Another must-read

cmperry4 · #1 19-12-05, 01:47

Just finished "The Ghosts of Medak Pocket" by Carol Off (someone I have found occasionally annoying in her CBC role, but that's another story).

She did a good job with this book, telling the story of Canadian Army (mostly PPCLI and militia) under fire in Croatia.

Mainstream media coverage of Canadians in ex-Yugoslavia was typically shallow and narrow, and we seldom got any real idea of what was going on over there - and as Off notes, the Somalia mess became a huge distraction, and there was much CYA going on. NDHQ and the pols didn't want another political mess on their hands, so they buried much of the Balkan stuff. I remember reading about a firefight in the Medak Pocket, in Esprit de Corps, but that was about it until years later. Local Winnipeg media had next-to-no interest in digging either.

Here's the amazon.ca listing of her book: http://www.amazon.ca/exec/obidos/ASI...263349-9726724

Frank Misztal · #2 19-12-05, 06:46

There was an article written about the Medak Pocket by Lee A. Windsor - Former Assistant Programme Coordinator- Conference of Defence Associations Institute. It is available from the CDAI Library, amongst other interesting articles.

The direct link to the article is here.

cmperry4 · #3 19-12-05, 08:36

Thanks for the link. Col. Calvin doesn't come off altogether well in Off's book, and if you read some of the review comments at the amazon book link, you may find some of them interesting. Some harsh words for the book, for Calvin, but some praise as well.

Frank Misztal · #4 19-12-05, 13:39

Although I occasionally watched some of the CBC series that Carol Off has done, I am not a fan of hers.

MGen Lewis MacKenzie once told me that her report and analysis of his actions in Bosnia were less than factual. This prompted him to contact her to set her straight, but she refused to budge. Needless to say, I now view the stuff she puts out with some suspicion.

servicepub (RIP) · #5 19-12-05, 14:59

Quote:

Originally posted by Frank Misztal

The direct link to the article is here.

One of the worst written articles I have ever read! Syntax, grammar and punctuation take what should have been a great read, and turned it into a chore.