General Readings

Bernier, Serge, Canadian Military Heritage, Volume III, 1872-2000. Montreal:Art Global Inc., 2000

Boutilier, James A., ed. The RCN in retrospect, 1910-1968. Vancouver: University of British Columbia Press, 1982.

Crickard, Fred W., Hadley, Michael L, and Huebert, Robert N., eds. A nation's navy: in quest of Canadian naval identity. Montreal: McGill-Queen's University Press, c1996.

Douglas, W. A. B. The RCN in transition, 1910-1985. Vancouver: University of British Columbia Press, c1988.

German, Tony. The sea is at our gates: a history of the Canadian Navy. Toronto: McClelland & Stewart, 1990.

Gimblett, Richard H., ed. The naval service of Canada, 1910-2010 : the centennial story. Toronto: Dundurn Press, c2009.

Gimblett, Richard H., Haydon, Peter T., and Whitby, Michael J., eds. The admirals: Canada's senior naval leadership in the twentieth century. Toronto: Dundurn Press, 2008.

Milner, Marc. Canada's navy: the first century. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, c1999. 2nd ed., 2010.

Sarty, Roger. The maritime defence of Canada. Toronto: Canadian Institute of Strategic Studies, 1996.

Macbeth, Jack. Ready, aye, ready: an illustrated history of the Royal Canadian Navy. Toronto: Key Porter Books, 1989.

Selected Topics

The First World War

Armstrong, John Griffith. The Halifax explosion and the Royal Canadian Navy: inquiry and intrigue. Vancouver : UBC Press, c2002.

Hadley, Michael L, and Sarty, Roger. Tin-pots and pirate ships: Canadian naval forces and German sea raiders, 1880-1918. Montreal: McGill-Queen's University Press, c1991.

Perkins, J. David. Canada's submariners : 1914-1923. Erin, Ont.: Boston Mills Press, 1989.

Tennyson, B. D., and Sarty, Roger. Guardian of the Gulf: Sydney, Cape Breton, and the Atlantic wars. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, c2000.

Tucker, Gilbert Norman. The Naval Service of Canada: its Official History, Volume 1, Origins and Early Years. Ottawa: King's Printer, 1952.
Also available online at: http://www.cmp-cpm.forces.gc.ca/dhh-dhp/his/oh-ho/detail-eng.asp?BfBookLang=1&BfId=46
*Please note: this link will open the page in a new browser window

The Second World War

Bercuson, David, and Herwig, Holger. Deadly seas: The Story of the St. Croix, the U305 and the Battle of the Atlantic. Toronto: Random House of Canada, 1997.

Brown, David K. Atlantic Escort: the ships, weapons and tactics in World War II. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press, 2007.

Burrow, Len, and Beaudoin, Emile. Unlucky Lady : The Life & Death of HMCS Athabaskan, 1940-44. Toronto: McClelland and Stewart, 1987.

Darlington, Robert A, and McKee, Fraser. The Canadian Naval Chronicle, 1939-1945: The Successes and Losses of the Canadian Navy in World War II. Rev. ed. St. Catharines, Ont.: Vanwell Pub., 1998.

Darlington, Robert A., and McKee, Fraser M. Three Princes Armed: Luxury Liners to Warships. Victoria, B.C.: Darlington/McKee Team, c2008.

Douglas, W. A. B., et. al. No Higher Purpose: The Official Operational History of the Royal Canadian Navy in the Second World War, 1939-1943. St. Catharines, Ont.: Vanwell Pub., 2002.

Douglas, W. A. B., et. al. A Blue Water Navy: The Official Operational History of the Royal Canadian Navy in the Second World War, 1943-1945. St. Catharines, Ont.: Vanwell Pub., 2007.

Gough, Barry M. HMCS Haida: Anatomy of a Destroyer. St. Catharines, Ont.: Looking Back Press, c2007.

Graves, Donald E., and Jenson, L. B. In Peril on the Sea: the Royal Canadian Navy and the Battle of the Atlantic. Toronto: Published for the Canadian Naval Memorial Trust by Robin Brass Studio, 2003.

Greenfield, Nathan M. The Battle of the St. Lawrence: The Second World War in Canada. Toronto: HarperCollins Publishers, c2004.

Hadley, Michael L. U-boats Against Canada: German Submarines in Canadian Waters. Kingston, Ont.: McGill-Queen's University Press, c1985.

Law, C. Anthony. White Plumes Astern: The Short, Daring Life of Canada's MTB Flotilla. Halifax, N.S. : Nimbus, c1989.

Layard, A. F. C. Commanding Canadians : the Second World War Diaries of A.F.C. Layard. Michael Whitby, ed. Vancouver: UBC Press, 2005.

Mayne, Richard O. Betrayed: Scandal, Politics, and Canadian Naval Leadership. Vancouver: University of British Columbia Press, 2006.

McKee, Fraser. HMCS Swansea: The Life and Times of a Frigate. St. Catharines, Ont.: Vanwell Pub., c1994.

Milner, Marc. North Atlantic run: the Royal Canadian Navy and the battle for the convoys. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, c1985.

Milner, Marc. The U-boat Hunters: The Royal Canadian Navy and the Offensive Against Germany's submarines. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, c1994.

Milner, Marc. Battle of the Atlantic. St. Catherine's, Ont.: Vanwell Publishing, 2003.

Sarty, Roger. Canada and the Battle of the Atlantic. Montréal: Art global, 1998.

Sarty, Roger. Le Canada et la Bataille de l'Atlantique. Art Global, Montréal, 1998.

Schull, John Joseph. The Far Distant Ships; An Official Account of Canadian Naval Operations in the Second World War. Ottawa: King's Printer, 1950.

Soward, Stuart E. A formidable hero: Lt. R.H. Gray, VC, DSC, RCNVR. Victoria, B.C.: Neptune Development, 2003

Tennyson, B. D., and Sarty, Roger. Guardian of the Gulf: Sydney, Cape Breton, and the Atlantic wars. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, c2000.

Tucker, Gilbert Norman. The Naval Service of Canada: its Official History, Volume 2, Activities on shore during the Second World War. Ottawa: King's Printer, 1952.
Also available online at: http://www.cmp-cpm.forces.gc.ca/dhh-dhp/his/oh-ho/detail-eng.asp?BfBookLang=1&BfId=47
*Please note: this link will open the page in a new browser window

The Womens Royal Canadian Naval Service (WRCNS)

Dundas, Barbara. A history of women in the Canadian military. Montréal: Art Global, 2000.

Gossage, Carolyn. Greatcoats and Glamour Boots: Canadian Women at War, 1939-1945. Toronto : Dundurn Press, 2008.

Greer, Fiddy. The Girls of the King's Navy. Victoria, B.C.: Sono Nis Press, 1983.

Russell, Ruth Weber. Proudly she marched : training Canada's World War II women in Waterloo County, v. 2. Women's Royal Canadian Naval Service. Waterloo, Ont.: Canadian Federation of University Women, Kitchener-Waterloo, c2006.

Sim Shortridge, Audrey. On the double, Matilda!: one woman's story of life as a Wren. Victoria, BC : CFB Esquimalt Naval and Military Museum, 2006

The Merchant Navy

Halford, Robert G. The unknown navy: Canada's World War Two merchant navy. St. Catharines, Ont.: Vanwell Pub., 1995.

Heal, S. C. Conceived in war, born in peace: Canada's deep sea merchant marine. Vancouver : Cordillera Pub. Co., c1992.

Heal, S. C. A great fleet of ships: the Canadian forts & parks. St. Catharines, Ont.: Vanwell Pub., 1999.

McKee, Fraser M. 'Sink all the shipping there' : the loss of Canada's wartime merchant ships and fishing schooners. St. Catharines, Ont.: Vanwell Pub., 2004.

Parker, Mike. Running the gauntlet: an oral history of Canadian merchant seamen in World War II. Halifax, NS : Nimbus Pub., c2003.

The Korean War

Gough, Barry M. HMCS Haida: Anatomy of a Destroyer. St. Catharines, Ont.: Looking Back Press, c2007.

Meyers, Edward C. Thunder in the morning calm : the Royal Canadian Navy in Korea 1950-1955. St. Catharines, Ont.: Vanwell Publishing, 1991.

Thorgrimsson, Thor, and Russell, E. C. Canadian naval operations in Korean waters, 1950-1955. Ottawa: Naval Historical Section, Canadian Forces Headquarters, Dept. of National Defence, 1965.
Available online at: http://www.cmp-cpm.forces.gc.ca/dhh-dhp/his/oh-ho/detail-eng.asp?BfBookLang=1&BfId=39
*Please note: this link will open the page in a new browser window

The Cold War & After

Gimblett, Richard H. Operation Apollo. Ottawa: Magic Light, 2004.

Miller, Dusty, and Hobson, Sharon. The Persian excursion : the Canadian navy in the Gulf War. Toronto: Canadian Peacekeeping Press, c1995.

Morin, Jean, and Gimblett, Richard H. Operation Friction, 1990-1991. Toronto: Dundurn Press, 1997.

Lynch, Thomas G. The flying 400: Canada's hydrofoil project. Halifax, N.S. : Nimbus, 1983.

McKee, Fraser. HMCS Swansea: The Life and Times of a Frigate. St. Catharines, Ont.: Vanwell Pub., c1994.

Snowie, J. Allan. The Bonnie, HMCS Bonaventure. Erin, Ont. : Boston Mills Press, 1987.

Naval Aviation

Kealy, J. D. F., and Russell, Edward C. A history of Canadian naval aviation, 1918-1962. Ottawa: Queen's Printer, 1965.
Available online: http://www.cmp-cpm.forces.gc.ca/dhh-dhp/his/oh-ho/detail-eng.asp?BfBookLang=1&BfId=37
*Please note: this link will open the page in a new browser window

Snowie, J. Allan. The Bonnie, HMCS Bonaventure. Erin, Ont. : Boston Mills Press, 1987.

Soward, Stuart E. Hands to flying stations: a recollective history of Canadian naval aviation. Victoria, B.C.: Neptune Developments c1993, 1995.
[Two volumes; publication dates unclear from online cataloguing information.]

Soward, Stuart E. A formidable hero: Lt. R.H. Gray, VC, DSC, RCNVR. Victoria, B.C.: Neptune Development, 2003

Mills, Carl. Banshees in the Royal Canadian Navy. Willowdale, Ont.: Banshee Publication, 1991.

Ships and Vessels

Barrie, Ron, and Macpherson, Ken. Cadillac of destroyers: HMCS St. Laurent and her successors. St. Catharines, Ont. : Vanwell Pub., c1996.

Boileau, John. Fastest in the world: the saga of Canada's revolutionary hydrofoils. Halifax, N.S.: Formac Pub., 2004.

Burrow, Len, and Beaudoin, Emile. Unlucky Lady : The Life & Death of HMCS Athabaskan, 1940-44. Toronto: McClelland and Stewart, 1987.

Butterley, Keith, and Macpherson, Ken. River class destroyers of the Royal Canadian Navy. St. Catharines, Ont.: Vanwell Pub., c2008.
[Note that there is also a 1985 edition of this book.]

Darlington, Robert A., and McKee, Fraser M. Three Princes Armed: Luxury Liners to Warships. Victoria, B.C.: Darlington/McKee Team, c2008.

Ferguson, Julie H. Through a Canadian periscope: the story of the Canadian Submarine Service. Toronto: Dundurn Press, 1995.

Geneja, Stephen Conrad. The cruiser Uganda : one war-many conflicts : the first documented and eyewitness account of Canada's only cruiser in World War Two and her part in the Pacific War. Corbyville, Ont.: Tyendinaga Publishers, 1994.

Gough, Barry M. HMCS Haida: Anatomy of a Destroyer. St. Catharines, Ont.: Looking Back Press, c2007.

Lynch, Thomas G. The flying 400: Canada's hydrofoil project. Halifax, N.S. : Nimbus, 1983.

Macpherson, Ken. The river class destroyers of the Royal Canadian Navy. Toronto : C.J. Musson and Associates, 1985.

Macpherson, Ken. Frigates of the Royal Canadian Navy, 1943-1974. St. Catharines, Ont.: Vanwell Pub., 1989.

Macpherson, Ken. Minesweepers of the Royal Canadian Navy, 1938-1945. St. Catharines, Ont. : Vanwell Pub., 1990.

Macpherson, Ken, and Barrie, Ron. The ships of Canada's naval forces 1910-2002. St. Catharines, Ont.: Vanwell Pub., c2002.

Macpherson, Ken, and Milner, Marc. Corvettes of the Royal Canadian Navy 1939-1945. St. Catharines, Ont.: Vanwell Publishing, 1993, 2000.

McKee, Fraser. The armed yachts of Canada. Erin, Ont.: Boston Mills Press, 1983.

McKee, Fraser. HMCS Swansea: The Life and Times of a Frigate. St. Catharines, Ont.: Vanwell Pub., c1994.

Milner, Marc. HMCS Sackville, 1941-1985. Halifax, N.S.: Canadian Naval Memorial Trust, c1998.

Perkins, J. David. The Canadian submarine service in review. St. Catharines, Ont.: Vanwell Pub., 2000