At the request of a number of my readers, I have decided to create my own website so that those interested in my books can find out more about them, and how to order them.

I am not given to editorial pontification, most of what I have to say is contained between the covers of my books. Over the last decade, however, I have received many letters of praise from readers which is always a gratifying thing for an author and I would like to thank these correspondents for their votes of confidence. I feel the least I can do in return is provide information about my published and forthcoming titles, and what reviewers think of my books.

On a personal note, I am a Canadian who lives near Ottawa with my beautiful wife Dianne, who is also an author. I was educated in history at the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon and worked as a historian for the National Historic Sites Service, the National Archives of Canada and the Canadian Forces. I am currently the Managing Director of the Ensign Heritage Group, a consulting firm that provides expertise for historic site and museum interpretation; cultural tourism (including the development of the battlefields of Chippawa and Crysler's Farm); legal expertise and research. Ensign Heritage, not unnaturally, specializes in military subjects. Their website can be found at:

One question I am frequently asked concerns my service background. For the record I was a gunner in a militia (reserve or territorial) field artillery regiment and reached the exalted status of Acting Lance-Bombardier (one hook) before my rank was stripped from me because of an incident that I still insist was not my fault.

24-pdr gun, copyright © Christopher Johnson

Over the last two decades I have written or edited more than a dozen books, all of which are described on this website. Many of these titles deal with the War of 1812 and, although I am known primarily as an historian of that conflict, I also write about Second World War topics.

Since it seems that many people are trying to contact me, my e-mail can be accessed by hitting my signature below. I must, however, warn that I simply do not have the time to respond to the many requests I receive asking for genealogical, historical or bibliographical information. If your query happens to fall in these categories, do not be surprised if it is a long time before you get a response.

Donald E. Graves is probably Canada's foremost military historian; his accounts of battles of the War of 1812 are models of historical reportage ..... Attention to detail is one feature that sets Graves's work apart, but others include the elegant style and lack of sensationalism, whether describing an action or the human cost in its aftermath. ...... This is military history at its very best ..... Jon Latimer, Times Literary Supplement, 13 April 2007

Readers who follow my work will be interested in my following 2005 and 2006 publications.   Note that Century of Service forms both the prequel and the sequel to my highly popular book, South Albertas: A Canadian Regiment at War.   Please visit my Books page for more information.

Most of my titles are carried by good independent bookstores and the larger retail chains in Britain (Waterstones), Canada (Chapters and Indigo) and the United States (Amazon, Barnes and Noble and Borders). Readers who cannot find the title they want at such locations can order them by the ISBN number (see the individual book pages below). As most of my recent publication were brought out by Robin Brass Studio, readers may also wish to consult that firm's website for further information on ordering books.

Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to thank all those who have purchased my books over the last twenty years. As best I can figure out, there are nearly 60,000 copies of my titles in print which is not too bad for an author who specializes in rather esoteric topics. Please keep up the good work.

The Valley of the Mississippi,
Upper Canada