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miramichireader's reviews
676 reviews
Joshua Slocum: The Captain Who Sailed Around the World by Quentin Casey
4.0
This book is part of the "Stories of Our Past" series published by Nimbus. The look and feel of this book is very polished. It is only a little over 120 pages, but Mr. Casey manages to condense a full lifetime of Captain Slocum's adventures and trials into these few pages. There are plenty of colour and B&W illustrations throughout the book, printed on good high quality paper.
The target audience for this book would be the general reader, perhaps even young adults. In fact, it kind of reminds me of the "How and Why Wonder Book" series of illustrated books that were popular with young people back in the 60's and 70's (see: https://www.pinterest.com/rastin/how-and-why-wonder-books/) I still have my How and Why Wonder Book of WWII, in fact.
Many years ago, I read Captain Slocum's [b:Sailing Alone around the World|881902|Sailing Alone around the World|Joshua Slocum|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348673680s/881902.jpg|1140536] and found it fascinating reading. Fascinating not only for the feat itself (he was the first person to sail around the world alone) but also for it's engaging sense of adventure and the Captain's writing style, which was very good considering he left home at a very young age to go to sea.
However, I always had this vision of him retiring to a quiet shore life after attaining fame and (some) fortune from his globe-encircling trek. This was not the case, as this volume by author Quentin Casey well describes.
Mr. Casey includes a bibliography at the end of various books he used in his research and freely quotes from throughout each chapter. With a cover price of $15.95, this would make a nice gift for anyone with an interest in Maritime/Nautical history. I would definitely enjoy examining the "Stories of Our Past" series of books further.
The target audience for this book would be the general reader, perhaps even young adults. In fact, it kind of reminds me of the "How and Why Wonder Book" series of illustrated books that were popular with young people back in the 60's and 70's (see: https://www.pinterest.com/rastin/how-and-why-wonder-books/) I still have my How and Why Wonder Book of WWII, in fact.
Many years ago, I read Captain Slocum's [b:Sailing Alone around the World|881902|Sailing Alone around the World|Joshua Slocum|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348673680s/881902.jpg|1140536] and found it fascinating reading. Fascinating not only for the feat itself (he was the first person to sail around the world alone) but also for it's engaging sense of adventure and the Captain's writing style, which was very good considering he left home at a very young age to go to sea.
However, I always had this vision of him retiring to a quiet shore life after attaining fame and (some) fortune from his globe-encircling trek. This was not the case, as this volume by author Quentin Casey well describes.
Mr. Casey includes a bibliography at the end of various books he used in his research and freely quotes from throughout each chapter. With a cover price of $15.95, this would make a nice gift for anyone with an interest in Maritime/Nautical history. I would definitely enjoy examining the "Stories of Our Past" series of books further.
The Rover by Joseph Conrad
5.0
The Rover was Conrad's last book and probably one of his more accessible stories. A little background on the French Revolution comes in handy to know what a 'sans cullotte' and a 'ci-devant' are since the terms appear regularly throughout the story. Otherwise, a great novel with some plot twists, romance, mystery and a satisfying ending (depending how you look at it, I suppose).
From Old Hollywood to New Brunswick by Charles Foster
4.0
After reading this book (it only took a few hours; it is that fascinating and breezily written), I couldn't help think of a quote from the Joseph Conrad novel [b:The Rescue|1737984|The Rescue|Joseph Conrad|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1187599891s/1737984.jpg|14520] in which the character Edith Travers says to herself after Captain Tom Lingard has related all the imminent dangers of the island near where her yacht has grounded. She thinks: "Can all these things be possible? No - but they are true."
The entire time I was reading this book I was in disbelief at all the things that figuratively fell into Mr. Foster's lap over the years. Some I still find difficult to believe, like how he was responsible for the first meeting between JFK and Marilyn Monroe (and the crazy circumstances surrounding it).
Charles Foster (who was born in England in 1923 and now lives in Moncton, New Brunswick) attributes all of adventures to "being in the right place at the right time" but I think there is more to it than that. Being in an RAF uniform amongst the civilian population of L.A. and New York during the WWII years helped too. In addition, I get the impression that Mr. Foster has one of those "auras" (for lack of a better word) around him that make people instantly perceive him as someone trustworthy, honest and generally enjoyable to be around.
Read the rest of this review at: http://miramichireader.blogspot.ca/2015/04/from-old-hollywood-to-new-brunswick.html
The entire time I was reading this book I was in disbelief at all the things that figuratively fell into Mr. Foster's lap over the years. Some I still find difficult to believe, like how he was responsible for the first meeting between JFK and Marilyn Monroe (and the crazy circumstances surrounding it).
Charles Foster (who was born in England in 1923 and now lives in Moncton, New Brunswick) attributes all of adventures to "being in the right place at the right time" but I think there is more to it than that. Being in an RAF uniform amongst the civilian population of L.A. and New York during the WWII years helped too. In addition, I get the impression that Mr. Foster has one of those "auras" (for lack of a better word) around him that make people instantly perceive him as someone trustworthy, honest and generally enjoyable to be around.
Read the rest of this review at: http://miramichireader.blogspot.ca/2015/04/from-old-hollywood-to-new-brunswick.html
The Interrupted Forest: A History of Maine's Wildlands by Neil Rolde
4.0
Living in New Brunswick as I do, it is only inevitable that any access to the U.S. from here must come through the state of Maine. Over the years, my wife & I have enjoyed many vacations in Maine whether it was “Down East” (Bar Harbor, Mount Desert Island) or in the western mountain and lakes region (Rangeley, Moosehead). On a recent trip to Rangeley, I was quick to stop into Books, Lines and Thinkers, an independent bookseller with whom I have visited on a previous trip. I asked Wess (the owner) about a book on Maine history that he might recommend. He immediately presented me with this book, which is sub-titled “A History of Maine’s Wildlands”. While it is not just a history of the Maine Woods, it does touch on the settlement of Maine by the Puritans and Pilgrims, the push into the forests (pushing the Native Americans out) and the inevitable logging that would soon follow upon which the economy of Maine was based – and controlled by- for so many years.
The author, Neil Rolde is a Maine historian and former state legislator, putting him in a perfect position to relate history and the legalities of who exactly owned and controlled what when it came down to sorting out all the issues regarding the Maine North Woods, issues which are still ongoing today.
The book is laid out in a present/past/future arrangement which makes sense as you progress through the chapters. Written in 2001, it starts with issues regarding the Maine Woods currently in the news then (“Nowadays”), then proceeds on to geologic and prehistoric times, through discovery of North America, settlement, the French-Indian Wars, the American revolution, industrialization, clear-cutting and so on, until we come full circle and Mr. Rolde, from his unique perspective, assesses the future of the Maine Woods.
Read the rest of this review at: http://miramichireader.ca/2015/05/the-interrupted-forest/
The author, Neil Rolde is a Maine historian and former state legislator, putting him in a perfect position to relate history and the legalities of who exactly owned and controlled what when it came down to sorting out all the issues regarding the Maine North Woods, issues which are still ongoing today.
The book is laid out in a present/past/future arrangement which makes sense as you progress through the chapters. Written in 2001, it starts with issues regarding the Maine Woods currently in the news then (“Nowadays”), then proceeds on to geologic and prehistoric times, through discovery of North America, settlement, the French-Indian Wars, the American revolution, industrialization, clear-cutting and so on, until we come full circle and Mr. Rolde, from his unique perspective, assesses the future of the Maine Woods.
Read the rest of this review at: http://miramichireader.ca/2015/05/the-interrupted-forest/
War at Sea: Canada and the Battle of the Atlantic by Ken Smith
3.0
Seventy years. Yes, it has been 70 years – almost an entire generation - since the end of WWII and, as well, the end of the Battle of the Atlantic. A battle that started just a few hours after the declaration of war in 1939 and ran until the cessation of hostilities in 1945, thus making it the longest-running battle of WWII. At the end of it all, Canada's Navy which started with just a few small, aging ships, was the third largest navy in the world, surpassed only by Britain and the U.S.
Many books (fiction and non-fiction) have been published on the subject, movies have been made ("The Cruel Sea" comes to mind) and now Nimbus Publishing has just released War at Sea: Canada and the Battle of the Atlantic by New Brunswick author Ken Smith. In the author's own words "War at Sea, at a personal level, is my way of honouring those who took part in the Battle of the Atlantic. Although there are, of course, other books out on this topic, there is room for more, much more. D-Day, Juno Beach, The Battle of Britain, and the heroic antics of our Spitfire fighter planes will continue to fill bookshelves while the story of our tremendous struggle for control of our vital sea lanes remains a distant second.. Hopefully, War at Sea will generate new interest, especially among our younger readers. We it owe it to our veterans."
The Nimbus release notes regarding War at Sea states that: "War at Sea describes the history of the engagement through a detailed catalogue of the technology, weapons, and ships, including frigates, corvettes, and fairmiles that the Canadian Navy depended on." While I take exception to the word 'detailed' the rest is certainly true: Mr. Smith has done his research (as the bibliography lists many vital references) and this book, if nothing else, is a good introduction for those unfamiliar with this aspect of the Canadian Navy's involvement in WWII. As well, the book is generously peppered with personal experiences from the Historica Memory Project (a search of "Historica Memory Project" turned up nothing, but it must be The Memory Project) which adds a certain value to this book. My only quibble was that sometimes the ship of the sailor being quoted was not always stated which would have been helpful to know.
Whilst on the subject of quibbles, it would have been nice to have some more photographs of the ships described as well as footnotes, which are totally absent in this book (apparently, the author was limited to page counts). However, also conspicuous by their absence are any links (or any mention of their existence, but surely the author must know about them) to either the HMCS Haida or the HMCS Sackville, both beautifully restored veterans of the Battle of the Atlantic located in Hamilton, Ontario and Halifax, Nova Scotia respectively.
Let's now move on to some highlights of War at Sea.
As mentioned previously, the quoted personal experiences of the sailors involved adds exceptional value to the book. Another valued aspect of the book is the list of those ships lost in the Battle of the Atlantic, which at almost 90 pages make up the bulk of this book's 175+ pages. Also mentioned are the ships of the underrated Canadian Merchant Navy lost in the Gulf of the St. Lawrence, bringing the war very close to Canadian waters. Giving the book a lighter, enjoyable feel (if one can use those terms in a book about war) is chapter four: Civilian Encounters with U-Boats which highlight just how close the war came to Canadian waters and our soil and the farcical exploits of German spies here in Canada. This chapter alone is worth the price of the book and makes it a worthy addition to the Canadian Naval historian enthusiast's bookshelf.
"War at Sea" will certainly appeal to two groups of people: armchair enthusiasts of the Canadian Navy and younger ones who would like an overall view of the Battle of the Atlantic and just how close it came to Canadian shores. My only wish is that it could have been longer and included more details, but that is no fault of the author, who apparently wanted to pack as much information as he could in the space allowed. Don't pass by the opportunity to read this book and include it in your naval library.
Many books (fiction and non-fiction) have been published on the subject, movies have been made ("The Cruel Sea" comes to mind) and now Nimbus Publishing has just released War at Sea: Canada and the Battle of the Atlantic by New Brunswick author Ken Smith. In the author's own words "War at Sea, at a personal level, is my way of honouring those who took part in the Battle of the Atlantic. Although there are, of course, other books out on this topic, there is room for more, much more. D-Day, Juno Beach, The Battle of Britain, and the heroic antics of our Spitfire fighter planes will continue to fill bookshelves while the story of our tremendous struggle for control of our vital sea lanes remains a distant second.. Hopefully, War at Sea will generate new interest, especially among our younger readers. We it owe it to our veterans."
The Book
The Nimbus release notes regarding War at Sea states that: "War at Sea describes the history of the engagement through a detailed catalogue of the technology, weapons, and ships, including frigates, corvettes, and fairmiles that the Canadian Navy depended on." While I take exception to the word 'detailed' the rest is certainly true: Mr. Smith has done his research (as the bibliography lists many vital references) and this book, if nothing else, is a good introduction for those unfamiliar with this aspect of the Canadian Navy's involvement in WWII. As well, the book is generously peppered with personal experiences from the Historica Memory Project (a search of "Historica Memory Project" turned up nothing, but it must be The Memory Project) which adds a certain value to this book. My only quibble was that sometimes the ship of the sailor being quoted was not always stated which would have been helpful to know.
Whilst on the subject of quibbles, it would have been nice to have some more photographs of the ships described as well as footnotes, which are totally absent in this book (apparently, the author was limited to page counts). However, also conspicuous by their absence are any links (or any mention of their existence, but surely the author must know about them) to either the HMCS Haida or the HMCS Sackville, both beautifully restored veterans of the Battle of the Atlantic located in Hamilton, Ontario and Halifax, Nova Scotia respectively.
Let's now move on to some highlights of War at Sea.
Highlights
As mentioned previously, the quoted personal experiences of the sailors involved adds exceptional value to the book. Another valued aspect of the book is the list of those ships lost in the Battle of the Atlantic, which at almost 90 pages make up the bulk of this book's 175+ pages. Also mentioned are the ships of the underrated Canadian Merchant Navy lost in the Gulf of the St. Lawrence, bringing the war very close to Canadian waters. Giving the book a lighter, enjoyable feel (if one can use those terms in a book about war) is chapter four: Civilian Encounters with U-Boats which highlight just how close the war came to Canadian waters and our soil and the farcical exploits of German spies here in Canada. This chapter alone is worth the price of the book and makes it a worthy addition to the Canadian Naval historian enthusiast's bookshelf.
Conclusion
"War at Sea" will certainly appeal to two groups of people: armchair enthusiasts of the Canadian Navy and younger ones who would like an overall view of the Battle of the Atlantic and just how close it came to Canadian shores. My only wish is that it could have been longer and included more details, but that is no fault of the author, who apparently wanted to pack as much information as he could in the space allowed. Don't pass by the opportunity to read this book and include it in your naval library.
Charlotte's Web by E.B. White
5.0
Five star as far as a 'children's' book goes. Lots of life lessons in this book, resulting in it's longevity and popularity.
Costa Blanca by Raymond Fraser
3.0
I always enjoy reading Ray's novels and short stories and this book is no exception. It is one of his earlier works and his characters Walt Macbride and his friend Sully will be familiar to his longtime readers. The Costa Blanca novella is entertaining, covering the time when Walt and Eva were together and he was still writing. Then, a few years later everything has changed on a return trip to Spain ("Return to Costa Blanca"). Walt has had a 'vision' on the way to the Bannonbridge dump and is sure a return trip to Spain will be the answer to all his problems. He is off booze, but slowly and surely finds ingenious ways to seek it out to deal with his various issues (paranoia being one). I found this portion of the book to be very well done.
Also included is "The Heart Sound" a brief play or skit about some local losers trying to get into show business with the aid of a case of beer and a bottle of rum.
Also included is "The Heart Sound" a brief play or skit about some local losers trying to get into show business with the aid of a case of beer and a bottle of rum.