The story of an astonishing band of Canadian soldiers and their part
in the Allied victory in Italy.
The Hastings and Prince Edward Regiment (the Hasty Ps) was Canada's most
decorated regiment in the Second World War, winning thirty-one battle
honours. Famed for their role in the Allied invasion of Sicily and the
conquest of Italy, for six years the members of the regiment suffered
brutal conditions, fighting bravely in the face of fierce opposition
from the enemy, and ultimately triumphing.
In The Regiment (originally published in 1955), Farley Mowat, famed
Canadian fiction writer and regiment member, tells the story of the
Hasty Ps, from their recruitment in September 1939 until the end of the
war. Mowat was a second lieutenant and platoon leader with the regiment,
and writes movingly of the great suffering his fellow soldiers endured,
their bravery in battle, and the lasting friendships he forged as a
member of the group.