Monty and the Canadian Army

by John A. English

Overview

General Bernard Law Montgomery, affectionately known as "Monty," exerted an influence on the Canadian Army more lasting than that of any other Second World War commander. In 1942 he assumed responsibility for the exercise and training of Canadian formations in England, and by the end of the war Canada’s field army was second to none in the practical exercise of combined arms.

In Monty and the Canadian Army, John A. English analyses the way Montgomery’s operational influence continued to permeate the Canadian Army. For years, the Canadian Army remained a highly professional force largely because it was commanded at almost every lower level by "Monty men" steeped in the Montgomery method. The era of the Canadian Army headed by such men ceased with the integration and unification of Canada’s armed forces in 1964.

The embrace of Montgomery by Canadian soldiers stands in marked contrast to largely negative perceptions held by Americans. Monty and the Canadian Army aims to correct such perceptions, which are mostly superficial and more often than not wrong, and addresses the anomaly of how this gifted general, one of the greatest field commanders of the Second World War, managed to win over other North American troops.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781487545819
Publisher:	University of Toronto Press
Publication date:	10/20/2023
Pages:	372
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

Lt. Col.-Dr. John A. English is a Canadian Army veteran and past professor of Strategy at the U.S. Naval War College.

Table of Contents

Preface

Introduction

1. The Germination of Generalship
2. Canadian Corps Legacy and Loss of Professionalism
3. Montgomery in Command of British Formations
4. Canada’s Erratic March to War
5. Dagger Pointed at the Heart of Berlin
6. Inspecting the Canadian Corps
7. Military Godfather of the Canadian Army
8. Montgomery and Dieppe
9. Monty’s Eighth Army and Canadians
10. Handling Canadians in Normandy
11. Cracking German Lines
12. First Canadian Army’s Greatest Contribution to Allied Victory
13. Canadian Army Triumph
14. Canadian Army Monty Men

Epilogue: The Montgomery Touch

Conclusion

Appendix: What to Look for When Visiting a Unit

Bibliography
Index

What People are Saying About This

J.L. Granatstein

"John A. English is one of the few Canadian military historians with a large international following. This book — shaped by his thirty-seven years of military service and incredibly thorough research in Canadian, British, and American archives — brings Montgomery's impact on Canada's soldiers into the full light of day. Monty and the Canadian Army will add immeasurably to English's scholarly reputation and should be read by everyone interested in the Second World War."

Phillip S. Meilinger

"John A. English has written a masterful account of Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery's relationship with the Canadian Army. He argues, convincingly, that Monty grabbed the army 'by the scruff of the neck and taught it how to fight effectively,' allowing it to play a major role in the victorious campaign of northwest Europe, and indeed, thereafter. Prodigious research combined with a clear and engaging writing style make this an outstanding work."

Editorial Reviews

"John A. English has written a masterful account of Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery’s relationship with the Canadian Army. He argues, convincingly, that Monty grabbed the army ‘by the scruff of the neck and taught it how to fight effectively,’ allowing it to play a major role in the victorious campaign of northwest Europe, and indeed, thereafter. Prodigious research combined with a clear and engaging writing style make this an outstanding work."

—Phillip S. Meilinger, Col. USAF (ret) and author of Thoughts on War

"John A. English is one of the few Canadian military historians with a large international following. This book – shaped by his thirty-seven years of military service and incredibly thorough research in Canadian, British, and American archives – brings Montgomery’s impact on Canada’s soldiers into the full light of day. Monty and the Canadian Army will add immeasurably to English’s scholarly reputation and should be read by everyone interested in the Second World War."

—J.L. Granatstein, author of Canada’s Army: Waging War and Keeping the Peace

From the Publisher