Chris Wattie

In 2006, a Canadian Army patrol traveling through Afghanistan’s Panjawayi region, came across the largest build-up of Taliban forces in the area since their fall in 2001. Up against opponents who were suicidal, experienced and knew well the lay of the land, this Canadian battalion suffered more casualties and earned more decorations for bravery than any other Canadian unit since the Korean War.

On Thursday, October 30, at 7:00 p.m., author and journalist Chris Wattie will read and share stories from his new book, Contact Charlie: The Canadian Army, The Taliban and the Battle that Saved Afghanistan.

In Contact Charlie, National Post reporter and embedded journalist Chris Wattie offers an intimate and harrowing look at the series of battles that would eventually take the lives of seven soldiers, including Captain Nichola Goddard, Canada's first female combat casualty. Based on Wattie’s own experience in Afghanistan, as well as hundreds of post-tour interviews with the men and women on the ground, Contact Charlie is a rare piece of military writing, providing readers with a behind-the-scenes look at the stories that made headlines that summer—and continue to do so today.