My historical novel, “Soldier of the Horse,” is galloping toward us. The cover has been finalized, back and front, due to the tireless work of the people at Touchwood Editions. (It is amazing how much effort is required to actually get a book off the ground, quite apart from writing it.) I have placed an order for a few copies above and beyond the free author’s copies; the distribution network is standing by….  and I’d better stop holding my breath, as my complexion is starting to resemble those sunny summer skies that we remember so fondly as the snow falls outside.

After struggling with a couple of last minute edits, I am told by Ruth Linka, my publisher at TouchWood Editions, that the book cover will be available shortly and a final pdf is on its way. It has been a very impressive progression from when Ruth first indicated interest in the manuscript, up to today, when the excitement is building, at least at my end! “Soldier of the Horse” will be a reality in the new year. Now, to try to get the next one on track…

I never thought I’d see the day, but I must comment on a letter to the editor of the Vancouver Sun by Ben Mulroney, of television’s eTalk. He respectfully took issue with a column by Craig and Marc Kielburger, who had written that “Canada’s prominence on the international stage started back in 1956, when Lester B. Pearson launched the world’s first peacekeepoing mision during the Suez Crisis.”
“That is patently false,” wrote Mulroney, and went on to cite our country’s 60,000 service deaths in the First World War and 50,000 in the Second. He eloquently countered “Suez” with “Normandy.”
Good for him.

The Bismarck went down on May 27th, 1941, a very close run thing as it turned out. She was only hours from safety under the Luftwaffe umbrella when she was stopped by the British.

And on November 23rd, 2010, the Naval Officers of BC, at their annual Surrender Day lunch, were treated to a presentation on the Bismarck by Dennis Molnar, a keen amateur historian. Remarkably, one of the members attending the lunch was John Moyneux, who was an able seaman in HMS Hood only months before the pride of the Royal Navy was sunk by the Bismarck.

Dennis Molnar, left, and John Molyneux at the Surrender Day lunch, held at the Royal Vancouver Yacht Club. “Surrender Day” marks the occasion when the German Grand Fleet surrendered to the Royal Navy in 1918 following the armistice.

The NOA of BC was founded in 1919 by a group of Canadian officers who had served in the Royal Navy.

Colonel (Retired) Keith Maxwell, OMM, CD, was guest speaker at the Churchill Society of BC’s AGM and dinner meeting last week. Colonel Maxwell, who among other duties in his career with the Canadian Forces served with NORAD in Colorado Springs, later worked for NATO in Brussels. He took advantage of his location to study and walk World War One battlefields, and has since led many educational tours in France and Belgium.

His speech to the Churchill Society was butressed with photos and maps that brought home the brutality of that conflict, but also pointed out the huge contribution of Canada’s soldiers to the developing maturity of our nation on the international stage.

Soldier of the Horse is one step closer to production, with launch scheduled for early spring 2011. Final edits have now been done, although the last time I said that (yesterday) I immediately found two more loose ends to tie up.