2 comments about BILLY BISHOP: Canadian Hero.

1. While I have found this book to be of some use in my research, and in creating my web site, I have also found it to be somewhat flawed. First I think it is a mistake to think that Dan McCaffrey is an Historian. As it says on the back cover, at the time he wrote the book, he was a newspaper man. That, does not an historian make.

   Also, I don't believe a real historian would take something that someone told them was 3rd hand information and present it as proof. He did that in at least one part of the book, and that information comes from a respected air Historian, the Late Phillip Markham.

   But, I did find some of the information in the book interesting, and helpful in various ways. As long as you're willing to live with printing errors and take this caution, I believe the book is worth the time. Though perhaps not the money.




2. Billy Bishop, the highest-scoring Allied fighter pilot of World War I was a man that gave a new face to Canadian pride and patriotism. Having shot down a total of 75 confirmed victories (72 planes and 3 German balloons), he broke the records of other prominent fighter pilots, being second only next to his German counterpart, Manfred von Richthofen (who shot down 80). Bishop was a man of fame, but he was certainly not without controversy. Many critics and historians have since launched attacks on the man, denigrading him and leaving his legend in tatters and surrounded with uncertainty...until now.

   In this excellent and superbly-written biography, historian Dan McCaffery has not only examined Bishop the man and his fast-growing legend, but also has set the controversy to rest in light of new and previously untapped interviews with comrades and extensive readings of primary and secondary sources on the topic. Was Bishop truly honest about many of his victory claims? Find out for yourselves! Reading like a fast-paced novel, Bishop is depicted in a very well-deserving light characteristic of a hero and living legend. What more can readers and aviation history buffs seeking the truth behind the man and his amazing deeds in the skies over the Western Front ask for?

   As a Canadian, this reviewer sees the lack of heros and an identity crisis that the country of Canada is experiencing. Bishop is the type of individual that stirs pride and patriotism, and certainly represents the Canadian youth that were among some of the best fighter pilots of the Great War.(1) Should these great and brave individuals not be acknowledged and remembered with pride as Canada's history grows? Form your own opinion (as you will), but Canadians are doing an unbelievably shoddy job of remembering and acknowledging, all sense of pride being lost amid attacks and accusations of hero-worship and pro-war propaganda. McCaffery and his work is the little bit of acknowledgment and pride-stirring history that Billy Bishop fully deserves.

   This book remains the definitive work on the subject, and Mr. McCaffery is to be congradulated for writing and exposing the truth behind this Canadian legend and icon. Let Bishop go down in history as a Canadian Hero, and by reading this book, one will gain tremendous insight into what made Bishop tick, and what a true hero is made of.

   Edition which was reviewed: Dan McCaffery, "Billy Bishop: Canadian Hero." (Toronto: James Lorimer & Company, 1988).

   ________________

   1. For an excellent discussion of this issue, see Denis Winter, "The First of the Few: Fighter Pilots of the First World War" (London: Allen Lane, 1982); and Dan McCaffery, "Air Aces: The Lives and Times of Twelve Canadian Fighter Pilots" (Toronto: James Lorimer & Company, 1990).

No comments about The Mad Trapper: The Incredible Tale of a Famous Canadian Manhunt (An Amzing Stories Book).

No comments about Mary Schäffer: An Adventurous Woman's Exploits in the Canadian Rockies (An Amazing Stories Book).

4 comments about Veil of Fear: Nineteenth-Century Convent Tales.

1. After having heard Maria Monk's audio tape of her true story, I know that it is a lie to say that her story in this book was a hoax. The leaders of the Catholic Church would, of course, want to have people believe that she was lying, but they are the true liars. They lie about the reason for every one of their satanic rituals. Anyone interested in the satanic background of the Catholic Church should read The Two Babylons by Alexander Hislop. Maria Monk cared deeply about the Catholic people who were going to die and go to hell because they never trusted what God said in the Bible. They believe in penances, purgatory, indulgences, worship of graven images, etc. etc. which are spoken against by God in the Bible. We are saved by being born again through a saving faith in Jesus Christ. He died once for all, and priests are all liars because they would have people believe they can somehow sacrifice Him over and over again on their demon alters. Maria Monk's testimony reveals a true witness for the saving grace of Jesus Christ. That this book, or any other book, has tried to slander her by saying it is fiction, reveals how far the devil can go to try to keep his deception alive and well that the Catholic Church is "Christian." Any born again Christian recognizes that the Catholic Church is full of pagan rituals that are evil and satanic. Read the Bible and the truth will set you free. May God bless Maria Monk for her braveness in telling her story in the face of evil.



2. The editors comment "These convent tales by Reed and Monk are classics that must be read by those interested in American studies, popular culture, social and religious history, literature, and women's studies." is clearly taken from the "anything for a buck" school of "Publishing For Fun and Profit."

   That's like saying "Mien Kemp" is must reading for everyone who seeks a deeper understanding of Jewish religious history and their love of God.

   Anti-Christian and specifically anti-Catholic bigotry is once again raising it's head from the cesspool of so called "politically correct" thinking. Make no mistake about this book and what it really is. It's a profit seeking re-publication of some of the most flaming, hate provoking semi-truths, half-truths and outright lies ever to be shamefully published in America.

   Not too many years ago no reputable company would even think about offering this trash for sale. They wouldn't want their name to be associated with it. Today, Amason.com seems to be proud of it.

   The biggest mistake the publisher made was not including a free sheet with every purchase; so the reader could fit in at the next KKK barbeque.

   What next? A new publication of "Bigotry For Dummies"??? Wait a minute, maybe that's not a bad idea.




3. This book contains two reprints of hard to find 19th century books. The first, Reed's -Six Months in a Convent-, is a factual if unsympathetic account by a former student and novice at an Ursuline convent school in Charlestown, Massachussetts. The convent was burnt to the ground by a mob shortly before the book was published, after one of the nuns attempted to escape and was persuaded to return, and a rumour was started that she was being held against her will. Reed died shortly after its publication, of tuberculosis that was said to be the result of the austerities she practised.

   The second and more interesting of the two books is the more well known -Awful Disclosures of the Hotel-Dieu Nunnery- by Maria Monk. This is a fictitious libel, but its seriousness is undermined by the fantastic story told. A warren of secret passages and other Gothic trappings honeycomb the convent. The nuns are there basically to serve as a harem for Roman Catholic priests. Bizarre religious justifications are urged on the sisters for this practise. Any children they beget are first baptised, then slaughtered, and buried in a secret cemetery in the convent. This lurid tale is better told than Reed's; Monk, or her amanuenses, were better writers than Reed's.

   Monk's tale, of course, was a deliberate hoax, made to capitalise on the fame and market for anti-Catholic horror stories. Since Reed's book became a best-seller, an even more extravagant story had every good prospect of making money. Unfortunately, not for Maria Monk, who made little from her tale. She had apparently suffered a brain injury in her childhood that left her unable to distinguish fact from fantasy, and as such was a perfect and convincing patsy for her collaborators in creating this tale. She also died young in distressing circumstances.

   Roman Catholics were an exotic species in early 19th century America. They were the subject of more or less traditional hostility from Protestant Americans. The secrecy of the cloister, and the exotic rituals and language of the Roman Church, made the Gothic literary style a good fit to write anti-Catholic fictions. Maria Monk's book is in fact largely in the tradition of -The Monk-, Matthew Lewis's lurid fictional tale of a priest who made a bargain with the Devil for carnal pleasure.

   At this distance, when the right of Roman Catholics to practice their faith stands on a firmer foundation than it did in the early 19th century, those who take pleasure in lurid Gothic tales may also take pleasure in these as well. They are not great literature. They are, however, historically significant. And if you can put aside indignation --- excited either by the tales they tell, or the fact that they were ever published --- they are simultaneously sad, exciting, and ironically amusing, just like the best Gothic fiction.

   The editor's introduction, unfortunately, seems to advance airy academic notions that are unlikely, but all too familiar. The hypothesis is ventured that the destroyed convent was a threat to Bostonians and their "patriarchy" because it represented a community of sexually independent and educated women. Toni Morrison is invoked to support this notion. Reading her introduction, you could almost forget that she's talking about nuns bound by oaths of obedience to a male hierarchy. Rebecca Reed's indignant descriptions of debasing penances seem more informed by a spirit of liberation than the introduction.




4. These tales aren't great literature, but they are an interesting read--fast-paced and determined to be sensational. Reed's tale led to the 1834 burning of the Ursuline convent near Boston, and Monk's highly fictionalized tale cashes in the interest surrounding the event. Both stories provide a fascinating look into the morass of nineteenth-century anti-Catholic prejudices and anti-immigrant xenophobia. The excellent introduction provides some much-needed context.

5 comments about BORN NAKED CL.

1. The other reviews have been spot on, this is a page turner extraordinaire--delightful moments, amusing stories, amazing adventures in days of yore.



2. If you've read Farley Mowat, you know him as a passionate defender of the beautiful "Others" with whom we share our planet. This book is a joy-filled description of his early life and formation as a nature-lover. We hear of the wild beauty of Canada, the Quixotic plans his father devised and his mother endured, and the daring adventures which will become the foundation for his later writings. Although a light-hearted story overall, Farley does not avoid the difficult times, including a powerful depiction of the effect of the Depression on the Canadian provinces. It is a love song to the strength of character and perseverence of our northern cousins, as well.
   
   When the book ends, the reader, like the writer, wonders if there will ever be such a wonderful time again. Sheer delight.



3. I enjoy all of Mowat's books, but this one is particularly good. His style is conversational, his humor is biting. Clearly a man who does not suffer a fool lightly. Farley Mowat is a national gem. Buy the book...



4. Canadian author Farley Mowat's Born Naked is a must-read glimpse into the author's much self-written about life. It's hilarious, it's poignant and a must for any Mowat fan.



5. I've been a big fan of Farley Mowat's literary style since I first read Never Cry Wolf back in junior high school. Even as a 9th grade Earth Science teacher, I show the silver screen adaptation of this great novel. Born Naked, however, is of different 'stuff' than Never Cry Wolf. Here is a book written in a light, easy-to-read fashion that highlights his early years in this great world. We, the readers, are along for the ride when he travels to the Arctic on a research mission with his uncle, or when he makes his daily rounds to inspect the nests of local birds in Saskatchewan. This book is written in a truly entrancing style. I had a very difficult time putting it down. There are some questionable portions in it dealing with his discovery of his own sexuality, but they are far outweighed by the sense of awe and discovery he felt as a youngster. I would heartily recommend this book to anyone that enjoyed Tom Sawyer, Huckleberry Finn, or anyone that wants to experience the childhood they only dreamed about

No comments about Al Capone (Amazing Stories) (Amazing Stories).

No comments about The Canadians: Biographies of a Nation Omnibus.

1 comments about The Real Winnie: A One-of-a-kind Bear.

1. Did you know Winnie is short for Winnipeg? And that Winnie the bear started his life as an orphan and friend of the Canadian Military? These and other little known details in the life of the "real" Winnie are revealed page by page in this delightful biography. I have enjoyed using it for years in Storytime on the anniversary of A.A. Milne's birth -- and I hope you will find a place for it, too!

2 comments about Arms and the Man: Dr. Gerald Bull, Iraq and The Supergun.

1. This is a great read, even for those who know nothing about the exploits of Dr Gerry Bull. Dr Bull was a flawed genius - a passionate and driven ballistics visionary responsible for the design of many of the worlds deadliest artillery cannons, and yet he was politically naive, inspirational to his colleagues, and a practical joker. He provoked both deep loyalty in his friends and deep hatred in his enemies. The latter would lead to his assassination. He died during his work on Project Babylon - a cannon several hundred metres long!
   
   This book delivers on many fronts: it is well researched and provides in depth information about the superguns that Dr Bull hoped could send small satelites into space, it also delves into his personal life, and takes the reader into the shady and nervous underworld of illegal arms dealings that Gerald Bull wound up in by circumstance.
   
   William Lowther has written with great passion and produced a book that will captivate you and make you want to tell Dr Bull's story to everyone you meet.



2. This is a fascinating look at the life of a true genius whose path took him, inevitably, to Saddam's door. His dream of producing a gun capable of putting a satellite into orbit was twisted into a weapon for the Iraqi regime. Reads like an espionage novel, although it slows down a bit when talking about the businesses and fronts used to get the weapon's parts into Iraq. Otherwise, a really good read!

No comments about Raymond U. Lemieux: Explorations with Sugar: How Sweet It Was (Profiles, Pathways, and Dreams).