Publications

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Canadiansoldiers.com is proud to feature printed military histories in soft and hardcover on a variety of topics.

Current projects are:

• Author: Michael A. Dorosh, CD, based on material by Kenneth A. McKenzie
• Format: Softcover, black and white, 100+ photos and illustrations, 76pp.
• ISBN 978-0-9782646-9-7
• Status: First printing commenced August 2008.
• Description: When Ken McKenzie finished his combat service with the Calgary Highlanders in 1945, he travelled down the Lines of Communication of the 21st Army Group with his camera. Presented here for the benefit of scale modellers, reenactors, vehicle collectors, set decorators, computer game modders and other hobbyists are 70 pages and over 100 contemporary photos showing a wide variety of the "signs of war" visible in Northwest Europe in 1944-45.

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• Author: Michael A. Dorosh, CD
• Format: Softcover, full colour, 216pp
• Status: First printing commenced 18 November 2007
  •  Second Edition available as of July 2015

• Description:  intended as a reference for those interested in designing historical scenarios for the Advanced Squad Leader game system. The book features 216 full-colour pages with a variety of information to assist in force and terrain selection, including company, battalion and divisional break-downs of the major armies that participated in the Second World War. Additional chapters deal with scenario lay-out, publishing, researching, walk-throughs of the design process and discussion regarding the various components of ASL scenarios.

• ISBN 978-0-9782646-8-0

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Tactical Wargamer's Journal (ISSN 1918-9729), published on a non-regular schedule, covers topics of interest on all aspects of the world of commercial tactical wargaming, with its focus set on warfare at the man-to-man, squad and platoon level in the 20th Century and contemporary era. Tactical Wargamer's Journal (TWJ) places emphasis on both military history and the history of tactical level gaming itself.

"Tactical Wargamer's Journal is the most recent wargaming magazine...What draws you to it is the eye-catching, bound journal with a slick cover, that reminds you of certain academic journals...My best guess is if you give this seemingly expensive journal a pass solely due to price, that decision will nag and later come back to haunt you. In general it is an outstanding read for any aficionado of wargaming, and will provide a number of hours of reading pleasure."

- - LTC Robert G. Smith, Panzer Digest Issue 9

Issue 2 was published in the late summer of 2011, in both print and electronic form. The download page is at this link.

Issue 2 is intended as a "gamer's guide" to the U.S. Army in the Battle of Normandy (6 June 1944 to July 25 1944) with a comprehensive history of the campaign (including 70+ full colour maps) and a survey of tactical level PC and board game treatments of the subject. Other articles cover subjects such as scenario briefings, military operation orders and battle procedure and their relationship to wargaming, a detailed article on the Sherman tank and its depiction in games, a study of the Battle of Singling, and more.

A full preview is available at the link, above, or clicking on the cover at right

From a wargaming and scenario design point of view there is a wealth of information in this title covering the invasion of Normandy at a tactical level closer to what we see in CMBN then any single title that I have encountered to date. Loads of maps and a section devoted to the Sherman tank and its variants including the ratio between 75mm and 76mm gunned versions per division per month from 1 Jun 44 through 1 (M)ay 45 which is information I have spent hours trying to find for my own Cmx1 scenarios as an example.

...(I)n my opinion...possibly the best companion book to (battlefront.com's) current flagship title CMBN that is available at this time.

- - one of The Few Good Men

MD
This email is in response to an email I received ... upon purchase of The Tactical Wargamers Journal issue 2 asking for feedback. I have found this title to be an extremely well written and authoritative book on the subject of the invasion of Normandy at a tactical level that I have not encountered before and am well pleased to be able to add it to my current library. From a wargaming perspective it is without doubt the best single volume I have found on the subject and a significant resource for anyone looking at scenario design using Battlefronts latest offering CMBN, as well as a host of other titles such as my current game of choice "Command ops battles from the bulge" which despite the title has the assets in the scenario editor's TOE to produce scenarios for the Normandy invasion time period.

I would consider The Tactical Wargamers Journal issue 2 to be a "Must Read" for anybody looking to wargame the invasion of Normandy, whatever the game title they chose to use.

- -Walt ( Paladin851 on the Game Squad forums)

Issue 3 was published in 2013, in both print and electronic form. More information is at this link.

Issue 3 is intended as a guide for gamers to understanding the role of the British and Commonwealth forces in Northwest Europe during 1944-45. The issue features:

• high-level campaign overview illustrated with full colour maps
• complete listing and breakdown of all divisions and independent brigades of the British, Canadian and free European forces of the 21st Army Group
• Detailed study of the development of Canadian infantry battalion organization
• Analysis of the portrayal of British and Commonwealth soldiers in tactical level wargames, and a discussion of "national characteristics" versus the "British way of war"
• Detailed discussion of all armoured fighting vehicles used by 21st Army Group in Northwest Europe, with types, variants, and roles discussed and explained
• An article on nationalities in the Advanced Squad Leader Starter Kits
• An ASLSK scenario set during the fighting for Carpiquet during Operation CHARNWOOD in July 1944

The issue should appeal to fans of Combat Mission, Advanced Squad Leader, Flames of War, or any tactical game system who struggles in differentiating between the multiple types of armoured cars, wants to put the smaller skirmishes into the larger context of the battles and campaigns that shaped the war in Europe, or who wants to know more about the divisions and brigades that made up the 21st Army Group.

• Author: Michael A. Dorosh, CD
• Status: 1st printing October 2001 (Service Publications, Ltd.)
  • 2nd printing April 2016
• Format: Softcover, full colour,100+ photos and illustrations, 80+pp.
• Publisher: Service Publications
• The book can be ordered from the publisher's page, here:

• Author: 10th Battalion Calgary Highlanders Association Heritage Section
• Format: Hardcover, full colour, 200+ photos and illustrations, 94pp.
• ISBN 978-0-9782646-6-6
• Status: First printing commenced June 2007.
• Description: An indepth look at the history of a 20th Century re-enactment unit, tracing the history of this group from the occasional round of sentry duty at regimental mess dinners, to orchestrating the centrepiece of an entire musical production. Full colour photos of many local, national and international reenactment events, including the National Commemorations of both D-Day in 2004 and VE-Day in 2005.

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• Author: Michael A. Dorosh, CD
• Format: Hardcover, full colour, 146pp., 150+ photographs, maps and diagrams.
• Status: First printing commenced 1 August 2007.
• Description: A history of the 64th (Yorkton) Field Battery from 1920 to 2007.
• ISBN 978-0-9782646-7-3

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Review by Esprit de Corps Magazine

"Yorkton's Gunners provides interesting and informative insight into the development of field artillery in Canada and the challenges faced by the Militia since the end of the First World War. For those readers who enjoyed George Blackburn's classic accounts of his experience as an artillery officer in Normandy and beyond, I would recommend this book as a worthy adjunct." (Les Peate, Esprit de Corps Magazine)

CANUCK: Volume I

It is anticipated at this time that an updated and reprinted volume of Canuck: Clothing and Equipping the Canadian Soldier 1939-1945 may be prepared within the coming years.

In September 2007 the last remaining stock of the now out of print initial volume was liquidated on ebay.

To see our current ebay listings click this link.