men's letters and diaries and family oral histories to amplify the terse account of the 58th's war diary, bringing to life once more the men who paid the price for freedom.

Review Quotes

"an important addition to the growing body of literature documenting Canada's participation in the First World War."

"Of the 1,100 men who departed to England with the 58th, only 147 returned home with the battalion. Thirty pages are devoted to list those who died. Second to None is a labour of love that will keep their memory alive."

"Second to None is filled with the many essential details about its officers and men, the bitterly fought battles and the families left at home. Incredibly it took 82 years form the 58th Battalion's victory march in 1920, in downtown Toronto, for its history finally to be written."

"...a splendid labour of love..." - John D. Harbron, The Globe and Mail, November 9, 2002

About the Author

Kevin R. Shackleton lives with his family in Newmarket, Ontario, where he works as a senior associate advisor with RBC Investments. His life-long interest in the history of warfare included a course with Dr. Jack Hyatt while obtaining his MA at the University of Western Ontario.