In Peril on the Sea:
The Royal Canadian Navy and the Battle of the Atlantic
Donald E. Graves

During World War II, the Royal Canadian Navy ­expanded from a tiny service of 10 ships to become the third largest Allied navy. The RCN’s primary role was convoy escort; its contribution to victory in the Atlantic has been detailed in several studies, but there has long been a need for an illustrated history. The Canadian Naval Memorial Trust commissioned In Peril on the Sea to commemorate in May 2003 the 60th anniversary of the high point of the Battle of the Atlantic.

As well as the text by Donald E. Graves, In Peril on the Sea includes personal accounts of 65 eyewitnesses – British, Canadian, German, among them sailors, submariners and merchant seamen – who participated in the Second World War’s longest operation.

The book contains nearly 200 photographs, drawings, maps, diagrams and ship profiles which bring to life with compelling immediacy the grim but courageous struggle to preserve the sea lanes of freedom between 1939 and 1945.

Donald E. Graves, one of Canada’s best known military historians, is the author, co-author or editor of more than 15 books dealing primarily with the Napoleonic period, including the War of 1812, and the Second World War. Click here to visit his website for information on all his books.