Biography: adventurers and explorers Books

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Book SynopsisStories of trails form the Vancouver courts, based on lawyer David Nuttal's 30 years of experiences working there.

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"Niddrie was an acute observer of his surroundings. He gives us gems of description of life in the railway construction camps in the Rockies, the fledgling appearance of Winnipeg, Calgary, and Golden in the late 1880s, horseback trips into the Rockies and freighting by canoe into northern Manitoba....This volume, expertly produced with few typographical errors, is welcome in part because it adds materially to the literature on Methodist missons to the First Peoples, which is far less extensive than that on Anglican or Catholic missions. As the publicity sheet indicates, the book is also valuable as a document for anyone fascinated by the lively social dynamics of Canada's formative years." British Journal of Canadian Studies

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"Author Peter Stursberg is a Canadian journalist, writer and war correspondent who has turned his talents to giving us a slice of cultural history through recounting the story of his own family. China fascinates us now just as it did in the Victorian era, and the detail and insight Stursberg provides in this family memoir bring the sights and sounds of pre-Communist China vividly to life. It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, and it is a pleasure to find a family with such an engrossing history given life again in capable hands." Mary Denis Garrett, The Advocate"A fascinating narrative of life in China as seen through the eyes of a British colonial family, the Shaws.... An eye-opening, personal, and memorable look at a great land and its people, No Foreign Bones in China is compelling, informative, and highly recommended reading for students of 20th Century Chinese history." Wisconsin Bookwatch"The most cunning aspect of the book lies in Stursberg's immense talent as a storyteller. No Foreign Bones in China, while ostensibly a memoir of British Imperialism, shines most in its telling of family history. It is through this history that the reader is party to such events as the Boxer and Taiping rebellion, the wave of anti-German sentiment in England and her colonies during the First World War, the dirty history of England's involvement in the opium trade, and the double-crosses and accidents of Colonial policy that allowed the British to turn a tenuous relationship with China into unacknowledged and unofficial rule over the country. And brilliantly, these events are told so as to almost seem as accidents that happened around the lives of average people who had tea, courted lovers, and raised families like anyone else." Mark Wells, The Gateway"From Europe to Asia, through extensive research into his family background, Peter Stursberg takes his readers on a captivating journey focusing on the China of the 19e and 20e centuries. On page after page rich details bring authenticity and originality to his book. And as a reflection on the heydays of British and European dominance in China, it also casts an unblinking eye on the attitudes and, yes, strong prejudices of the day." Robert LeBlond, retired Foreign Service Officer"I must say how much I enjoyed reading No Foreign Bones in China. Your family's long relationship with China is fascinating and the story deserves a wide readership in Canada and abroad. Your discovery of your Japanese grandmother and the veil of silence around her should resonate with readers in this increasingly multicultural country." Robert C. Fisher, Archivist, National Archives of Canada"[Peter Stursberg's] new [book], No Foreign Bones in China: Memoirs of Imperialism and Its Ending, deals entertainingly with his ancestors whose lives in East Asia were rather more materialistic than spiritual.. The centrepiece is the author's grandfather, Capt. Samuel Lewis Shaw [1821-1908] who went to sea at 13 and arrived in China not long afterwards. This was well before the Second Opium War, which led to the system of so-called treaty ports by which Britain, and soon other Western nations, turned much of China into a virtual colony, at least economically. [Another instrument was the British-run Chinese customs service and post office department, where Stursberg's father worked.] " George Fetherling, The Vancouver Sun"[Peter] Stursberg hasn't lost his ability to tell a great story. In No Foreign Bones in China -- his 14th book -- he unravels the tale of three generations of his own family and their life in China. He seamlessly weaves together the country's history -- from British imperialism to the Cultural Revolution -- with the experiences of his colonial family, beginning with the birth of his grandfather, Capt. Samuel Lewis Shaw in 1821." Maclean's"More interesting than family genealogy or Chinese history are the insights Stursberg provides of life in the imperialists' China." Carolyn Redl, Times Colonist"Bold, confident, well-researched and scholarly. One of the most interesting books on foreign missions that I've read in a long while. The author has done an engaging job of sketching the history of evangelicism and foreign involvement in China." And "This book will have great appeal to readers keen on history, culture and China. In my case, it wins on all three counts.. By the end of the book I felt I knew your ancestors and their friends better than my own forbears. I appreciated getting their view of life in China of old." Word Guild Judges"Canadian journalist Stursberg tells the story of his grandfather, Captain Samuel Lewis Shaw (b. 1821), merchant seaman and captain of the King of Burma's yacht, his life in China with a Japanese wife, and how the events of the 19th century looked to him and his family." Jane Erskine, BOOK NEWS Inc."[Stursberg].uses his family history to illuminate what the Chinese regard as the Hundred Years of Humiliation under foreign domination preceding the birth of modern China in the twentieth century, and to illustrate what life was like for foreign residents in these turbulent times. The injured pride and intense resentment of the Chinese for this period erupted in fury when the Korean War broke out. The title of the book is the slogan chanted by Chinese youth as they systematically desecrated and destroyed the graves of foreigners in their country. The most notable exception was, and is, the Canadian doctor, Norman Bethune....This is an interesting story, well written and researched, which depicts the human face of great events." Sandy Crosbie, Edinburgh, British Journal of Canadian Studies, Vol. 17, No. 1, 2004

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Book SynopsisA dreamer of dreams, an adventurer, and a man of many ideas, Roger Pocock was an inveterate, world-ranging traveler who lived the life that all adventurous boys desire. He listened with wonder to the stories of all those he met, be they outlaws like Butch Cassidy, ranchers, or mounted police. Readers of all ages and classes eagerly devoured Pocock's western tales. Outrider of Empire is a testament to a prolific author and extraordinary man whose friends and acquaintances bridged the worlds of theatre, literature, the military, and science. Foreword by Merrill Distad.Trade Review"Pocock left his legacy in an improbable series of adventures beginning in 1885, when as a teenaged North-West Mounted Police recruit he participated in the North-West Rebellion, and through his heedless behaviour suffered the amputation of his frozen toes, damaging his health irreparably, but gaining the experience to launch his writing career. Like Jack London, his truly picaresque career would include time as a cigar peddler, salesman, Anglican missionary along the Skeena, railway tramp and horse trader in British Columbia. During 1897, he made a 'thousand-mile patrol' of mounted police posts in the West, reporting to Lloyd's Weekly newspaper. Then in 1898, Pocock led an ill-fated expedition to the Klondike, which resulted, through his mismanagement, in the death of his partner and patron Sir Arthur Curtis. This black mark haunted him for years, with persistent rumours that he had murdered and robbed Curtis. In an effort to redeem his name, Pocock undertook a solitary horse trek from Fort Macleod to Mexico City during 1899 and 1900, once again reporting for Lloyd's Weekly his encounters with bandits, settlers and members of the Wild Bunch in Robbers' Roost. This gruelling accomplishment set a record for such a long-distance ride. Then Pocock nipped off to the Boer War in South Africa with the National Scouts, joined a Danish expedition to Greenland, and reported on Russia during the Russo-Japanese War in 1904 for the Illustrated Mail, where he engaged in some comic amateur spying for the British Admiralty. Roger Pocock's life was one adventure (or misadventure) after another. His life makes for a fascinating and amusing read, while at the same time illustrating the spirit and energy of those like him who painted the map red during the zenith of the British Empire." Ken Tingley, The Edmonton Journal, November 2, 2008 "Another good colonial era read is Geoffrey Pocock's biography of his namesake in Outrider of Empire: The Life and Adventures of Robert Pocock. By 1899, the subject Pocock had already been missionary, pirate, soldier and cowboy. Always, however, he was a traveller, and that year rode America's dangerous Out-law Trail on a transcontinental journey from Alberta to Mexico City. Personal statement: 'Civilization is a poor thing to one who has lived the spacious life of the west.' Quite. An excellent tale of a British adventurer, in the good old days." Nigel Hannaford, Calgary Herald, January 11, 2009 Author Pocock - private researcher and no relation to his subject - has written this biography of Roger Pocock, including his historic journey from Alberta to Mexico City in 1899 and his foundation of the Legion of Frontiersmen. Pocock lived a life of adventure in the later years of the British Empire, and the biography follows him from birth to death and includes a bibliography of R. Pocock's works in fiction, nonfiction, and autobiography. Distributed by Michigan State U. Press. (Annotation (c)2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR) "Roger Pocock saw himself as a brave adventurer. Others, however, considered him a drifter and a bungler, unreliable, disreputable, socially inferior and morally dubious, a marginal freelance journalist and fiction-writer... Outrider of Empire describes Roger Pocock's family background, boyhood in England, youth in Canada--including service in the North-West Mounted Police--journalism in England and elsewhere, disastrous 1898 British Columbia expedition, Boer War service, foundation of the Legion [of Frontiersmen] and expulsion from it, First World War service, postwar misadventures, and finally honoured old age as the reconciled founder of the Legion... It is the definitive biography and will probably long remain so. Definitely recommended." Roger T. Stearn, Soldiers of the Queen, December 2010 "An important biography - brilliantly researched and written - Geoff Pocock brings to life an era unrepeated, of real men and real adventures. Roger Pocock deserved better credit; even his hero Kipling failed to doff a hat to the true exploits, travels and experiences shared within. Pocock belongs in the league of men such as: Johnson, Earp, Cody, Hickok, Horn, Cassidy, Custer, Crook, Roosevelt, Pershing. He rode from Canada-Mexico along parts of the Outlaw Trail and changed route to make it harder! I hadn't heard of him prior to my '99 equine epic. Adventure lovers will enjoy this scholarly, highly readable biog. Simon Casson, author: "Riding The Outlaw Trail in the Footsteps of Butch Cassidy & The Sundance Kid"

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Book SynopsisCecil Burgess was professor of architecture and resident architect at the University of Alberta between 1913 and 1940. This title collects Burgess' public talks and writings offering a fresh insight into the social and intellectual dimensions of architecture and town planning during the first half of the twentieth century.Trade Review"The author was Professor of Architecture at the University of Alberta. He died in 1970 at the age of 101. His work, as now edited by Prof. Wetherell of the University of Calgary, is designed to guide municipal councilors, their staff and their architects, into getting the best town planning. His mantra: a community gets the architecture it deserves. It should be in every city library." Ron MacIsaac, The Lower Mainland NEWS, April 2006."This book has value in two respects. Precisely because Burgess's ideas on architecture and planning were so mainstream, they afford insight into the outlook of many design professionals of his generation, giving the pulse of those who sought to foster civility in shaping the environment. Secondly, most of these writings were scripted for the general audience as lectures, radio addresses, or newspaper pieces. Burgess knew that without public demand, high professional objectives would never be realized. As important as this lesson remains today, the book is oriented toward specialists. Summing Up: Recommended." R. Longstreth, CHOICE, Vol. 44, No. 01, September 2006"Cecil Burgess lived for 101 years; his influence on Canadian architecture will have a much longer life. Burgess single-handedly ran the school of architecture at the University of Alberta from 1913 to 1940. He was a methodical person who prepared for his lectures and his many professional and radio talks by writing out his speeches in full. The result is a considerable body of work available in the U of A and other archives from which this collection was drawn. The volume starts with a substantial introduction that sketches a portrait of Burgess's life and summarizes his philosophy of architecture. This overview places the selected lectures and talks in the context of his lifetime of work devoted to architecture and town planning as well as providing numerous insights into the influences that shaped his philosophy.. Numerous sketches by Burgess and lots of archival photos illustrate the work. As Burgess's writings were intended to be delivered as lectures or talks, he used a light, informal tone, making them delightful reading even half a century later." Janet Arnett, Canadian Book Review Annual 2007"This is a timely and very readable book, given our continuing respect for good architecture and the increasing urbanization of Canada, and specifically Alberta, the adopted home of Cecil Scott Burgess. This book is skilfully edited by Donald Wetherell, who also provides an excellent introduction and biography of Burgess. The book is organized in four parts, corresponding with eras in his professional development. The major part of the book is composed of a selection of Burgess's many public speeches and presentations. There are numerous sketches and diagrams that demonstrate Burgess's mastery of design.... Burgess operated at several levels during his long career. He was very much an applied practitioner who believed strongly in the mastery of the technical skills and craft of architecture, design, and planning. Following his move to Canada in 1903, he taught architecture at McGill University, and he then started and single-handedly ran the professional architecture program at the University of Alberta in 1913--a remarkable achievement. Burgess interpreted architecture as a social art: good design meant integrating form with function. He also believed that town planning and architecture had to be integrated; cities had to be considered and planned with function and aesthetics considered equally.... His intellectual range was remarkable. He could operate at citywide level, and he could design homes in exquisite detail. Throughout his career, Burgess designed residences. He was a strong proponent of the Arts and Crafts design style of architecture, with its emphasis on liveable, holistic, and highly functional buildings.... He was, in short, a man of very considerable talents whose planning and design ideas helped to shape the city of Edmonton, and the University of Alberta." Mark Seasons, University of Toronto Quarterly, Winter 2008

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Book SynopsisI have faith in a better future, because I have faith that most human beings want to do the right thing. - Lois Hole In early 2005, Alberta lost one of its greatest treasures--a woman who not only voiced her thoughts, but also acted upon them. Lois Hole was a compassionate being who remained, even as Lieutenant Governor of Alberta, modest and approachable to those inspired by her. This collection of speeches, edited by Mark Lisac, will appeal to everyday Albertans whose lives Lois Hole touched, and particularly to those interested in how this remarkable woman reacted to and affected Alberta''s history and political life. Foreword by Hon. Jim Edwards PC.Trade Review#7 on The Edmonton Journal's Top Ten Bestsellers List#5 on The Edmonton Journal's Bestsellers List"Hole had frequent opportunities to exercise her words through numerous books and speeches. Hole spoke about timely issues, personalizing her words to allow her audience to relate to her experiences. Her collected speeches are now in one place, courtesy of the University of Alberta Press, in the collection Lois Hole Speaks. Her writings on gardening and other subjects have already been immortalized on the printed page. It¹s about time the same treatment was given to her notes from her public addresses while in office as lieutenant governor. This is as valuable a book for its inspiration as it is for its insight into one of our most beloved public figures." Scott Hayes, St. Albert Gazette, July 19, 2008"This compilation of selected speeches, edited by Mark Lisac, is mostly from Hole's time as lieutenant governor, offering some private insight into her public persona. The speeches span almost a decade-from Hole's induction as the University's chancellor in 1998 to just before her death in 2005-but there are certain themes that occur again and again, such as a passion for education and literacy, the arts and community building." Folio, July 18, 2008#1 on the Edmonton Journal's Top Ten Non-Fiction Bestseller List#4 on the Edmonton Journal's Top Ten Non-Fiction Bestseller List"Lois Hole, Alberta's 15th lieutenant governor, was a remarkable individual with an infinite capacity for kindness. Hole, who died in January 2005 at the age of 71, believed that kindness and words could change lives. With those firm beliefs, Hole used her roles to champion arts, education, health care and human rights. She chose her words well, always going for the simplest way to convey her thoughts, which show a passionate and eloquent individual, who was not afraid to voice her opinions or even disagree with the government, including then-premier Ralph Klein. This book should be required reading for all Albertans. It not only leaves readers with one heck of a warm and fuzzy feeling, but also it reminds us of what we can achieve when we are generous, kind, unafraid and passionate, and if we follow Hole's lead, we could have a kind and just society. That may sound like pie-in-the-sky idealism, but Hole's approach was simple and elegant and it seems to have worked." Rob Alexander, Rocky Mountain Outlook, August 7, 2008"This book highlights Hole's strong belief in the necessity for both individual responsibility and collective caring and action, by governments and by the many community and non-profit organizations to which she spoke. A short review cannot cover the rich and varied themes that run through Hole's speeches. Sincerity, passion, compassion, humility, persistence and a sense of hope shine through in them all, regardless of her audience. For all of us who had the honour of knowing and working with Hole, this book brings back warm memories of a woman who inspired us to be better than we thought we could be. Everyone who reads these speeches will be filled with hope and will remember, with a smile or maybe a tear, what an extraordinary person Lois Hole was. And I am reminded that one person can make a difference." [The Honourable] Anne McLellan, Legacy Magazine, Winter 2008"Astute editor Mark Lisac has gathered an eclectic selection of speeches from one of Alberta's best-loved public figures. Lois Hole Speaks brings us echoes of the late lieutenant-governor's compassion and generosity from a wonderful variety of public speaking engagements in her final years of life." Edmonton Journal, Christmas Gift Guide, November 19, 2008"Caring is something the world needs more of. "Lois Hole Speaks: Words That Matter" is a collection of speeches about a woman who does care--about life, education, and her country. A university chancellor, gardener, and lieutenant governor, she made a career out of caring... Inspiring and moving, "Lois Hole Speaks" is a must..." James Cox, Midwest Book Review"[Lois Hole] was the most political, the most outspoken, and the most gracefully cantankerous-at-government Lieutenant Governor in Alberta's history. . Lois Hole: gardener, author, educator, businesswoman, politician. She knew exactly what she was talking about." Gordon Morash, Alberta Views, May 2009"These speeches will, I hope, be read with some care. They are the conscience of the people. The fifty page introduction by Marc Lisac is a masterful analysis, based on interviews with those who knew her best." Frits Pannekoek, Canadian Book Review Annual Online, 2009

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Book SynopsisExperience a Canadian teacher's transformative years teaching in the remote Himalayan village of Khaling, Bhutan.Trade Review"As a young teacher in the late 1980s, Ontarian Ken Haigh taught for two years in a remote Himalayan village in eastern Bhutan. This is an evocative memoir of that time and that place, redolent of the region's Buddhist legacy, its mountain trails and its timeless way of life." The Globe and Mail, August 9, 2008"His adventures of teaching for two years in Bhutan have been my bed time reading for the past while. An amazing story, beautifully written." http://heathersexcellentadventure.blogspot.com/"In 1987, with a degree in English Literature under his belt, Ken went, under the auspices of WUSC (World University of Canada), to teach in a remote Bhutanese valley, at a school that had originally been established by Canadian Jesuits. Ill-prepared and initially ill-at-ease, he arrived in a corner of the earth that was virtually untouched by the modern world. It was a landscape of lush valleys overshadowed by the oldest and highest mountains on earth, in a country rich in legend, magic and superstition, with a vibrant traditional culture in which every aspect of daily life was permeated by Buddhism; a country of mountain villages and friendly people, with gorgeous temples that were living places of worship, not tourist attractions.With eloquence, wit, and self-effacing humour, Ken traces the stages of his culture shock: the honeymoon period, in which everything was new and fascinating: the period of conflict in which a longing for Tim Hortons set in; the critical period, in which everything that was apparently wrong with the place grated on his nerves. Finally came a time of acceptance and transition into recovery and cultural adaptation. He relates how he learned to deal with lack of telephones, the constant haggling, the rats, the wild dogs, the leeches, the hundred-mile treks, the near death experiences on terrifying mountain roads, the frustration of language barriers, the monotonous diet, the sickness. Yet, despite the great discomforts, Haigh's book is a love story, the story of how a young Canadian teacher became captivated by the magic and the mystique of a strange land and its people....Ken Haigh's book is a 'must read' for any young person contemplating volunteer service overseas, and it's a first-class read for the armchair traveller. You can feel the mountains, hear the sounds, taste the food, see the colours and breathe the air of Bhutan, the only country on the planet where 'Gross National Happiness' is officially deemed more important than 'Gross National Product'." Patricia Grant, The Blue Mountains Courier-Herald, September 17, 2008"Haigh's sensitive and penetrating account of two years' teaching in Bhutan shatters many Himalayan Shangri-la myths in projecting the many-faceted and tougher realities. Haigh's dedicated work there will evoke admiration." Peter Skinner, Outstanding University Press Books, Foreword Magazine, January/February 2009"In Under the Holy lake: A Memoir of Eastern Bhutan, writer Ken Haigh revisits his time spent as a young school teacher in the remote Himalayan village of Kahling, Bhutan, and draws the reader into a place where the hurried pace of Western life gives way to simpler, gentler modes of living." Edmonton Journal, Christmas Gift Guide, November 19, 2008"I put it aside for a few weeks, asking, 'Do we really need another memoir of a North American's brief stay in Bhutan?' Sorry about that, but we do. ... In 1987 and '89, he taught in the Khaling Valley in Eastern Bhutan. And now, 20 years later, Haigh has written a winner about his experience." – Andrew Armitage, Owen Sound Sun Times, January 16, 2009"This is a beautifully written love letter to a country, simple and untouched, where Haigh spent two formative and hugely informative years. Haigh's experiences are those of every traveller eager to experience a new society and culture. He has to learn the mysteries of the local body language, the subtleties of everyday commerce, the wonders of the local customs (did you know archery is the national sport in Bhutan?), the importance of clans and families and mriad other miutiae. Haigh's ability to recall and describe this detail makes the book so fascinating. ... An example of these wonderful tales is Haigh's attempt to wear the local costume, a single piece of cloth known as a gho. He doesn't put it on right so the students strip it off and show him how, when worn correctly, it can make him look 'very handsome and vey dangerous.'" Bruce Elder, Sydney Morning Herald, March 14-15, 2009"Ken Haigh's memoir of teaching high school in Bhutan has been published by University of Alberta Press. Ken spent two years teaching in Bhutan and his book, Under the Holy Lake, is an engaging and informative tale of his adventures during a unique time in the country's history. After teaching in Bhutan, China and the Canadian Arctic, Ken earned his Masters of Library & Information Science at the University of Western Ontario. Shortly thereafter he moved to The Blue Mountains and worked as CEO until 2002 when he resigned to become a full time father and writer. Ken has since returned to work part-time at the Blue Mountains Public Library and he continues to write and actively parent his three school-aged children. Ken's book has been enthusiastically received by the Georgian Bay Communities." Hoopla, Spring 2009"[Haigh's] book is knowledgeable, thoughtful, humane and stylish." Diplomat and International Canada, Spring 2009"Ken Haigh's memoir of teaching high school in Bhutan has been published by University of Alberta Press. Ken spent two years teaching in Bhutan and his book, Under the Holy Lake, is an engaging and informative tale of his adventures during a unique time in the country's history. Ken's book has been enthusiastically received by the Georgian Bay Communities." Hoopla, Spring 2009"At times, it's difficult to believe that Haigh's Bhutan, with its gentle (though often intoxicatd) people, lack of ethnic tension, dozens of languages, moutainside villages and monasteries, authoritarian but benevolent king, combination of a devout and traditional Buddhism with a system of government-funded English-speaking boarding schools run by Catholic priests and nuns, actually exists. And it doesn't anymore. ... Haigh was lucky to have been there when the country was open to foreigners yet relatively uninfluenced by them, and his sensitive, elegant reminiscences of mountain hikes and churned-butter tea, of Buddhist festivals and attentive, thoughtful teenage students, will make anyone nostalgic for that brief golden moment." Alex Rettie, Alberta Views, May 2009."Excellent, well written book of early experiences of Bhutan as it was opening its boundaries to welcome visitors from the West. Recommended reading for those interested in Buddhist countries and the insights that await for those with an interest in mindfulness and awareness of living for the moment." Lovethebook.com"In spite of culture shock, Haigh persevered, turning into a remarkable teacher, complete with banjo, grit and imagination. And he is also a writer with sensitivity and an exquisite eye for detail. If you are planning on a career in overseas teaching, know someone who is now there, or simply want the best in Canadian non-fiction, you need not go much further than Under the Holy Lake." Andrew Armitage, Owen Sound Sun-Times, January 16, 2009"In the late 1980s, Ken Haigh spent two years in the remote Himalayan village of Khaling, teaching in the local school. In Under the Holy Lake, he shares his experiences, his knowledge of the country and its culture, and the personal insights he achieved. The first three chapters recount his quasi-accidental journey to his teaching appointment in Bhutan, capturing the scene, the people, and a taste of the school life. In Chapter 4, "An Accidental Area," Haigh succinctly explains the history and current political situation in this heretofore overlooked "country of mountains." This historical rendering could easily have become dry, but the author maintains an engaging educational style throughout. But Under the Holy Lake is not only the socio-political description of a teacher, it is also the very humorous account of a young man experiencing a culture vastly different than his own. In Chapter 5, Haigh recounts his comical search for the ruins of the legendary King Dewa, complete with a growing entourage and an impromptu picnic. Chapter 8 becomes a bit more serious, as he describes the very real culture shock he underwent during his two-year sojourn in Bhutan. Throughout this engaging memoir, Haigh's personality is a calm foil against which the people and places he experiences are clearly depicted. While some of his students in the beginning may have thought he was "dangerous" because of his beard, he finds his place among them for a time, and leaves the reader with a lasting impression of a fascinating country, its people, and its place in the world." - Lori A. Dunn"If you like to think about escaping from the hectic lifestyle of Western culture and settling down for a good long soak in a world that¹s really, really different, this memoir by Ken Haigh could go a long way to fleshing out your fantasies." Summer Reading 2010, Dilettante's Diary [Full review at http://dilettantesdiary.com/id155.html]There were times when he got tired of having to deal with the lack of telephones, and the presence of leeches, rats and wild dogs. He also hated the frustrating language barriers, the exhausting hundred-mile treks, his terrifying near-death experiences on steep mountain roads, the monotonous diet, and times he fell sick. But he learned to deal with these and other problems and shortcomings. He slowly began to accept them and adapted to the traditions and ways of living which initially had given him culture shock." Deekay Daulat, Bizindia, April l7, 2013 [Full article athttp://www.bizindia.net/?p=3124]Table of ContentsA Bend in the River to 1700; The Meeting Place 1700 to 1869; The Manitou Stone 1870 to 1891; Newcomers 1892 to 1913; The Emerging City 1914 to 1946; The New City 1947 to 2004; Index.

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Book SynopsisRigorous biography of a prime mover in Canadian parks, recreation, and wildlife stewardship and conservation.Trade Review"J.B. Harkin: Father of Canada's National Parks is a thorough biography, just released by the University of Alberta Press. Author Ted Hart is the head archivist of the Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies in Banff. Harkin, as the first commissioner of dominion parks from 1911 to 1936, was the architect and first leader of the government agency charged with overseeing the national park system.... Though 1885 seems a long time ago, the pressing issues of that time are still with us today.... Everyone interested in the current debate over the development of Banff-and all Canadian national parks-can benefit from reading this biography. J.B. Harkin believed these special places could make us all 'better, happier and healthier.' It falls to our generation to interpret and apply his lofty goals as we manage and protect this timeless treasure." David Finch, Calgary Herald, January 24, 2010"Although not popularly known, J.B. Harkin played a major role in the development of Canada's national parks. Appointed commissioner of the Dominion Parks Branch in 1911, he found a balance between public use and protecting the environment. ... [He] developed an efficient park service and policies that favoured conservation and recreation. When one reads this book, they can appreciate both the career of Harkin and the excellent work that Ted Hart has done in creating this biography." Alberta History, Summer 2010"Hart provides a biography of James Bernard Harkin (1875-1955), a tireless proponent of conservation and historic site preservation and, as many would say, the father of many of Canada's national parks. The author follows Harkin's career from his internship with the Department of the Interior through his retirement as first commissioner of Canada's Dominion Parks Branch. Harkin was creator of the world's first park service." Reference and Research Book News, August 2010"Hart (Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies) restores the reputation of James Bernard Harkin, first commissioner of Canada's Dominion Parks, who served from 1911 to 1936.... [Harkin] became responsible for instituting standards for all dominion parks. This study will also interest students of the US National Park Service (NPS) in its parallels between the evolution of NPS director Horace Albright (1929-33) and Harkin to become protectors of the integrity of park resources. In one case, the NPS helped Harkin save the international waters of Waterton Lakes from being dammed for irrigation purposes. Recommended." P.W. Kaufman, University of Southern Maine, Choice Magazine"In taking on this biography, Hart, like the historians who preceded him, faced a formidable obstacle. Harkin left no personal papers shedding light on his private life and thoughts. Consequently, this book is a biography of Harkin as public servant, and from that perspective, it is a very good one. Hart has scoured the voluminous Dominion Parks Branch files (RG-84 Library and Archives Canada); all Department of Interior files relating to parks branch activities; the relevant prime ministers' papers; the major Alberta archives possessing material on the western parks; and the papers of Mabel Williams (a long-standing parks branch employee during Harkin's tenure), collected by Robin Winks and now housed in the Whyte Museum. Based on this extensive research, Hart has convincingly answered many of the criticisms made by the revisionists against Harkin." Gerald Killan, King's University College at The University of Western Ontario. [Full review at https://www.h-net.org/reviews/showrev.php?id=32511]"Ted Hart is no stranger to mountain slopes or national parks. The former executive director or Banff's Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies has been an archivist, a historian and a proponent of national park history for nearly four decades. Reading his remarkably well-researched biography of Canada's first commissioner of national parks, one could easily imagine Harkin's reaction to these recent developments ['via ferrata' and 'ziplining']. Throughout his career, Harkin worried about the 'increased demands for more and more roads, cheaper forms of amusement and commercial exploitation' in natinal parks." Ed Struzik, Canadian Geographic, April 2011"In 1920, Prime Minister Arthur Meighen described James B. Harkin, director of the Dominion Parks Branch, as 'one of the most competent officers in the Government Service' (p. 336). It strikes me as a most Canadian of compliments, for a man who emerges from E. J. Hart's lengthy biography as a deft and dedicated bureaucrat who consistently and effectively championed national parks to the Canadian government and the Canadian public throughout the first half of the twentieth century....Harkin deserves a biography of this magnitude. He succeeded in transforming the Canadian landscape by creating a national parks system, but more importantly, he grappled with many of the same issues-political, public, and ecological-facing Parks Canada at the beginning of its second century. We can learn much from studying the life and times of one of our 'most competent' historical figures." Claire Campbell, Environmental History,(doi:10.1093/envhis/emr065)"Hart has written a very thorough piece of administrative history. By catching the cadence of bureaucratic life, he has imparted a sense of Harkin's reality. This provides the context in which Harkin can be fairly assessed.. Ted Hart has done well to have memorialized him in such a careful fashion." Peter E. Rider, Histoire sociale / Social History, Vol XLIV, No 88, November, 2011

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Book SynopsisThe Holy Crow.... How do you change one of Canada''s most politically sensitive policies? Retiring the Crow Rate is an exacting study in the process of changing an entrenched public policy that many in the West saw as their birthright. It is also a rewarding work of memoir and a tribute to Jean-Luc Pepin''s prowess as an engaging politician. Arthur Kroeger''s deft narration of the events which led to the end of the The Crow in the early 1980s also reveals his character as an exemplary public servant. Political scientists and students, western historians, politically engaged Canadians, and those who fondly remember Arthur Kroeger as Canada''s ''dean of deputy ministers'' will want Retiring the Crow Rate on their bookshelves. Afterword by John Fraser.Trade Review"The book is really a story of political and public negotiation and participation, a multi-year process of openness, transparency and results that present-day governments could well learn from. There were all the obvious interests: rampant regionalism and a distrust of Ottawa and central Canada; provincial governments of similar and different political stripes than the federal government; special Western interests that were divided between those who were prepared to consider change and those who refused to countenance it; and political intrigue at the federal level as the Minister was regularly undercut by Western Liberal party colleagues at the Cabinet table and in the Senate." Toby Fyfe, IT in Canada, January 6, 2010 [full review at http://tinyurl.com/yc8nsc6]""As Deputy Minister of Transport, the author was actively involved in negotiations to dump the beloved Crow Rate that for many years had proven of benefit to western Canada..As time went on, the Crow Rate became sacred to the western Canada farmer, but after World War II, rising costs made it almost impossible for the railway to find it financially viable....This book examines the process, beginning in 1980, whereby the Federal government shed itself of the rate....The account, as told by the author, is fascinating because he is part of the story, in fact, a major part. The book is detailed and complex in places but is well written and worth the read." Alberta History, Spring 2010"The Crow rate, begun with the 1897 Crow's Nest Pass Agreement, was a freight subsidy imposed on the Canadian railways for the benefit of farmers and manufacturers in Western Canada that was finally ended in 1995 after years of debate and negotiations between the federal government, western stakeholders, and the railways. Having served in the Canadian federal government as a deputy minister in Transport (and other ministries) during much of the period of debate, the late Kroeger narrates these events of the Crow reform process, calling it a process of 'political management.'" Reference and Research Book News, August 2010"It was the Crowsnest Pass Agreement in 1897 between the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) and the federal government that came to establish the freight rate structure for export grain. When the rates were made statutory in 1925 they remained fixed until 1983.... It is the story of how the Crow Rate was changed that Arthur Kroeger recounts in this informative, entertaining, and often humorous book.... Kroeger offers readers insight into the inner workings of government where a new policy is being developed and new legislation enacted. His narrative provides an understanding of the people involved, and the political, social, and economic culture of this part of the Great Plains." Gary Storey, Great Plains Research, Vol. 20, No. 2., 2010

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Book SynopsisModern travel memoir spans history in trailing the ghost of Archduke Ferdinandâs assassin and WWIâs primary catalyst, Gavrilo Princip.Trade Review"The past century has been filled with tumultuous times for the nation of Bosnia. Bosnia: In the Footsteps of Gavrilo Princip looks at the history of Bosnia, using the model of the assassin of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, Gavrilo Princip. What drove him to start a war that claimed countless lives and how his actions are still felt to this day as Bosnia struggles to find its own national identity and place in the world. Bosnia is a riveting and educational read, not to be missed." Midwest Book Review, July 2010"Fabijancic combines travelogue and history through biographically and physically retracing the life journey of Gavrilo Princip, the Bosnian Serb who assassinated Archduke Franz Ferdinand in 1914, thereby setting off the chain of events that would lead to the First World War. The history and the travelogue together reflect on the history and current realities of the contentious ethnic relations of the former Yugoslavia." Reference and Research Book News, August 2010"From the perspective of a road trip, with anecdotes and photographs that make the journey more personal, a reader learns the history of the region from Austria-Hungary¹s occupation through the Baltic Wars, the breakup of Yugoslavia, and the Balkan Wars in the 1990s, as well as the religious differences (Muslim, Catholic, and Orthodox) and the racial divide that still fuels pride and conflict.... This is not a dry readSit¹s sobering but still amusing at times--it reads like a novel. It reminded me a bit of Andrzej Stasuik¹s Fado although exploring a different region. This is the way history should be read-through lively narration and not dry data and charts. I am terribly enthusiastic about this book because it feels valuable-it doesn¹t solve the problems there but by neutral observation it helps an outsider understand them, as well as the bigger picture of the brutality of mankind¹s yearning for domination. The photography should be noted: the black and white images are stark and bring out the humanity in the faces shown." http://www.theblacksheepdances.com"Fabijancic and his Croatian-born father follow Princip's path as he joins a river of progress that leads him to university, involvement with the Serbian national movement and, ultimately, to murder. Along the way they travel through thee borderlands of the modern states of Serbia, Croatia, and Bosnia-Herzegovina, juxtaposing the ethnic cleansing of the 1990s with the earlier nationalist frenzy in the Balkans.. Princip was assisted by a band of young men much like himself..and one gets the impression that they, like modern-day terrorists, were more interested in achieving greatness than in achieving any specific aim. The same can't be said of the perpetrators of the 1990s massacres.. Fabijancic's travels in search of Princip are also travels through the sites of some of the most infamous atrocities of the 1990s, and he comes face-to-face with the rivalries and resentments that both stem from and predate that bloody time. It's a sad journey, with only the smallest glimpses of hope." Alex Rettie, Alberta Views, March 2011

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Book SynopsisBritish-Canadian diplomat and wife sail from Cape Town to Cape Horn in their 27-foot boat.Trade Review"After tough assignments as a Canadian diplomat, Nicholas Coghlan and his wife Jenny decided to sail from Capetown, South African to Tierra del Fuego, South America as they reflect on the great voyages of Magellan, Cook, and Darwin." Prairie Books Now, Summer 2011"This engaging travel memoir describes Coghlan and his wife's first trip to Patagonia in 1978, as well as their second voyage 25 years later in which they sailed from Cape Town to the Beagle Channel and the Strait of Magellan, skirting Tierra del Fuego to Puerto Montt. Along the way, he relates the experiences of past adventurers including Bruce Chatwin, James Cook, Charles Darwin, Ferdinand Magellan, Allen Gardiner, and Joshua Slocum." Reference and Research Book News"For anyone considering venturing to this part of the world, or simply those that love armchair adventuring, this is a 'must-read.' Not only does Nick Coghlan paint a vivid picture of the tenacity and slight insanity required to attempt winter cruising in this part of the world, he also delves into the rich maritime history that the likes of Chatwin, Cook, Darwin and Magellan left behind. Nick and his wife Jenny, experienced cruisers with a circumnavigation under their belts some 20 years previously, sail from Cape Town to the Beagle Channel and the Strait of Magellan, skirting Tierra del Fuego (Fireland). Progress is slow in their 27 foot sailboat, and their days are dictated by constant weather concerns, tricky navigation and the harsh yet beautiful terrain surrounding them. Both enjoy exploring and hiking ashore, giving the reader a full picture of just what it's really like to adventure in Patagonia." Sue, www.noonsite.com"[Nick Coghlan] combined the two qualities that make "Winter in Fireland" a gripping read - an irrepressible spirit of adventure which took him into the most daunting situations, and an ability to describe his experiences in lucid prose. This book, following on his previous publications about Colombia and Sudan, places him solidly in the company of the best travel writers - those hardy souls who have explored the world's nether regions and lived to tell the tale." Paul Durand, Just Ottawa. [Full review @ http://www.justottawa.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=241&Itemid=40]"This rugged region at South America's southern tip has lured hardy adventurers and sailors for centuries. Don't miss reading this tale of one couple's voyage in Bosun Bird, their Vancouver 27. Packed with carefully documented history and as much about adventures by land as by sea, it's a volume you'll want to keep permanently on your bookshelf." Lynda Morris Childress, Cruising World"Coghlan will describe the day's sail, mentioning the landmarks, telling what happened to previous explorers, then talk about the interesting people who make their living on these forbidding waters at the bottom of the world." Chas. Hague, Good Old Boat Magazine."This book, following on his previous publications about Colombia and Sudan, places him solidly in the company of the best travel writers -- those hardy souls who have explored the world's nether regions and lived to tell the tale. [In Capetown, South Africa, Nick and his wife Jenny] conceived of the ultimate sailing adventure; around the tip of South America, through the Beagle Channel and the Strait of Magellan, then into the Pacific. This region, the 'Roaring Forties', is beset by ferocious storms, numbing cold and unpredictable currents: the most difficult sailing area in the world. .... He talks of 8-metre waves and 50-knot winds, sudden squalls and always the freezing, wet cold. This is not hospitable territory.... On March 1, after re-supplying and re-fitting, they depart Puerto Montt and the Chilean mainland, heading out into the Pacific.... A perfect ending to a gripping adventure, written by a colleague who has mastered both sail and pen." Paul Durand, former Canadian Ambassador to Chile (and to Costa Rica and the Organisation of American States) and former Director General for Latin America at the Department of Foreign Affairs in Ottawa, bout de papier, January 2012"Leaving in 2005, they crossed the South Atlantic via Namibia and lonely St Helena, making a spectacular landfall at Rio de Janeiro. In ever heavier weather they then battled south down the coast of Patagonia through the Roaring Forties, to Latitude 55 South. They wintered over at tiny Puerto Williams, Chile: the southernmost permanent settlement in the world, on the shores of the glacier-lined Beagle Channel and only a few miles from Cape Horn. Setting off north again through the lonely Chilean Channels towards warmer climes, with sea-ice still choking many bays, they sat out winds of up to 90 knots and saw scarcely a soul in four months." Sail-World.com, January 21, 2012"Winter in Fireland: A Patagonian Sailing Adventure recounts the sailing journey of author Nicholas Coghlan and his wife Jenny aboard their 27-foot sailboat, Bosun Bird, from Cape Town through the winter waters of the Beagle Channel and the Strait of Magellan, dancing along edges of Tierra del Fuego (Fireland). Their adventure involved braving stormy waters, navigating channels and inlets, and encountering the whims and wonders of other cultures. Reflections on a lifelong love of sailing and incredible nautical adventures past and present fill this treasury for armchair travelers and sailing enthusiasts alike." Midwest Book Review, The Nautical Shelf, January 2012"In this adventure our captain takes his boat, and then his reader, from acquisition through renaming and refitting to the completion of a dream... In addition to relating stories about many of the people met along the way, the author includes or references considerable material explaining reasons for most of the names and places also encountered.. I definitely finished this book with the understanding that cruising is considerably more of a tension filled adrenaline sport than common usage of the term would otherwise suggest. And that's surprising as everything untoward which happens in this journey is quite ably handled by the author and his wife. I've read this book cover to cover, including the appetizing selected bibliography and some of the quite serviceable index. I'd read it again, and I'd urge you to read it too." Garth Miles, Currents Magazine, March 2012"Winter in Fireland chronicles Nicholas and Jenny Coghlan's journey from Cape Town, South Africa, to Tierra del Fuego or 'Fireland.' The Coghlans first traveled to Patagonia in 1978 while teaching in Buenos Aires. From 1985 to 1989 they circumnavigated on their boat, Tarka the Otter, after which Nicholas joined the Canadian Foreign Service, and served at various postings around the world. In Winter in Fireland Nicholas and Jenny revisit Patagonia, this time aboard their cutter-rigged Vancouver 27, Bosun Bird. Coghlan weaves their personal journey with the history of the region. A talented writer, Coghlan's book follows in the wake of Bruce Chatwin, James Cook, Charles Darwin, Joshua Slocum and others who were captivated by Fireland's allure and primal beauty." Ocean Navigator, May-June 2012"Looking for a good cruising adventure to read during the winter months? Try Nicholas Coghlan's Winter In Fireland on for size. Nicholas & his wife Jenny revisit Chile & Patagonia aboard Bosun Bird, their 27 foot yacht. Their adventure takes us through their purchase & fit out in Cape Town, the coast of Argentina through the stormy waters of Tierra del Fuego & up the coast of Chile. It is a tale of their journey, filled with trials & tribulations, as well as reflections on the journeys of past explorers & adventures, told with humour & insight. Interspersed with photos this book is perfect for the armchair sailor and would be explorers." Cruise News, May 2012"[Winter in Fireland] is a story by adventurers for adventurers. For someone planning their own trip south, this book would be useful as both a beginning resource and for its annotated bibliography that lists several books of sailing around South America. For others it will be an escape into worldly travel urges likely to inspire fantasies of visiting Patagonia for ourselves. Coghlan writes with the crisp syntax of a Captain's log and peppers his account with honesty and dry English humour." Marina Parapini, Pacific Rim Review of Books, Vol. 8, No. 2"It is informative, enjoyable and interesting, even if you are not a sailor. The narrative gives a fascinating insight into the motivation, preparation, challenges, hazards, setbacks, uncertainties, and to a large extent skills to improvise when large or small and unexpected calamities materialize." Winesworld Magazine, March 25, 2013 [Full article at http://bit.ly/1iTq3kw]Table of ContentsIntroduction; Precarious Pyramid: The Economics & Politics of the CPP; The Quebec Pension Plan; Institutional Arrangements & Lessons for Alberta; Checking Out of the Hotel California: The Desirability of an Alberta Pension Plan; Alberta Opting Out of the Canada Pension Plan: Can it be done? Should it be done?; An Alberta Pension Plan: What Have We Learned?

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Book SynopsisChester Ronningâs life story offers a candid view of Canadaâs post-WWII diplomacy and China relations.Trade Review"...U of A historian Brian Evans has written a biography of this exceptional Canadian, published by the U of A Press-The Remarkable Chester Ronning: Proud Son of China. Some 30 years in the making, the book is based largely on interviews with Ronning in 1980." Geoff McMaster, University of Alberta, January 3, 2014 [Full article plus video at http://bit.ly/19R8FaM]"Ronning was indeed a man far ahead of many in his time. Against the common wisdom of Canadian and American foreign policy during the fifties and sixties, Ronning was a strong advocate for the recognition of Red China as it was known in those days. He was recognized for his diplomatic skills with several foreign postings, and was heavily involved in attempts to get America and Vietnam to the peace table-well before Nixon had similar inclinations leading to the end of that difficult war and his visit to China in the early 1970's. Ronning was well-loved and respected in China.." Wayne A. Holst, Anglican Church of Canada Continuing Education Plan, January 7, 2014 [Full article at http://cep.anglican.ca/the-remarkable-chester-ronning/]"...an intriguing glimpse of China in turmoil and one Canadian's attempt to make sense of it all.... The Remarkable Chester Ronning is a deft and skillful biography..." Holly Doan, Blacklocks Reporter, February 1, 2014 [Full article athttp://www.blacklocks.ca/review-the-east-is-definitely-red/]"Chester Ronning (1894-1984) was indeed an extraordinary Canadian, an all-round public man.... Brian L. Evans, a professor of Chinese history and a former member of the Canadian embassy in Beijing, has produced a balanced, discerning and engaging biography." George Fetherling, Diplomat and International Canada, Spring 2014"Brian Evans, a former diplomat and respected scholar at the University of Alberta, has written a portrait of Ronning that is both personal and professional. Evans draws from family letters, official records, interviews, and academic comments. He has assessed Ronning’s life with care, avoiding excessive claims but giving credit for substantial contributions…. While Evans’ book is a biography, it presents a succinct overview of the political movements that reshaped China during the past century. Evans writes with clarity and authority, providing a fascinating study for students of Canadian diplomacy and for readers interested in modern China." -- Victor Rabinovitch * Canada's History Magazine *"[Chester Ronning] became active in Alberta politics and saw service in the RCAF during the war. He finally got the chance to return to China in 1945 and remained there for two years, serving as Canada's ambassador. In 1954 he was appointed ambassador to Norway and Iceland and in 1957 he was high commissioner in India. He also served with delegations to the Geneva Convention dealing with Korea, Laos, and Vietnam.... As the author concludes, 'By any measure, Ronning was an extraordinary person who led an extraordinary life during extraordinary times.'" * Alberta History *

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Book SynopsisDying In God''s Hands is a book about dying and death, and about what we learn from the terminally ill. It is intended to provide fresh insights into the hearts and minds of the dying and to provide solace and comfort to people who are dealing with the loss of a loved one, whether in the immediate future or in the recent past. Part I is based on interviews with 12 Hospice patients in which they share their hopes, strengths, anxieties, frustrations and needs. Dying people see life with clarity. They have the unique ability of enjoying each moment as if it were their last, the author writes in the introduction. She adds that the sacredness of life is among the profound lessons we learn from the dying. Several interviews provide testimony that a deep and abiding faith in God is the greatest strength of those facing imminent death. While exploring and illuminating the natural process of dying, the author consequently touches on the outer edges of the supernatural. The reader can practicall

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