Talking Heads, Talking Arms Vol. 1: No Life Jackets

The fifty conversations that appear in Talking Heads Talking Arms, recorded periodically between 1994 and the end of 2001, focus on the state of the Canadian Armed Forces and their relationship with the people and the government of Canada as we move into the troubled world of the 21st century.

In No Life Jackets, the first volume of the trilogy, soldiers, sailors, and airmen, both serving and retired, talk about their experiences in the service and offer their opinions and explanations of the problems facing the military today. Topics and issues discussed include equipment and personnel shortages, civilianization and leadership, the changing nature of peacekeeping missions, the role of women in the military, media coverage of the Armed Forces and its influence on public opinion, the interaction between the military and government officials, and the future of the Armed Forces in Canada.

John Wood was the Artistic Director of English Theatre at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa from 1977 to 1984. He has directed major productions for theatres in Canada, England, Australia, and the United States and has also written and directed for radio, film, and television. He was one of the directors and the writer for the series Days of Reckoning.