A collection of incisive essays emerging from the second Fleet Historical Conference in Halifax, Nova Scotia, A Nation's Navy documents for the first time the evolution of a distinctive Canadian naval identity. Contributors explore a wealth of pivotal issues: the popular perception of the Canadian navy, the navy as an instrument of national policy, the impact of various wars and conflicts, the navy as an expression of Canadian society, the distinctive role of women and the integration of francophone Canadians, and the future direction of Canadian naval policy. Contributors include Catherine E. Allan, Serge Bernier, Peter W. Cairns, Fred W. Crickard, Jan Drent, Richard H. Gimblett, William Glover, James Goldrick, Barry Gough, Michael L. Hadley, Peter T. Haydon, Michael A. Hennessy, James D. Kiras, William A. March, Doug M. McLean, Siobhan J. McNaught, Marc Milner, Bernard Ransom, Roger Sarty, Graeme R. Tweedie, Barbara Winters, and David Zimmerman.