Commanding Canadians: The Second World War Diaries of A.F.C. Layard

If there was one book I wish I had had a chance to read early in my career, this is it. Commanding Canadians is a gripping history of a small part of the Battle of the Atlantic, a fascinating picture of the realities of life at sea and ashore throught extended periods of operations and, most valuably, a wonderful case study of leadership. Robert H. Thomas, Canadian Naval Review, vol. 2, no. 2, Summer 2006

Michael Whitby writes that readers of Layard's wartime diary 'will find a very human story of a man struggling to maintain his way in difficult circumstances and under enormous pressures. His success marks a triumph of the human spirit over adversity, and deserves to be known.' Absolutely. Ken Reynolds, Directorate of History and Heritage, Department of National Defense, H-Net

Commanding Canadians is an important new contribution to the history of the Battle of the Atlantic ... Whitby has edited this important diary very well, and it can therefore be recommended to all ... William Glover, International Journal of Maritime History, vol. XVIII, no.1