INTO THE BREACH: A SOLDIER'S JOURNEY
BY WAYNE EYRE
OCTOBER 6, 2026
PUBLISHER: SIMON & SCHUSTER
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A riveting memoir about war and peace from Canada’s former top soldier, General Wayne Eyre, chronicling his forty-year career in the Canadian Armed Forces and providing insights on our security, our sovereignty, and our place in a rapidly changing world.
When soldiers step forward to take on a difficult task, many say they are going “into the breach.” Few Canadian senior military leaders have jumped into the breach more often than General Wayne Eyre, who was appointed Chief of the Defence Staff in 2021, serving as both commander of the Canadian Armed Forces and as military advisor to the prime minister and cabinet.
A career soldier, Eyre rose steadily through the ranks and commanded at all levels in our military, from platoon to the Canadian Army, interspersed with many deployments abroad. Into the Breach recounts his decades-long journey through conflict and crisis with captivating honesty and revealing detail, including his time leading peacekeeping missions in Cyprus, Croatia, and Bosnia; overseeing Canada’s evacuation operation after the fall of Afghanistan; supporting Ukraine in its fight against Russian aggression; and confronting Chinese intimidation in the Pacific and suspected spy balloons over North America.
Eyre also describes battling floods and wildfires across Canada, supporting the country during the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic, and fighting in the halls of power for the resources to defend our nation as threats increased daily—including to our Arctic sovereignty.
Both an enthralling personal account of a distinguished career spent in service and a tribute to the rich history of our military and its members, Into the Breach concludes by addressing the precarious place in which Canada now finds itself from a defence and national security perspective. In this new era of increased global disorder and unrelenting operational demands for the Canadian Armed Forces, Eyre’s thoughts are imperative for all Canadians to contemplate as they consider whether they, too, are ready to jump into the breach.
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Indigo /. Amazon
Reviews:
“General Eyre’s Into the Breach recounts this remarkable leader's ability to stay above the fray and provide grand strategic guidance under an environment of ceaseless urgency. Few who have not held that level of command can grasp the weight of decisions made with incomplete information, competing priorities, and no room for hesitation. Eyre’s account offers a rare and honest window into what it takes to lead with clarity when the ground itself is shifting. These are lessons as important to soldiers as to anyone charged with leading an institution through crisis. This book deserves to be read not just by those in uniform, but by anyone who will one day be asked to lead when it matters most.”
— LIEUTENANT-GENERAL THE HONOURABLE ROMÉO DALLAIRE (Canadian Army, retired)
“This vivid account of General Wayne Eyre’s stellar career as a top soldier gives a deeply personal validation to recent Canadian military history. He has seen it all and has written it down in such a meaningful and human way.”
— THE RIGHT HONOURABLE ADRIENNE CLARKSON, former governor general of Canada
“A farm boy from Saskatchewan who rose to the highest rank in Canada’s military, General Wayne Eyre regales with his personal story of an exciting and arduous career path. Much to his credit and character, he never flinched and always faced the challenges thrown at him head-on, and was rewarded with an appointment as our country’s Chief of the Defence Staff at a time when Canadian senior military leadership was being dragged through the mud.”
— MAJOR-GENERAL LEWIS MacKENZIE (Canadian Army, retired)
“Into the Breach is a fascinating look at war, at how defence policy is made in Canada, and at the sacrifices our soldiers make. General Wayne Eyre, a retired Chief of the Defence Staff of the Canadian Armed Forces, is one of its most thoughtful and deeply read leaders. He is also a terrific writer. This is a must-read book for anyone interested in Canada’s defence.”
— JANICE GROSS STEIN, founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy
“Having had the privilege of serving alongside Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan, I witnessed firsthand the professionalism, courage, and quiet determination General Eyre describes so vividly in these pages. Into the Breach is not only the story of one remarkable military career; it is also a tribute to generations of Canadians who have answered their nation’s call with distinction. A thoughtful, timely, and deeply important book.”
— GENERAL STANLEY McCHRYSTAL (United States Army, retired)
“Wayne Eyre was there through it all, eventually becoming the country’s top soldier. He saw everything—the good and the bad—and his memory of events is one we must learn from during this dangerous and critical moment in Canadian and world history. General Eyre has a dramatic story to tell, and if you want to understand how Canada’s military really works, you need to read this book.”
— PETER MANSBRIDGE, former chief correspondent for CBC News
“As a soldier, a scholar, and the most senior commander of Canada’s military forces, Wayne Eyre built a vast reservoir of experience and wisdom. A must-read from one of Canada’s finest soldiers and leaders of the twenty-first century, indispensable for junior leaders as well as those charged with the most senior military and national security appointments.”
— MAJOR-GENERAL MICK RYAN (Australian Army, retired)
"A crackerjack spy story that only Ben Macintyre could tell so well. He seems to have talked to everyone, and cracked every file, that might shed new light on this remarkable tale. But a word of advice: before starting to read, settle into a comfortable chair and have snacks close to hand, because you won't be going anywhere for a while."
—Scott Anderson, author of King of Kings: The Iranian Revolution: A Story of Hubris, Delusion and Catastrophic Miscalculation
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See also:
Into the Breach as reviewed by Colin Robertson for Policy – September 28, 2026
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About the book:
Into the Breach; A Soldier’s Story
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by Wayne Eyre
Simon & Schuster – 432 pages $24.99 (Kindle)
Publication Date: September 15, 2026
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About the Author: Wayne Eyre
Wayne Eyre retired in 2024 as Canada’s Chief of the Defence Staff. As the commander of the Canadian Armed Forces and military advisor to the Prime Minister and Cabinet, he led Canada’s military through an unprecedented confluence of international and domestic crises and rapidly evolving security stressors. In his 40-year military career, he has commanded at all levels, from an infantry rifle platoon to Commander of the Canadian Army.He led numerous domestic operations in Canada, and overseas he served in Cyprus, Croatia, Bosnia, Afghanistan (twice), and South Korea, where he was the most senior Canadian officer ever stationed in the Asia Pacific region.His institutional experience includes working in force development and as Deputy Commander of Military Personnel Command. A graduate of the US Army War College and US Marine Corps School of Advanced Warfighting, he holds a BSc and three master’s degrees. Biography Credit: uOttawa
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