On the night of August 19, 1942, a force of five thousand Canadians launched an attack on the Nazi-held French port of Dieppe. When the disastrous raid was done, and the Allies were forced to retreat, nearly a thousand Canadian troops lay dead. Almost two thousand were taken prisoner. Some called it "the bloodiest nine hours in Canadian military history."

For years, defenders of the raid claimed that the Allies learned valuable lessons from Dieppe that were put to use later in the war. Others, including prominent leaders of the time, believed that the Canadian soldiers had been used as cannon fodder.

Through meticulous research and interviews with veterans both in Canada and at Dieppe, Hugh Brewster has created a fascinating and haunting historical tour of the planning and execution of this tragic raid and its aftermath. Included aresections about the evacuation and the POW experiences.