A Soldier First

by Rick Hillier

Overview

Canada’s most popular military leader since World War II, General Rick Hillier tells his own story in A Soldier First—a frank, honest, eye-opening  account of the General’s quick climb through the ranks.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062026675
Publisher:	HarperCollins Publishers
Publication date:	10/05/2010
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	521
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 9.00(h) x 1.60(d)

About the Author

General Rick Hillier, born in Newfoundland and Labrador, enlisted in the Canadian Forces in 1973 through the Regular Officer Training Plan program. He graduated from Memorial University in 1975 with a B.Sc. degree. In May 2003 Hillier was appointed Commander of the Army, and in October 2003 he was selected as the Commander of the NATO-led International security Assistance Force (IsAF) in Kabul, Afghanistan. General Hillier was promoted to Chief of the Defence staff in February 2005 and stepped down in the summer of 2008.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments ix

Prologue: Breakfast with the PM 1

1 Newfoundland Days 15

2 Basic Training 33

3 Between a Rock and a Hard Place 39

4 Tanks, but No Tanks 51

5 Striking It Rich in Fort Knox 67

6 Germany 87

7 Decade of Darkness 107

8 Bosnia 133

9 A Flood of Affection 165

10 Thawing the Ice 183

11 Fort Hood, Texas 205

12 Back to Bosnia 223

13 Friendly Fire 241

14 Four Stars 261

15 Kabul 283

16 Chief of the Defence Staff 319

17 First Year on the Job 341

18 Recruiting the Nation 363

19 Defensive Manoeuvres 387

20 Making Canada Small 411

21 Highway of Heroes 429

22 Final Days 457

23 Time to Go 479

Postscript 499

Index 511

Editorial Reviews

A tough, competent and proud soldier, Rick Hillier makes it clear in his memoirs that his aim as chief of the defence staff from 2005 to 2008 was to change the way Canada played the game.” — The Globe and Mail

“A Soldier First is an enjoyable, informative, and often insightful account of a remarkable soldier’s career, written in the personable, ‘folksy’ style for which General Hillier was famous.” — Canadian Military Journal

From the Publisher

A Soldier First is an enjoyable, informative, and often insightful account of a remarkable soldier’s career, written in the personable, ‘folksy’ style for which General Hillier was famous.

Canadian Military Journal

A tough, competent and proud soldier, Rick Hillier makes it clear in his memoirs that his aim as chief of the defence staff from 2005 to 2008 was to change the way Canada played the game.

The Globe and Mail