THE HALIFAX EXPLOSION : And the Royal Canadian Navy: Inquiry and Intrigue (Studies in Canadian Military History)

Armstrong, John Griffith

ISBN 10: 0774808918 / ISBN 13: 9780774808910

Published by UBC Press, Vancouver, 2003

About this Item

This new copy is bound in illustrated card covers as issued. The contents are bright, tight, white and square. International postal rates are calculated on a book weighing 1 Kilo, in cases where the book weighs more than 1 Kilo increased postal rates will be quoted, where the book weighs less then postage will be reduced accordingly. The Halifax Explosion of 1917 is a defining event in the Canadian consciousness; this title offers a sustained analytical history of the disaster, using the large federal government archives that contain first-hand accounts and the response of the national authorities. Canada's recently established navy was at the epicentre of the crisis. Armstrong reveals the navy's compelling and little-known story by carefully retracing the events preceding the disaster and the role of the military in its aftermath. He catches the pulse of disaster response in official Ottawa and provides an analysis of the legal manoeuvres, rhetoric, blunders, public controversy and crisis management that ensued. His disturbing conclusion is that federal officials knew of potential dangers in the harbour before the explosion, took no corrective action and kept the information from the public. As a result, a Halifax naval officer was made a scapegoat and the navy received lasting, and mostly undeserved, vilification. This investigation should be of interest to military and naval devotees, and for anyone who wishes to understand one of the events that shaped Canada in the 20th century. Ref TT 7.

Seller Inventory # 037430

Bibliographic Details

• Title: THE HALIFAX EXPLOSION : And the Royal Canadian Navy: Inquiry and Intrigue (Studies in Canadian Military History)
• Publisher: UBC Press, Vancouver
• Publication Date: 2003
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0774808918
• ISBN 13: 9780774808910
• Binding: Soft cover
• Edition: Reprint
• Condition: New

About this title

Synopsis

The Halifax Explosion of 1917 is a defining event in the Canadian consciousness, yet it has never been the subject of a sustained analytical history. Astonishingly, until now no one has consulted the large federal government archives that contain first-hand accounts of the disaster and the response of national authorities. Canada's recently established navy was at the epicentre of the crisis. Armstrong reveals the navy's compelling, and little-known, story by carefully retracing the events preceding the disaster and the role of the military in its aftermath. He catches the pulse of disaster response in official Ottawa and provides a compelling analysis of the legal manoeuvres, rhetoric, blunders, public controversy, and crisis management that ensued. His disturbing conclusion is that federal officials knew of potential dangers in the harbour before the explosion, took no corrective action, and kept the information from the public.

About the Author

John Griffith Armstrong, now retired, taught history at the Royal Military College of Canada.