Colonel Gary Hawker puts together a mix of Canadian Reservists, civilians, cops, and even some U.S. National Guardsmen, to slow down the Chinese invasion force landing at Vancouver. They have to keep the invaders from advancing through the mountains until a formal effort can be mounted. They blow bridges, tunnels, and have numerous firefights with the Chinese in the valleys and passes east through the cordillera of British Columbia. Not all goes to plan, if improvisation can be called a plan.
Jason Gagnon, and seven month pregnant Kelly, flee North Vancouver to escape the invaders. Jason's brother, Tom, stays behind to join Hawker's battalion.
Ray McGillis, a trophy winning sharp shooter, becomes Hawker's favorite sniper, yet finds himself uncomfortable in how easy it is to kill.
Erik Stein, a UBC geology professor, is trapped unable to escape the invasion. He plays mind chess with the general of the Chinese occupation force who thinks Erik is organizing a resistance movement.
Nurse Rita Harrington is thrust into the horrors of war, treating the graphic wounds inflicted on the human body. Not just Allied personal, but also a Chinese officer once she is behind the lines.
This is a fast paced, combat filled, emotional roller coaster paraquel to Wakefield's previous thriller, "Blinding White Flash."

Poetry. A VERTICAL MILE from Richard Wakefield is a finalist in the 2011 Able Muse Book Award. Keenly observed themes about people and the land they live in show a profound sense of awe before natural beauty and a love of country life, while recognizing the effect of indifference and inexorable technological advancement. Included are poems about childhood, seasonal changes, mountain climbing, religion and its questions and doubts, life and death, human origins. These poems of stunning artistry show Wakefield in complete command of his craft. This a memorable collection whose insights and pleasures are not to be missed."Deeply rooted in the human history and natural order of his native state, Richard Wakefield's A VERTICAL MILE depicts life in rural Washington--people, animals, plants, geological formations, the weather and the seasons. Building on his powerful and impressive first collection, East of Early Winters, Wakefield, in A VERTICAL MILE, has now firmly established himself as one of America's foremost formal poets. In their memorable presentation by way of deftly employed narrative, meter, rhyme, metaphor, symbol, and diction, the poems in this new collection, once read, cannot be easily dislodged from the mind. That, in itself, is evidence that Wakefield's best poems are a permanent addition to American letters."--David Middleton

The winter of 2016, called Black Winter, triggers the beginning of the end of modern civilization due to natural gas depletion. Millions freeze to death, millions more lose their jobs. Coupled with an oil embargo in the Middle East, and North America is in economic collapse. Riots abound. China, hungry for oil and raw materials, uses the chaos in the United States to invade Canada to get at the forests, farmlands and above all the Canadian tar sands for the oil. They must be stopped. This sparks a world war. A father and son team, from a small town in southwestern Ontario, join in the fight to repel the invaders. During their year-long journey through the Rockies and into the north lands of Alberta, they discover first-hand the impact and effects of peak oil on the people they meet along the way. This includes what happens in hospitals, to those in jails, to roving gangs who take over and rule like dictators, to those dedicated to preserving some part of the past, to the kindness that exists in some people regardless of the hardships they face. During their journey, they meet people whom they become friends with, to subsequently have them separated due to events they cannot control. One finds out that he has no problem doing his job, in fact realizes he is a natural, and in his true realm. The other thought he could kill, but finds out during their trip that he can't do it. The two understand the other, but often lock horns over their differences. The big dilemma for the defenders is how to stop the invaders from coming through the Rockies. This problem is exacerbated by the limited fuels available for military machinery. High tech military might is useless without the oil that runs it. This means more feet on the ground than technological superiority. Volunteers are needed on a massive scale to help the defenses, but one of the characters just does not believe in playing by the rules and wants to act on his own. This leads to conflicts between him and the military command. "Blinding White Flash" is a fascinating account of what could happen in a future world-wide war over resources. Its relevancy to the events of today will having you thinking...