3 comments about Once Upon a Wartime: A Canadian Who Survived the Devil's Brigade.

1. Having read almost every available book and text published about the First Special Service Force, this book is not only one which I found hard to put down but is also one of the few that I look forward to re-reading.

   Mr. Cottingham's recollections are obviously the product of a sharp mind and are doubly valuable when recounted through his clear and concise writing style. The historical events described are obviously important in and of themselves, but the reader becomes much more engaged by the fact that Mr. Cottingham and his fellow Forcemen are sympathetic men rising to face the extraordinarily difficult demands made of them.

   This is not a "blood and guts" book thrusting the subject before the reader and attempting to impress by grandious "war stories". Rather, this is a personal recollection presented in a self-deprecating style that allows readers to come to their own conclusions that these men were true heroes at a time in our history when they were needed.

   We should be thankful for the wartime contributions of the men of the First Special Service Force and grateful to Mr. Cottingham for this historically valuable, well-written contribution to the topic.




2. Cottingham does a very good job of tracing his war experiences from the Aleutians to Italy and France. His description of a naer attack of walruses in the Bering Sea is facsinating as well as his near death in Italy under tank fire. The only weakness is the inability to develop the profile of his friends and fellow soldiers. A good well paced narrative.



3. A very well written book that follows one man through his training and fighting with the First Special Service Force. There are a lot of mini stories that show the bravery and tenacity that these hardened and well trained men possessed. This is not the glossy, "hell is for heroe's" kind of story, but it tells of the boredom and fear of waiting for combat and combat itself. The movie(Devil's Brigade) shows just a portion of what these soldiers went through..."Once Upon A Wartime" gives it a face and a shot of reality. Hats off to Mr. Cottingham and his fellow "Forcemen". Well worth reading

No comments about Emily Carr: At the Edge of the World.

1 comments about Faith of Fools: A Journal of the Klondike Gold Rush.

1. I was floored by this book. It is diary of a group of men traveling to the yukon in search of gold. I was amazed at the things that they went through. In our relatively easy modren life, It is good to read about what extremes people would go through in the old days. To say that they had a rough journey would be an understatement. I would recommend this to anyone who wants to get a feel for what it must have been like to ber part of the gold rush in the Yukon territory.

5 comments about Only Opal.

1. This story is about the life of a little girl named Opal who loves nature. Her mother and father died and went to Heaven. Just by looking at the pictures you can tell that she has a sad life. Her new mama is not very nice. Opal has a favorite tree that she loves. The tree is called Michael Raphael. He has an understanding soul. She also has a sweet dog named Brave Horatius. My favorite part is when Opal writes about her feelings. Kids who like to relax will like this book because it has soothing words. It has really great illustrations, too! This is a terrific story!



2. The "point" of the picture book edition of Opal's diary is to make it accessible to younger readers. I would not hand a young child Boulton's longer edition or _The Singing Creek Where the Willows Grow_, whereas any Barbara Cooney book can be recommended to young children without reservations.

   That said, this edition is satisfying in itself. The book is touching and beautifully illustrated and unique. I recommend it highly, along with the other editions of the diary and everything else illustrated by Barbara Cooney.




3. Opal Whitely's story is an utterly amazing thing in every respect. Her life as a child, her exquisite sensitivity, and her way of expressing herself -- it's all just amazing.

   That said, I don't understand this version! Compared to Jane Boulton's original adaptation (if that's what you'd call it), "Opal, Journal of an Understanding Heart," this seems gutted and meaningless. Maybe it's meant to be less sad for young children, I don't know. Read the original version.




4. This book is extrtemely touching and sweet. I highly reccomend this to everyone I will ever meet. I've read countless numbers of books in my life, but none stuck in my head as well as this. READ IT READ IT READ IT!!



5. This book is extrtemely touching and sweet. I highly reccomend this to everyone I will ever meet. I've read countless numbers of books in my life, but none stuck in my head as well as this. READ IT READ IT READ IT!!

5 comments about Thin Ice: Coming of Age in Canada.

1. It helps to appreciate this memoir if you have an idea of who Bruce McCall is. The best way of doing that at one stroke is to read his cartoon collection, _Zany Afternoons_, which is out of print. _Thin Ice_ is a tale of a joyless family ruled by a loveless, inconsiderate father, seen from the viewpoint of the artistic child. By all rights, I should dislike this book, as I think giving one's parents the "Mommy Dearest" treatment is ungrateful, unless they were downright abusive. As the psychiatrist said to the centaur, "Stop blaming your parents." Yet he recreates his childhood homes and family climate so winningly that the story overcomes such resistance, and we are transported back with him. All those witty zingers about how dull Canada was are entertaining, too. The book ends just as he is on his way to revive his career in the States. Since that is where, by his own definition, the "good part" of the story lies, let's hope he produces the next installment soon.



2. Wanting to know more about Canadian perspectives on the United States, and attracted by quotes indicating that P. J. O'Rourke and Peter Jennings found it very humorous, I bought this book. Unfortunately, I was once again reminded not to attribute too much credit to quotes from reviews printed on a book's cover. This is a far from humorous work; rather, it is a painful read.

   McCall's memoir is a bitter reflection on his childhood in Canada. His depiction of the Canada in which he was raised seems to arise from inductive reasoning: since his was a poor, emotionally uncommunicative, and disfunctional family he attributes those same attributes to the entire nation. Since McCall's personal life only took an upturn upon his immigration to the United States in retrospect everything American in his youth was bright, colorful, luxurious and exciting; things from Canada on the other hand were grey, utilitarian, and boring. Americans were fun and vigorous; Canadians dour and laconic.

   McCall's memoir constitutes an unrelenting denunciation of his parents' rearing of their children. His mother is depicted as a tragic, downtrodden, alcoholic who withdrew into alcohol as an escape from the burden of six children and a domineering, unsupportive husband. His description of his father is severe: mean, tyrannical, selfish, belittling. The denunciations are so excessive that about two thirds through the book the one wonders whether McCall doesn't regret missing the opportunity to drive a stake through his father's heart. He describes a stark childhood entirely devoid of love, happiness, or material comforts and attributes all his failures and personality quirks and those of his siblings to their upbringing.

   This was a hard book to plow through, much less finish. It is a sad, depressing memoir which would have been better kept within the McCall family; the writer makes an apt observation in the beginning of the book when he expresses concern about how his siblings will receive this recollection of their childhood.

   I really regret buying this book and the time I invested in reading it. Under no circumstances would I recommend it to others.




3. Thin Ice is one of the best books I have ever read. I also grew up in a large, dysfunctional family in southern Ontario in the fifties and sixties with a tyrannical, alcoholic father in a tense, cold emotion-starved environment. It wasn't until I was in therapy many years later for an anxiety disorder that I even realized that my childhood was far from normal, and all the feelings of inadequacy and inferiority I had carried all my life stemmed from my childhood.

   Thin Ice was a very painful book for me to read, because it is a tearful, emotional trip back in time, but a journey that was necessary for me to understand what happened to me and to finally stop blaming myself. Thin Ice is also uproariously funny, and I am reading it a second time. I, too, yearned to leave Canada behind and move to the United States. I left Canada over a decade ago to raise our children here and have never looked back. After therapy and Bruce's book I can finally leave it emotionally behind, also.

   Canadians get very upset when they are poked fun at, and Bruce does it like a pro. If you are a Pierre Burton nationalist, prepare yourself to be indignant. Bruce "tries to create a time when things were very different indeed - a time when a Canadian, certainly this Canadian, felt himself to be two thirds American, with the other third composed of a grayish ball of chaff: hockey/plaid/butter tarts/earmuffs/CBC/Mounties/toques/wheat/fish/lumber/God Save the King/Queen".

   I bought Thin Ice to be entertained and I not only laughed until I cried, I also really cried and gained a priceless insight into my complex childhood and the key to my personality today.




4. As a Canadian coming of age in Canada, with all the small town yearnings of the U.S. in all it's glory, I could certainly relate to Bruce McCall's book, but I would have loved it anyway. I am buying copies for friends.



5. This book was one of the best i've read in years. Bruce McCall is so great at his craft. he pays attention to every word. Making it impossible to read this book fast. it would not be doing it justice. You need to sit back and savor every single word.

5 comments about Bandy: The True Tale of a Courageous Cape Cod Canada Goose.

1. Bandy was one of many wild canada geese visting Marcia's pond - and yet he was special and brave and drew her attention. Since he wore a band she was able to identify him and enjoy his repeat visits. Unfortunately, Bandy became injured which caused him to lose status with the geese - however, the bond between Bandy and Marcia strengthened and this story is very much about their special relationship. It is easy to feel the love that Marcia has for Bandy and to find oneself rooting hard for Bandy.
   
   If you enjoy stories about special animals, this book is for you. I was originally nervous to read it, thinking it may be too sad for me. But while it is, of course, sad that Bandy was injured, the book doesn't stop there or even dwell on this. Rather the story continues with Bandy's courage, intelligence, and special friendship with Marcia. I read the book in just a couple of hours and then ordered another copy to give as a gift. It is the kind of story you want to share.



2. In "Bandy," author Marcia Martin recounts a true tale of devotion and perseverance. The book's prose is lyrical as it chronicles the real life experiences of the author's developing relationship with a courageous and affectionate one-legged Canada goose named Bandy. "Bandy" is at once compelling and inspiring-just what the book doctor ordered in a new millennium filled with so many bad tidings. It's a story that can be appreciated by young and old readers alike.



3. Marcia Martin has a gift for storytelling, and in her warm and open and down-to-earth style, she shares with us an amazing and enchanting story about her friendship with a very special one-legged Canada goose named Bandy. It is a story about compassion and dedication, love and trust, and what we can learn from nature and its denizens about adversity. Indeed, Bandy has much to teach us about courage and perseverance and resilience, and by telling his story, Marcia Martin has given us a most wonderful and inspiring gift.



4. If you like a heart-warming story of courage and overcoming incredible odds, this book is for you. Marcia does a wonderful job showing us how nature can teach us something about our own lives. Bandi the goose is an inspiration for making the most of what you have despite your trials and tribulations. I highly recommend this book to anyone coping with life's challenges, which is everyone at some time or another. We can learn so much from a goose!



5. In stark contrast to human strife and the tragic events of our present world, Bandy is a wonderful story of love and compassion. It teaches important lessons about life and true happiness.
   
   JAMES F. HALL, President Emeritus, Cape Cod Community College

No comments about Pilgrims of the Wild.

No comments about Talkin' Moscow Blues: Essays About Literature, Politics, Movies & Jazz.

2 comments about Paper Shadows: A Memoir of a Past Lost and Found.

1. Now a respected professor and novelist in Canada, Wayson Choy was 57 years old in 1999 when he learned that he had been adopted. This memoir is a result of that discovery and, even though some family secrets do get discovered, by the end of this 342 page-book, he and the reader understand that much of his suppressed family history will never be completely uncovered.
   
   I did enjoy the story itself, however, which deals almost exclusively with his childhood years. Born in Vancouver in 1939, his memory of those early ears and his simple descriptions put me right into the young boy's mind.. He's the only child of hard-working Chinese immigrants in the land they refer to as Golden Mountain. Chinatown in those years was a world unto itself, and the young boy was loved and cherished by his parents as well as a large assortment of "uncles" whose own families were still back in China.
   
   Through his eyes we see the elaborate Chinese operas, which were transported to Canadian soil, and which his mother always enjoyed. We see his early encounters with English books and his strong will to learn to read. We see him go to a Canadian nursery school and learn about the Christian religion. We understand his Chinese roots and the many ghosts and spirits that are part of his Chinese culture. We meet his dog and have to laugh at the way this loving pet took over his life. Chinatown becomes real for the reader and so does the boy's obsession with cowboys and refusal to go to a traditional Chinese school. Most of the book was devoted to this very detailed portrait. Basically, this childhood was filled with love and little trauma.
   
   It was only in the last couple of chapters when we join him in his quest for his family secrets. This is written in the same simple style and delves deeper into the history of his family's experience in China as well as the new world. We'll never know most of the story. But we do get to share his growing-up years and learn about the forces that shaped his world.



2. In anticipation of the lunar new year, I picked up this book. The author had me under his spell by the second page. In his memoir of growing up in the 1940's, as the son of Chinese immigrants in Vancouver's Chinatown, the reader learns that Mr. Choy, while on a promotional book tour in 1995, received a call from a woman who says that she just saw his mother. But his Toisanese mother died nearly two decades earlier, he tells the mysterious caller. No, the caller replies, she means his `real mother.' And so the memoir and the mystery begin. In descriptive language that is hypnotic and nearly as haunting as a ghost filled home his family lived in, an extremely detailed portrait of his life as a young boy is drawn. In Part 1, his pre-school years are filled with family, Chinglish, mah-jong, lots of single "uncles" to take him for ice cream, nightly Chinese operas (his mother's version are a permanent barrier against pessimism), cowboy films, and his assertively willful tantrums. In Part 2, the author writes of his school years, English and Chinese lessons, stubbornness, truancy, confusion, helplessness, his pet dog, the humiliations his father endured at work, and the other concerns of children. In the last third of the book, Mr. Choy returns as an adult to the mystery of his and explores the hidden secrets of his family. Upon close reading, one learns about the stress of living as an Asian in North America during the War, a time when burials were only allowed in Asian-only cemeteries, when sick Asians were housed in the basement of the hospital, when Asians were offered payments to return to Asia if they promised never to return, and when men were not allowed to bring their families or wives over to the Gold Mountain from across the Pacific. On even closer reading, one can discern how different Chinese identities were crafted in North America by his grandfather, his parents, and finally himself in an in-between'ness third generation.

No comments about Cool Blues: Charlie Parker in Canada 1953.