This classic of small-unit warfare focuses on the young Canadian soldiers who helped liberate Northwest Europe in World War II. The 5th Canadian Infantry Brigade landed in Normandy a month after D-Day in 1944 and quickly found itself in hellish fighting near Caen and in the costly and controversial battle for Verrieres Ridge.

Consisting of the Calgary Highlanders, the Black Watch, and the French-speaking Rgiment de Maisonneuve, the 5th Canadian Infantry Brigade landed in France in early July 1944 as part of British General Bernard Montgomerys 21st Army Group. That summer, the brigade participated in hellish battles in Normandy, including Caen and Verrires Ridge. The 5th went on to distinguish itself in Belgium, where it endured foul weather and fierce resistance near Antwerp in October 1944, and ended the war with harrowing streetfighting in the towns of Holland.