No comments about Wild Daisies in the Sand: Life in a Canadian Internment Camp.

No comments about Autobiography of Ashley Bowen (1728-1813) (Broadview Editions).

No comments about Refugees from Slavery: Autobiographies of Fugitive Slaves in Canada.

5 comments about The Silence of the North.

1. IF YOU FEEL SORRY FOR YOUR LOT IN LIFE..READ THIS..ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS I EVER READ...



2. Wow-this book was so fun and sad and interesting to read, all at the same time. Olive's story is piercing and makes one ponder the amazing will to live in the face of such overwhelming odds. A fantastic true adventure story!



3. A story of a courageous strong woman. Descriptions of the environment (land & conditions) enticing. I found myself being scared right along side of Olive. A real adventure story.



4. A fresh, uncomplicated tale of the people who adventured north in the past. Action packed, engaging and reveling, this book will remain for ever one of my favorite adventure and romance stories. It shows much about how people may face a foreign environment, difficulties, and above all themselves. All comes out in very simple and clear language, with suits the story and the characters divinely.



5. This was a favorite, and it was done with no bad words or violence, other than from nature, I loved it and still wonder what happened to Olive and her second husband after they were married and flew off in the airplane. I watch it everytime it comes on tv. I have taped it and shown it many times to company.

No comments about Delusion: The True Story of Victorian Superspy Henri Le Caron.

4 comments about Wilderness Beginnings.

1. I truly loved this book. For once, because it's part of my own past, Paul Hertel was my mother's uncle. And second, I like Mrs. Falkenhagens style. It was great for me to learn about my ancestors. Now I understand much better my own urge to discover the world.



2. "Wilderness Beginnings" is truly an adventure story about two people facing seemingly insurmountable odds both in Pre-WWII Germany and in the wilderness of British Columbia during the 1930's. This true-life book is extremely well written and an easy read. The story draws you in from the start and holds your attention throughout the remarkable journey. There are times it is difficult to believe this is not fiction. I highly recommend this book to readers of all ages.



3. A true life adventure of a young German immigrant who migrates to the wilderness of British Columbia during the mid 1930's. The adventures and brushes with death from the natural elements remind me of Jack London's "Call of the Wild".



4. A wonderful true-life story of the adventures of a young German immigrant who becomes a 20th century pioneer in British Columbia. After falling in love with the BC landscape and learning to live in harmony with the forces of nature, he returns to his home in Germany to marry his sweetheart. They both return to BC to share the natural beauty of the country and indure the challenges of the Great Depression, which are intensified by the general distrust of Germans in Canada as Hitler invades Europe, and Canada and the United States are drawn into World War II. Inspite of these obstacles, Paul and Grete Hertel raise a family and eventually settle on a farm on Vancouver Island.

   It was with a sense of sadness when I finished this story, knowing that I could no longer look forward to reading any further adventures of the Hertel family. I wish to thank the author for sharing this fasinating story of her father's early years in British Columbia.

2 comments about Outposts and Bushplanes.

1. Outposts And Bushplanes is a celebration of the northern British Columbia wilderness, and the rugged people who called the frontier home. Written in simple, down-to-earth prose, Outposts and Bushplanes follows the flights and memories of former bush pilot and veteran outdoorsman Bruce Lamb, preserving the memorable quirks and hardy endurance of the land's settlers during the latter half of the twentieth century. Black-and-white photographs illustrate this sometimes thrilling, sometimes poignant memoir, sure to appeal especially to armchair travelers.



2. Outposts And Bushplanes is a celebration of the northern British Columbia wilderness, and the rugged people who called the frontier home. Written in simple, down-to-earth prose, Outposts and Bushplanes follows the flights and memories of former bush pilot and veteran outdoorsman Bruce Lamb, preserving the memorable quirks and hardy endurance of the land's settlers during the latter half of the twentieth century. Black-and-white photographs illustrate this sometimes thrilling, sometimes poignant memoir, sure to appeal especially to armchair travelers.

No comments about The Manager's Tale.

1 comments about The Man Who Tried to Buy the World: Jean-Marie Messier and Vivendi Universal.

1. "The Man who tried to buy the World..." may sound like hyperbole yet either through the writers' work or their bias we have Monsieur Messier likened to Napoleon Bonaparte. A man who achieved alot in a short time yet crossed a bridge too far. Invariably this was the single detracting element in the book, a less than complete portrayal of a complex man and his motives. Otherwise the span of the book is excellent, summarising the French psyche, education system and government as Messier's career was heavily indebted to each. Likewise is the generous rendering of the peculiarities of French business which includes shared boards, weakened corporate governance structures, cross shareholdings and the clandestine workings of senior management. Maybe a little light on Messier's time at Lazard but the only book read by this reviewer that shines a light on French business. Now how about a book on Societe Generale and its rogue trader Jerome Kerviel?

1 comments about A Dog Came, Too: A True Story.

1. "Long, long ago, two native guides, an explorer, and seven voyageurs set off to find a rout across Canada to the Pacific Ocean. A big brown dog traveled with them."

   Thus begins a children's picture book about Alexander Mackenzie's expedition to the Pacific Ocean in 1793, as seen through the eyes of their faithful, though nameless, working dog. The story is simple, moving, and true: Mackenzie and his voyageurs were accompanied by a dog, who proved to be extremely useful, and had several adventures. The dog got lost along the journey, and was sadly missed. I'm not a dog person, but I was still touched by the simple storyline. It matches my rough recollection of the history, from Mackenzie's journals.

   The watercolor illustrations are nice, and score big on accuracy; these voyageurs wear cloth shirts and trousers, not buckskins and roadkill hats, and are clearly influenced by Peter Rindisbacher's paintings from Red River in the 1820's. When they carry their pieces over a portage, they are shown correctly using tumplines rather than packframes. Mackenzie and his clerk are both dressed as befits their station, in 1790's style. (The Natives are in cookie-cutter buckskins, though.)

   The illustrations advance the story just as much as the text. I loved the illustration of Mackenzie and his men searching for their dog at Friendly Village. I also enjoyed the picture of unfriendly Natives checking out Mackenzie's spyglass and sextant as the voyageurs prepare to beat a hasty retreat; meanwhile, the explorer is busily painting his name on a rock on the Pacific shore.

   This is a great book for gently introducing kids aged 4-7 to fur trade history. It's primarily a dog story, not a history book; Mackenzie isn't named until the final page.