This book is about the life of a navy, from its conception in the nineteenth century to its seventy-fifth birthday in 1985. Born in the midst of political controversy, the Royal Canadian Navy traces its roots to conflicting British and Canadian interests during the prime ministerships of Sir John A. Macdonald and Sir Wilfrid Laurier, as well as to Anglo-German naval competition in the early years of the twentieth century. The RCN played a more important role in World War I than has generally been realized and, despite neglect between the wars, rose to a position of some prominence in World War II. Except for a demoralizing period of retrenchment from 1945 to 1949, it then flourished until the early 1960's, before the twin agonies of unification and defence cutbacks began to influence its development. Total unification of the navy with the army and air force has been a unique Canadian experience. How Canada weathered the transition from RCN to "Marine Command" is illuminated by the discussions in this book.

W. A. B. (Alec) Douglas was born in Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) and spent his early childhood years in England. From 1940-43 he lived in Canada as a “war guest,” and he later returned to attend the University of Toronto. He served in the Royal Canadian Navy from 1951 to 1973 when he was appointed director of the Directorate of History, National Defence Headquarters. He is the author of numerous books, including official histories of the Royal Canadian Air Force and the Royal Canadian Navy. He lives in Ottawa.

W.A.B. Douglas' profile page

A significant contribution to maritime historiography and a must for anyone wishing to be properly informed about an often ignored but vital contributor to Twentieth Century naval history.

The Mariner's Mirror

RCN in Transition does a great service to the public in describing the foundation, successes, challenges and the future of a service with a proud tradition, and it is a very good book to have on the shelf.

Maritime Command Trident

This well-edited and readable book, containing many useful visual aids, is recommended to the specialist and generalist alike. Its seventeen chapters of consistently high quality stem from a 1985 conference marking the seventy-fifth anniversary of the Royal Canadian Navy's (RCN) separation from the Royal Navy (RN).

The American Review of Canadian Studies