Wartime Halifax : the photo history of a Canadian city at war 1939-1945

In 1939, Halifax quickly became the country's centre of war activity when Canada declared war on Germany.

With its vital naval base and its key role in getting supplies to Great Britain, the city was on a wartime footing for seven long years.

Blackouts, enemy ships just offshore, and worries about raids and attacks were part of daily life.

So were thousands of soldiers, sailors, airmen and merchant seamen who passed through on their way to or from Europe. Wartime Halifax is a visual history of this period.

William Naftel has found a treasure trove of archival photos showing the bustling shipyards, construction, convoys and cadets, and never before seen images of parades, platoons and personnel.

The photos show the dramatic impact of the war on city life -- long lineups at movie theatres, crammed dance halls, and crowded restaurants.

Visuals and text convey a unique portrait of a wartime city -- not in cosmopolitan Europe but on Canada's east coast. This is a book for anyone with an interest in the history of the Canadians who participated in the Second World War.

It is a companion to William Naftel's double award-winning book Halifax at War published in 2008. About the AuthorWilliam D. Naftel was a historian and regional manager with Parks Canada for thirty years, in Ottawa and Nova Scotia.

He is the author of Halifax at War, winner of the Dartmouth Book Award for non-fiction and the Democracy 250 Atlantic Book Award for Historical Writing.

He lives in Halifax.