Book Description

This digital document is an article fromtudes d'histoire religieuse, published by The Canadian Catholic Historical Assn. on January 1, 2001. The length of the article is 814 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Jeanne Le Ber: la recluse au coeur des combats 1622-1714.
Publication: tudes d'histoire religieuse (Refereed)
Date: January 1, 2001
Publisher: The Canadian Catholic Historical Assn.
Volume: 67Page: 303-5

Article Type: Book Review

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Book Description

This digital document is an article from Quebec Studies, published by American Council for Quebec Studies on March 22, 1999. The length of the article is 8545 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: "Enfants de Refus global" by Manon Barbeau: from official commemoration to memory as mourning process.
Author: Ginette Michaud
Publication: Quebec Studies (Refereed)
Date: March 22, 1999
Publisher: American Council for Quebec Studies
Volume: 27Page: 105-17,139-140

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Book Description

This digital document is an article from Canadian Journal of History, published by University of Saskatchewan on December 1, 2004. The length of the article is 913 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Robin Hood: a Mythic Biography.(Book Review)
Author: Stephen R. Reimer
Publication: Canadian Journal of History (Refereed)
Date: December 1, 2004
Publisher: University of Saskatchewan
Volume: 39Issue: 3Page: 652(3)

Article Type: Book Review

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Book Description

This digital document is an article from Quebec Studies, published by American Council for Quebec Studies on March 22, 1999. The length of the article is 1251 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Fils du notaire. Jacques Ferron (1921-1949). Genese intellectuelle d'un ecrivain.
Publication: Quebec Studies (Refereed)
Date: March 22, 1999
Publisher: American Council for Quebec Studies
Volume: 27Page: 131-3

Article Type: Book Review

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Reviews (2)

Interesting but hard to follow.
While I found parts of this book very interesting -- the history of Newfoundland and how it related to the Goodyear family -- the author's writing style was irritating and hard to follow. The author said that his family told stories in "great, looping circles," and that is what he has done here. I was frustrated with this book because the author would go off on tangents and would not stick to the narrative, making it difficult to follow and to find out what happened to the characters in his family.

I did learn a great deal about Newfoundland and how it was affected by the First World War, and for that alone, it is worth reading.

Come From Away
The Goodyear family, living in Newfoundland, experienced few events that, directly or indirectly, did not end with someone's death in Come From Away. Bleak, gray conditions were part of the climate of Newfoundland as well as storms and icy waters. To the struggling economy, Hedley Goodyear said, "With managers such as these, who needs natural disasters?" Desolate living conditions were especially negative during the wave of tuberculosis, and people with this condition did not have a happy ending. The Newfoundlanders who enlisted in World War I learned the stages it took for a body to rot: white, yellow, green, purple, and black. Some of the survivors knew just how a person died when they were shot: their eyes rolled back, their breath was cut off, and the skull burst to pieces. At the time of the battle, all they could rely on was luck, so they stayed clear of the number three. David Macfarlane, author, listed thirty-one different things that came in threes, which is enough to make any number evil. Not much was said about the life of the main character, but more about how he viewed the lives of others. One, his great-aunt Kate, lived to be old and modest for her doings. After the loss of her three brothers in the war, she would have flashbacks and would interrupt herself to dab her eyes with a Kleenex. Both the young and old Aunt Kate had fears; "she was terrified of the most sway-backed, overweight, docile pony." The Canadians viewed those "Newfies" as Yankees view Rednecks. They've got the slurred accent, the yellow teeth, and the offbeat sense of humor. Overall, I did not enjoy this book as much as I have others. It concentrated too much on listing facts (and repeating them) and not enough on the plot of the story. If that's your kind of book, then I recommend it. If you're a fan of fiction, follow my lead and stick to the non-informative sources. ... Read more

Book Description

This charming true-life tale describes a historic journey and a dog's extraordinary faithfulness and tenacity. Based on the journals of Alexander Mackenzie's 1793 voyage across Canada to the Pacific Ocean, the story tracks "Our Dog," as he was known, and his determination never to let Mackenzie out of his sight. Our Dog swam next to the canoe, ran along riverbanks, and even climbed mountains. The dramatic narrative also portrays Native guides who helped Mackenzie and Our Dog reach their goal. Ann Blades's gorgeous watercolors complement the text. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A gentle introduction to Canadian history for children 4-7
"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. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

UNDER POLARIS, AN ARCTIC QUEST. By Tahoe Talbot Washburn. Se
This marvelous book is a blend of adventure story, scientific diary, and ethnographic study. The author, Tahoe Talbot Washburn, accompanied her husband, Lincoln Washburn, to the Canadian Arctic in 1938-1941, helping him do his graduate field work in the glacial geology of the region. The author was a keen observer of native people and their way of life. She recorded what we now see in retrospect as the waning years of a nomadic way of life for the Inuit of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Prior to World War II, many Inuit roamed freely across the high Arctic, camping in snow houses (igloos) constructed along the trail at the end of the day. The Canadian Arctic Inuit were still essentially nomads; they did not live in or visit permanent settlements, except for a few important events each year. Accordingly, governmental authorities and missionaries had to go on expeditions to meet with the Inuit. Soon after the war, this pattern changed dramatically, and seemingly irrevocably, towards a more settled way of life. This book is made all the more fascinating because it provides many glimpses into a way of life perched on the cusp of radical change. The Washburns were much more than casual visitors to the Canadian Arctic. They lived there for months at a time, including one extended stay from August, 1940 to February, 1941. They spent precious little time indoors, preferring to move about the Arctic islands, hiking, boating, camping, and dog-sledding in winter. The scientific aim of this multi-year project was to determine the extent of regional glaciation in the late Pleistocene, a much-debated topic of that day. By collecting marine fossils and mapping traces of glacial scouring in bedrock, Lincoln Washburn was able to begin the process of reconstructing the extent of ice sheets during the last glaciation. This thesis project marked the beginning of his long and illustrious career in glacial geology. However, geologic research is only incidental to this book. It brought the Washburns to Arctic Canada, but once there, they fell in love with the land and its people. Both Lincoln and Tahoe relished the arduous Arctic lifestyle, where physical endurance and mental acuity often make the difference between survival and death. They marveled at the ingenuity, patience, and sense of humor that seemed to sustain the Inuit through manifold hardships. Tahoe Washburn spent many months emulating the role of Inuit women, including daily food preparation (for both people and sled dogs), sewing of leather garments, and hide preparation (including chewing caribou hides to soften them). Although limited by not understanding the Inuit language, she learned by observation. Her Native companions appreciated her efforts to follow their ways, and took the time to teach her many skills that few outsiders ever learned. The book is richly illustrated, with 107 photos and six maps. Although the material in the book was taken from diaries, it has been well-edited, never becoming dull or repetitive. I heartily recommend this book to readers interested in the natural history and ethnography of the Arctic.

Review published in Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research, Vol. 31, No. 4. Copyright: Regents of the University of Colorado ... Read more

Reviews (1)

This Book Works Well for those of us in Goverment Service
My wife and I found this book to be invaluable.As a Military Officer, we move every three years.This book moves through the joys and heartaches of such a lifestyle and provides gold nuggets of information to keep you and your family sane during the more trying times of transition.Recommend to all who don't have a "fixed address" ... Read more

Reviews (1)

I love this book and so would any fan of Bethune but ....
"The true artist lets himself go .... He rises to the light of every day like a giant leviathon of the deep ...." Bethune was a gifted writer as well as an artist and this book has ample evidence of both. It also shows his main strength was as a surgeon -- an innovative, battlefront, MASH surgeon. Imagine Hawkeye Pierce if he could write as well as he could gab and you have Bethune with the original Mobile Army Support Hospital. Who would not love this book? Anti-communists, anti-artists, anti-Maoists, and those who judge Bethune as more of a sinner than a saint. That would be a lot of people! But I come from Norman Bethune's hometown, I teach at Norman Bethune's high school, and I have been inspired by Bethune the artist and humanitarian. This book, The Politics Of Passion, gives great evidence of the Bethune we all love -- his writing and painting. This non-fiction book by Larry Hannant should serve as a good source for new artistic works inspired by the man who was the most famous whiteman in the world and who remains the most famous Canadian. Reading this book makes you want to do something for Bethune, to erect some kind of monument to his memory. They should name the high school in his old hometown after him! ... Read more