"Forces With History"--Glory Days

Amazing--the next few days are in the 'never a dull moment' category. Consider that this blog and my newsletter concern themselves with pretty disparate subjects: cavalry, submarines, and other things that catch my eye

Cavalry:

On July 30th the Vancouver Public Library will screen the movie "War Horse" at 1:30 pm, downstairs in the Alice MacKay room. I'll be there, taking another look at Steven Spielberg's version of Michael Morpurgo's children's story. My recollection is that the scenes of a cavalry charge are shockingly well done. The photo at left is "A Canadian Trooper and His Horse" by Sir Alfred Munnings.

That same evening, I'll be speaking to people interested in hearing about a real-life cavalry trooper and his experiences. My father was the inspiration for Soldier of the Horse, and I look forward to presenting some images that help understand what cavalrymen and their mounts were up to in 1914-18.

Submarines:

The first week of August is Submarine Week in Victoria: the 100th anniversary, to the day, of the birth of the Canadian submarine service. I'll be there, taking in the sights and sounds at the commemorative luncheon at the Union Club (where the deal for our first two boats was cobbled together), a banquet, and a historical presentation at the Royal BC Museum by fellow author Julie H. Ferguson. Photo at right is HMCS Okanagan off Gosport in the UK in 1968

As a personal highlight, my submarine thriller "Terror on the Alert" will be available at the submarine events, although official launch is September 30th.

Details of Submarine week can be accessed at the Submarine Association of Canada (West) website.

What more could a blogger about cavalry and submarines ask for?