Mark zuehlke biography

Victoria (British Columbia)

The 2014 Pierre Berton Award honours the work of Mark Zuehlke, one of Canada’s prolific historical writers. He is one of the country’s pre-eminent military historians and has written more than fifteen books on our military legacy.

Mark worked as a newspaper reporter in British Columbia before switching careers a quarter of a century ago. Since then, he has helped make Canadians much more aware of the contribution of our veterans to the country we have today. His writing is clear, concise and engaging, and puts the reader on the front lines with the troops. His work has inspired students and adults to learn more about our military history. He has made tours of battlefields much more engaging by giving participants a much higher awareness of what happened there many years ago.

His Canadian Battle Series is an ongoing series of books about the major campaigns and battles fought by the Canadian army in the Second World War. As a whole, the series tells the definitive story of the work of Canadians in the war. As a generation of veterans fades away, the importance of Mark’s contribution will only increase. His Military Heritage Series covers the War of 1812, Canada’s involvement in the Spanish Civil War in the 1930s, and the Canadian Scottish battalion in the First World War. It also includes the magnificent Canadian Military Atlas, which Zuehlke co-authored with C. Stuart Daniel.

Mark is also known for his public speaking. He has addressed tours, conferences, museums, libraries, and other institutions and groups. He is also an award-winning novelist. His Elias McCann series features a reluctant coroner, a setting in Tofino on the west coast of Vancouver Island, a loveable aging Brittany Spaniel, unusual murders, and romance. In his spare time, Mark writes graphic novels.

In granting the 2014 Governor General’s History Award for Popular Media: the Pierre Berton Award, Canada’s National History Society recognizes his extraordinary

  • About the author .

    • Mark Zuehlke is an award-winning author generally considered to be Canada’s foremost popular military historian. His Canadian Battle Series is the most exhaustive recounting of the battles and campaigns fought by any nation during World War II to have been written by a single author. In recognition of his contribution to popularizing Canadian history, Mark was awarded the 2014 Governor General’s History Award for Popular Media: The Pierre Berton Award. In 2007, his For Honour’s Sake: The War of 1812 and the Brokering of an Uneasy Peace won the Canadian Author’s Association Lela Common Award for Canadian History. The Canadian Battle Series Holding Juno captured the City of Victoria Butler Book Prize in 2006. ​Mark is also an award winning mystery writer, whose popular Elias McCann series has garnered much critical praise in Canada and abroad. Set in storm-swept west Vancouver Island village of Tofino, the series follows the reluctant community coroner Elias McCann. Hands Like Clouds, the debut in this series, won the Crime Writer’s of Canada’s Arthur Ellis Award for the 2000 Best First Novel and the third instalment, Sweep Lotus, was nominated for the 2004 Arthur Ellis Best Novel. ​When not writing, this Victoria, British Columbia resident can often be found tinkering around the Fernwood heritage house he shares with partner and fellow writer Frances Backhouse. He enjoys hiking, backpacking, cycling, kayaking, travelling, and cooking.

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      Mark zuehlke biography

  • Fascinated by Canada's military history, 2014
  • Mark Zuehlke is an award-winning author

    • Mark Zuehlke

    Mark Zuehlke, né le à Vernon, en Colombie-Britannique, au Canada, est un écrivain canadien, auteur de roman policier et d'ouvrages sur l'histoire militaire du Canada.

    Biographie

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    Il est spécialiste de l'histoire militaire du Canada. Sa série Canadian Battle est le récit exhaustif des batailles et des campagnes militaires menées par le Canada pendant la Seconde Guerre mondiale.

    En 2000, il publie son premier roman Hands Like Clouds, grâce auquel il est lauréat du prix Arthur-Ellis 2001 du meilleur premier roman. C'est le premier volume d'une série de trois romans consacrée à Elias McCann, le coroner de Tofino, un village de l'île de Vancouver.

    Œuvre

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    Romans

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    Série Elias McCann

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    • Hands Like Clouds (2000)
    • Carry Tiger to Mountain (2002)
    • Sweep Lotus (2004)

    Ouvrages d'histoire militaire

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    Série Canadian Battle

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    • Ortona (2000)
    • The Liri Valley (2001)
    • The Gothic Line (2002)
    • Juno Beach (2005)
    • Holding Juno (2005)
    • Terrible Victory (2007)
    • Operation Husky (2009)

    Autres ouvrages d'histoire militaire

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    • Magazine Writing from the Boonies (1992)
    • The Vancouver Island South Explorer (1994)
    • Scoundrels, Dreamers & Second Sons (1994)
    • The B.C. Fact Book (1995)
    • Fun B.c. Facts for Kids (1996)
    • The Gallant Cause (1996)
    • The Alberta Fact Book (1997)
    • The Yukon Fact Book (1998)
    • The Canadian Military Atlas (2001)
    • For Honour's Sake (2006)
    • Brave Battalion (2008)
    • On to Victory (2010)
    • Ortona Street Fight (2011)
    • Breakout from Juno (2011)
    • Assault on Juno (2012)
    • Tragedy at Dieppe (2012)
    • Forgotten Victory (2014)
    • Through Blood and Sweat (2016)

    Prix et distinctions

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    Prix

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    Nominations

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    Photo Credit:

    Photo credit

    Frances Backhouse

    BIO

    Biography

    A full-time writer since 1981, Mark Zuehlke has emerged in recent years as one of Canada’s leading new writers of military history. A prolific writer, he is the author of more than twenty books and before turning his attention primarily to book writing in 1992 had published several hundred articles in leading Canadian magazines. In 2000 he published his first novel, Hands Like Clouds, the first in a mystery series featuring reluctant coroner Elias McCann and his investigations in the small windswept village of Tofino on Vancouver Island’s west coast. His award-winning Canadian Battle Series, which traces the Canadian Army through its battles and campaigns of World War II, currently numbers thirteen titles with the latest published in 2019. Mark lives in Victoria, B.C. On December 18, 2024, Mark was appointed a Member of the Order of Canada for his work on the Canadian Battle Series and the Elias McCann mystery series and overall contribution to Canadian history--particularly as it relates to the nation's military heritage.

    ADDRESS

    City: Victoria, Province/Territory: _none

    PUBLIC PRESENTATIONS AND WORKSHOPS

    Presentation details

    Audience Size

    Presentation Genre

    Military hiistory

    Presentation Length

    As negotiated

    Presentation Description

    Presentation description

    PowerPoint presentations based on the various titles in the Canadian Battle Series.

    Presentation Fee(s)

    As negotiated

    Programs & Interests

    Interested in participating Union’s Ontario Writers-in-the-Schools program:

    All members are eligible for the Union’s Ontario Writers-in-the-Schools program. Are you interested in participating in this pro

    No

    Interested in participating in the Northern Ontario WITS program:

    The Union’s Northern Ontario Writers-in-the-Schools program funds in-person visits to northern Ontario schools when possible. Ar

    No