2 comments about Robert Service: A Great Canadian Poet's Romance with the North (Amazing Stories).

1. Never realized that the poet Robert Service was such an adventurer and rebel until I read this book. A tightly-written biography filled with interesting information about his early life in Scotland, his life in British Columbia, California and Yukon, and then later in Europe. Author does a great job of taking the reader along as Robert Service goes after his dreams and along the way, writes some of the world's greatest poetry.



2. This is an well-written book that is great read for all ages. The author has produced a fascinating book that keeps you reading into the night. The book captures well the adventuresome, wanderlust side of Robert Service, weaving in stories about his family life and his career as a poet, author and novelist. Excellent book about an incredible man who has become a Canadian icon.

1 comments about Beijing Confidential: A Tale of Comrades Lost and Found.

1. Jan Wong returns with a second sequel of sorts to "Red China Blues" with "Beijing Confidential". This book, along with "Jan Wong's China, Notes from a Not-So Foreign Correspondent",(1999) returns to Ms. Wong's stomping grounds of Beijing. Beijing Confidential is the more personal of the two, as on this trip she goes to expiate the sin of ratting out one of her fellow Beijing University students who approached her about getting to America, at the tail end of the Cultural Revolution. She takes on the near impossible task of finding this woman, apologizing to her and finding out what her life has been like. Written in Ms. Wong's concise, funny and informative style, Beijing Confidential repeats some of the content of Jan Wong's China, but its personal reportage redeems it. Neither book is available here in the US, but if you like Ms. Wong's work (and I do) both are available at Amazon Canada, and are worth purchasing!

No comments about On the Trail of Robert Service (On the Trail of).

1 comments about Face the North Wind (Western Canadian Classic).

1. The first time I ever read this book was 10 years ago back in highschool when I did a report/essay about man and his struggle in the wilderness. Ever since, it has been a cornerstone for all my books about the North and man's struggle to make a living in it. I though I would write a few lines here after reading 'Face the North Wind' once again. Although I have not read 'North to Cree Lake' by the same author yet, A.L. Karras needs to be congratulated on a fine job of writing down an excellent narrative of an historic past. The book is based upon the yearly adventures of two trappers by the names of Fred Darbyshire & Ed Theriau to the winter wilderness of Northern Saskatchewan. The events in this book are written from actual diary events and personal conversations the author has had with these two gentlemen. Much of this area back then was uncharted and unexplored. This book gives a truly beautiful insight as to how these brave men survived in the sheer depths of winter and made a living at it year after year. Filled with excellent side notes, thoughts, and some photos/maps, 'Face the North Wind' will be just enjoyable to read over again as it was the first time. It make you want to get out your own pair of snowshoes and head on up to the North!

1 comments about The Hanging of Angélique: The Untold Story of Canadian Slavery and the Burning of Old Montréal (Race in the Atlantic World, 1700-1900) (Race in the ... (Race in the Atlantic World, 1700-1900).

1. A case had been built against Marie-Joseph Angelique based on innuendo, insinuation, hearsay and Angelique's bad reputation.Under severe torture, the 29-year-old woman, who previously proclaimed her innocence admitted to setting fire to the home of her owner. This fire consumed 46 buildings in Old Montreal. After the grisly execution Angelique's corpse was left hanging for two hours for all to see, then was burnt. That should have been the end of Angelique but 270 years later she has arisen. Thanks to Afua Cooper.
   In fact through her thorough research Ms Cooper delves into much of the historical occurences of the time. She puts to rest that myth that there was no slavery in Canada. She opens wide the doors of an unjust justice system.
   This is not just Black history but Canadian - even world history. It should be required reading for all students of history.

1 comments about Mohawk Saint: Catherine Tekakwitha and the Jesuits.

1. This is not a biography of the humble young Mohawk woman whose courage, holiness, faith, and purity earned her (as thousands who know and love her truly believe) that place in Heaven. This book, in the author's own paraphrased words, is meant to "bring Tekakwitha down from heaven." (And it is part of a gloomy trend to do just that - to as much as one can to bring one's subject down.) And, thankfully, despite over two hundred pages of trying, he has not succeeded in dragging her down.
   
   There are people who were primarily historic figures and those whose lives are mainly of religious significance. Blessed Kateri (or Catherine, as the author prefers to call her) Tekakwitha was very clearly the latter. But this book approaches her from the former point of view, making her a postmortem pawn in the Jesuit's missionary work among the natives in Canada. The mystical and the supernatural (from a religious view) are ignored. The author seems even unwillingly to use the title of "Blessed" in reference to her.
   
   At one point, the author even seems - in a very subtle way - to imply the Kateri and her closest friend (Marie-Therese Tegaiaguenta)were lovers. If, as he writes, there is "no reason to think they were lovers," why mention it at all? What does it serve?
   
   The author dwells on each and any discrepancy in the original accounts by the two missionaries who knew Kateri during the last years of her life. (Even the Bible - in all its various popular translations - has its discrepancies.) Any story of any person, any account of any event is bound to have differences when told by two different witnesses. That alone is not enough reason to discount the differences.
   
   His grim portrait of Kateri in no way accounts for the great numbers of people (not only Native Americans, but from around the world) who have a profound love for this holy young woman.
   I can speak from my own experiences and observations that she has had a great impact even on people who knew little or nothing of her.
   
   Historians may find this book of interest, but for those who have a devotion to this wonderful saint-to-be, there is little to recommend it.
   
   On a personal level, I have been studying the life of Blessed Kateri for a number of years. My personal collection includes nearly a hundred works of literature on her. These range from reprints of the original biographies by Fathers Chauchetiere and Cholonec to fluffy, sentimentalized (to the point of being quite ridiculous) books for young readers.
   
   I am also the creator of the web site mentioned on page 241 of this new book. I work for and look forward to the day when she is finally declared a saint.
   
   I pre-ordered this book many months ago and read it with an open mind as I am always eager for new details on her life. For me, it was a dull read (the narrative flow seems uneven) with left me unimpressed (not with Catherine Tekakwitha) and with a very unpleasant taste.
   
   Historians, cultural anthropologists, and the politically correct may find something of interest in this dry and dreary book, but for those who have a devotion to this wonderful saint-to-be, there is little to recommend it.
   
   (I gave it one star because there is no lesser option and, well, my site was mentioned in the Notes to Chapter 9. I suppose I owe it something.)

5 comments about Gordie: A Hockey Legend.

1. Gordie a Hockey Legend is book is a great book for anyone who knows about hockey and what the sport is and how it has evolved for its early stages with the popular players like Gordie Howe, He really set the bar in hockey back in his days. He held the NHL scoring title with the most goals in his career with 801 goals until "The Great One", Wayne Gretzky passed him in April of 1993.Gordie is really a Hockey legend.
   
   Gordie is really a legend. He was Known for his ability to be tough anytime during a game, and get the goals, and stand up for his team at anytime needed. This Book was really good in my view. It described his great career, and his life leading up to and being in the NHL.
   
   I would recommend this book to a lot of my friends, especially to my friends that like, and or play hockey. This book really shows the meaning for, and how hockey started to become more popular especially in the United States and in Canada. I really liked this book, and it is one of my favorites, and I would recommend it to anyone. This is truly a great book.



2. Gordie Howe: A hockey legend tells about his whole life. From when he was little kid, to when he made it in the NHL. It tells about how he first came upon hockey as a little kid. It tells about his carrer and the NHL. I thought that this book was ok. Not horrible but not excellent. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn about gordie howe, or wants to read about him.



3. This book tells about Gordie Howe, one of the best hockey players ever, and his career in the NHL.In the beginning, it tells about his first couple of seasons, and then tells more about his great career and facts about him toward the end. I learned a lot about him from this book, for example, I learned that he has played for two teams, the Hartford Whalers and the Detroit Red Wings, and that he was considered one of the greatest players of his time.



4. As a lifetime fan of the Detroit Red Wings, I was overjoyed when I found that there is a recent biography of Howe that is much more up to date than many written in the 60's and 70's. This book gives the reader an inside look at what it was like to get into the NHL in the 50's, and what it took to stay there and become a star. Mackskimming is very candid when talking about the front office's team management "politics" The reader also gets an up-close look at other great stars of the era such as Red Kelly, Ted Linsay, Maurice "Rocket" Richard, and coach Jack Adams. A must read for any TRUE hockey fan.



5. The book starts out covering Howe in excellent detail. Several pages cover his first seasons. Then as if the author lost interest, the decades go flying by. My reasons for reading the book was to find out, why Howe was considered great, how Howe compared to Richard, how the game changed over the years and what it was about Howe that enabled him to play for so long. The book only addressed how Howe established his early greatness.

No comments about It Ain't Easy: Long John Baldry and the Birth of the British Blues.

4 comments about A Cruel Paradise: Journals of an International Relief Worker.

1. I will be forever amazed at the bravery of this young nursing professional. Leanne previously lived and worked in a prosperous, secure, Canadian city and hospital before deciding that she wanted to dedicate a portion of her life and nursing expertise to residents in devastatingly war torn nations, most of them developing African nations. I am a registered nurse who encounters the day to day nuisances of working in a big city hospital; having to wait short periods of time for back ordered supplies, waiting minutes!!!! for a delivery from pharmamcy for life saving intravenous meds., working "short" because of call-outs or because of unplanned admissions and so on. BUT.... never could I imagine needing to be equipped with a bullet proof vest, traveling 3 hours to a nutrition center (one way)to get to work, crossing a raging river alone in a Save the Children loaner raft to get to that work destination, and traveling home again the very same way at day's end. Leanne had essentially NO medical supplies, no IV fluids, no anibiotics, no dressing care supplies, few vaccinations, and rarely physicians. (at times she didn't have food for herself) Everyday she was stopped at road blocks and was harassed by rebels, soilders, etc.. She was routinely placed in harms way in nations that most of us can't find on a map. She put her life on the line everyday. She fell in love with the nationals, she gave so much, but she writes of receiving so much in return. I will never complain about running out of supplies again or having to walk a couple of blocks to get to work. Leanne has easily earned my respect and admiration. She is undoubtedly one of the bravest women I have read of. The book doesn't provide a lot of detail regarding clinical care and practice, diseases, or treatment modalities, but is a must read for any nurse!!!!! or anyone wanting to know the true nuts and bolts of international relief work. Much of the book is in journal, diary format!!!! GO GIRL!!!!! YOU ARE ONE IN A MILLION!



2. A cruel paradise does a very good job presenting a day to day picture of the lives and activities of humanitarian aid workers. The picture the author paints is not trying to make her life more spectacular than it is, nor does it try to present humanitarian aid work as anything overly romantic or adventurous. What it does do is give an insight in the reasons and motivations, the problems and difficulties, as well as the joy, happiness, saddness and tears of humanitarian aid workers who with a healthy dose of idealism and enthusiasm, as well as professionalism and realism, try to contribute to improving the world that we live in.



3. A Cruel Paradise records Leanne Olson's time with two humanitarian aid agencies ... Doctors Without Borders (Nobel Peace Prize 1999) and MERLIN. This book has three distinct styles: diary entries, letters home to a friend and her own bare narrative. This pushes the author into three voices. Her brief attempts to describe local political situations are simple but do set the context of the conflicts within each country. Much more interesting is the daily, moral battle to remain professionally neutral despite the obvious excesses of one side, or the other the next day. Olson focuses on the frustrations of deals with corruption, warlords and petty bureaucrats, while trying to deliver aid to innocent human beings in immediate need. She describes short holidays away from the crowds and intense pressures. It's not surprising that the destination is always a remote island with isolated, beautiful beaches.

   The most revealing scene takes place within the safety of the Nairobi airport. Weeks after witnessing the aftermath of a brutal massacre of civilians at a Trappist monastery in Zaire, alone she finally breaks down waiting for her connection to Amsterdam and is comforted by a complete stranger. The nurse is nursed. The irony is overwhelming. For years I've watched aid workers on TV standing in their T-shirts in those inevitable circles of refugees, but only after reading this book, did I finally begin to understand.

   Olson freely admits she didn't have a clue what she was getting into on that first assignment. She is also honest enough not to sugar-coat what she considers occasional, poor operational decisions by Doctors Without Borders head office and country managers. From a recruit too shy to squat beside her first rural African bus to a woman implementing diverse programs for an entire country three years later, she writes a remarkable history of growth.

   Shortly after reading the Canadian edition of this book, I also read Anthony Loyd's My War Gone By, I Miss It So. The two authors' times in Bosnia overlap. Although working under different ethnic controls, armies, random militiae and ballistics, they share the same war. As Olson and her team are evacuated when conditions become too dangerous, Loyd inches ever closer to the front-line. He watches the wound open. She tries to fix it. Perspectives differ but together they ride the exact excitement of being "on the edge", realizing the gradual, hard estrangement of family and friends at home who can't understand these new, formed worlds and motives. They share the grit and grime and blood-flows of violence. And the grace of a single humanity.

   Although later brief chapters are snapshots of evaluations of possible projects in a number of countries (Albania, Angola), the earlier chapters are fully-formed portraits of specific missions (Liberia, Bosnia, Burundi, and Zaire after the trauma of Rwanda). Not one minute is easy or safe here.

   The publisher should consider rudimentary maps in future editions.




4. A Cruel Paradise is one of the most moving books that I've ever read. A book that should be read by everyone who lives in a safe world, without war, without hunger and without despair. Leanne Olson takes you by the hand and leads you to places we only see on tv in documentaries and newsitems. But unlike the documentaries, Leanne Olsons story stays with you. The book is fast paced, reads like a dream and manages to give you a deep insight in what it is that doctors, nurses and logisticians do in these troubled wartorn countries and why they are doing it. Why she herself chose this path. And why we should support them. Always. Apart from that, this book is also a moving story about the authors personal growth, her coming to terms with things no one of us should ever have to see, let alone experience. Still, it is a story about hope and the sheer strength of people. And finally this book is a love story. About how she met (during the war in Bosnia), fell in love with and married the logistician that she worked with and has been working with ever since. This book made me evaluate my own life and very grateful that I live in a peaceful country. It also made me say a prayer every night for the reliefworkers who are out there, and yes, taking risks, because the work is getting more and more dangerous. Please Oprah, if you pick a book for your selection, pick this one.

No comments about Robert Whyte's 1847 Famine Ship Diary: The Journey of an Irish Coffin Ship.