Rick Hillier

From the tough and competent Rick Hillier, A Soldier First, is a tribute to the last generation of proud soldiers serving the Canadian Armed Forces. Here is a man who never backed down from the Canada's top political leaders, or the Taliban, and who served as Chief of Defence Staff in Canada to change the way his country played the game. His outspoken hold-no-punches direct action mentality translates on the page as he recollects the early years of his career, the dark ages for the Forces, and the first time since Korea that Canada had become engaged in casualty producing conflict. He was a leader among the men and women he served, and the lessons recorded in this book will carry his legacy to any aspiring leader who has never had the good fortune to serve under his command. A Soldier First is a philosophy of overcoming.… (mais)

Fast-paced read that covers Hillier's 35+ years in the Canadian Forces, from an adolescent itch through to his years as the Chief of Defence Staff.

Hillier addresses a variety of topics through his history in the military which will continue to be relevant in Canada's foreseeable future; including our treatment of detainees, the stifling bureaucracy of Ottawa, what place Canada occupies on the international stage, and the relationship between Canada's military and its citizens.

The last of these is a great deal throughout the book and understandably so. Hillier served through what he terms the "Decade of Darkness", a length of time marred with controversies such as the Somalia Affair and the austerity cuts.

There is one overarching string from the front cover to the back and that is that we have not cared for our men and women in uniform - our brothers and sisters, our sons and daughters - as we should have. Whether that is monetarily (due to continuing budget constraints) or publicly, in the past we have failed these Canadians.

Hillier's time as Chief of the Defence Staff is portrayed as a turnaround; a move toward hope. Whether that is true or not, I am unsure - but there certainly is hope now. However, we must always be mindful of our past mistakes and hopefully we will always have men and women like Hillier eager to remind us of those dark times and what bureaucratic delays over dollars amounts to in Canadian bodies.… (mais)

I've heard General HIllier speak several times and always walked away inspired as a Canadian, and to be a "leader", not a "manager". His memoir of his time in the Canadian Forces is equally inspiring. He tells the story of the armed forces as part of government bureaucracy, as part of the 'face of our nation. Most importantly, he tells the story of the many men and women who join the Canadian Forces and the tremendous work they do for all of us.

People interested in the military will like this book. But so will those interested in demonstrating leadership, and those interested in Canadian politics and history.… (mais)