Manifest Destiny: the loves and adventures of Peter Farley a Canadian in the Korean War

Michael Czuboka

Dec 2015 · FriesenPress

About this ebook

Manifest Destiny is a novel that is based largely on events that took place during the Korean War in the early 1950’s. Conflict, romance, mystery, the stigma associated with mental illness and humorous events take place. The cultural characteristics of the era, and especially those of the small towns of Canada and home of the main protagonist, are portrayed. The lives of the principal characters before, during and after the war are described. Peter Farley, the main protagonist, becomes romantically involved with several women, and especially with an American nurse in Korea. The Soviet Embassy in Ottawa recruits a Canadian communist fellow traveller to spy on Canadian Forces in Korea and his identity remains a mystery until near the end of the book. Combat occurs against the Chinese and North Korean communist forces in Korea. Peter Farley becomes a prisoner of war and returns to Canada to a difficult and uncertain future because his mind has been damaged by torture that he endured while in captivity.

Ratings and reviews

The following review provided by Lieutenant General Ray Crabbe, a former Deputy Chief of the Canadian Defence Staff is highly relevant because it provides a great deal of authenticity to the military component of Manifest Destiny. Lieutenant General Crabbe has written as follows: "Manifest Destiny is a absolutely superb and wonderfully entertaining book. I honestly could not put it down and was led with anticipation into each chapter and eager to know what was next with Peter Farley and his fellow soldiers, and indeed all of the other characters. I particularly liked how the communist infiltrator was woven into the story, and the 'pursuit of woman' by Farley. It all adds up to a wonderful, intriguing and very interesting novel!" A review in Esprit de Corps magazine by regular columnist Les Peate has described Manifest Destiny as "a fast-moving story with a series of sub-plots. It is not your usual run-of the-mill war story. It has combat and much more. The main character's experiences begin in a a small prairie town, take him to Korea and Japan, and ultimately to the torments of post traumatic stress disorder. Recurring in the narrative is a cliff-hanger of a spy story and other diversions, all of which augment the main plot. I read the book in one sitting, which speaks for itself. Two parts, in particular, appealed to me. One was the very descriptive accounts of Peter Farley's struggle with PTSD. The other was the epilogue. Too often a book end up with the subsequent fate of the characters up in the air. Czuboka provides a summary of the fate and fortune of his principal characters. This is an engaging novel and I recommend it highly to veterans and non-veterans alike. The Canadian Korean community has also been very supportive and complimentary in its comments about Manifest Destiny. Republic of Korea Defence Attache Colonel Choi Jang Min, at the book's recent launch., stated that "Michael Czuboka's book is invaluable, meaningful, and timely. His book will act as an excellent guideline for the generation which did not experience the war and about what role Canada played for world piece." Korean Consul General to Canada Jeong-sik Kang has written that "the pages of this highly anticipated novel are filled with remarkable stories of sacrifice, love, danger and hope." The Honourable Yonah Martin, a Korean Canadian in the Canadian Senate has declared that "Michael Czuboka's new book about the adventures of Peter Farley, a Canadian during the Korean War, will certainly take readers on an unforgettable journey. As a Korean War veteran, Michael Czuboka's own first hand experiences provide a realistic background." .

About the author

Michael “Mike” Czuboka served as a 19 year old private with the 2nd Battalion, Princess Patricias Canadian Light Infantry in the Korean War. He was present at the Battle of Kapyong in April, 1951, where 2 PPCLI was surrounded by the Chinese communist army, and for which 2 PPCLI was awarded a U.S. Presidential Unit Citation for “extraordinary heroism”. After leaving the army he pursued a career, at various intervals, as a high school and university history teacher, the Principal of Neelin High School in Brandon, a teacher of administration courses at the University of Manitoba, and as a superintendent of schools. He has published five books: An Examination of Tenure; Why It’s Hard to Fire Johnny’s Teacher; Juba; They Stopped at A Good Place; and Ukrainian Canadian, Eh?, which became a best seller