Subjects:  1. Canada - General    2. Labor & Industrial Relations - Unions    3. Political    4. Politics - Current Events    5. 321    6. 330    7. Biography & Autobiography / Political    8. Rowley Kent labour unions Quebec biography    9. Rowley, Kent   

Subjects:  1. Biography & Autobiography    2. Biography / Autobiography    3. Biography/Autobiography    4. Canada - Prairie Provinces    5. Women   

Subjects:  1. 1876-1934    2. Biography    3. Harmon, Byron,    4. Northwest Territories    5. Photographers    6. Photography of mountains    7. Harmon, Byron    8. North America    9. Photographs: collections   

Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. Biography    3. Biography & Autobiography    4. Biography / Autobiography    5. Biography/Autobiography    6. Goulet, Robert    7. Historical - General    8. Homes and haunts    9. Intellectual life    10. Novelists, Canadian    11. Quebec (Province)    12. Quâebec (Province)    13. Biography: general    14. Childhood and youth    15. Québec (Province)   

Subjects:  1. Canada - General    2. History    3. History - General History    4. Military - Other    5. Biography: Adventure    6. Biography: Canadian    7. Biography: Crime    8. History / Canada    9. History: Maritime   

Subjects:  1. Biography    2. Biography & Autobiography    3. Biography/Autobiography    4. British Columbia    5. Frontier and pioneer life    6. General    7. Nature    8. Nature / Field Guide Books    9. Nechako River Region (B.C.)    10. Vanderhoof Region    11. Vanderhoof Region (B.C.)    12. Women    13. Women's Studies - General    14. Biography: general    15. Canada    16. Family history   

Editorial Review

Canadian novelist Wayson Choy is an only child of Chinese immigrants to Vancouver, reticent, hardworking people who struggled to keep him from losing his cultural identity and becoming a Read more

Reviews (2)

Growing up in Vancouver's Chinatown in the 1940s
Now a respected professor and novelist in Canada, Wayson Choy was 57 years old in 1999 when he learned that he had been adopted. This memoir is a result of that discovery and, even though some family secrets do get discovered, by the end of this 342 page-book, he and the reader understand that much of his suppressed family history will never be completely uncovered.
Mo-no juk sumMakes Good, Eloquently
In anticipation of the lunar new year, I picked up this book.The author had me under his spell by the second page.In his memoir of growing up in the 1940's, as the son of Chinese immigrants in Vancouver's Chinatown, the reader learns that Mr. Choy, while on a promotional book tour in 1995, received a call from a woman who says that she just saw his mother.But his Toisanese mother died nearly two decades earlier, he tells the mysterious caller.No, the caller replies, she means his `real mother.'And so the memoir and the mystery begin. In descriptive language that is hypnotic and nearly as haunting as a ghost filled home his family lived in, an extremely detailed portrait of his life as a young boy is drawn.In Part 1, his pre-school years are filled with family, Chinglish, mah-jong, lots of single "uncles" to take him for ice cream, nightly Chinese operas (his mother's version are a permanent barrier against pessimism), cowboy films, and his assertively willful tantrums.In Part 2, the author writes of his school years, English and Chinese lessons, stubbornness, truancy, confusion, helplessness, his pet dog, the humiliations his father endured at work, and the other concerns of children.In the last third of the book, Mr. Choy returns as an adult to the mystery of hisand explores the hidden secrets of his family.Upon close reading, one learns about the stress of living as an Asian in North America during the War, a time when burials were only allowed in Asian-only cemeteries, when sick Asians were housed in the basement of the hospital, when Asians were offered payments to return to Asia if they promised never to return, and when men were not allowed to bring their families or wives over to the Gold Mountain from across the Pacific.On even closer reading, one can discern how different Chinese identities were crafted in North America by his grandfather, his parents, and finally himself in an in-between'ness third generation. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. Adoptees    3. Biography    4. Biography / Autobiography    5. British Columbia    6. Canada    7. Canada - General    8. Chinese    9. Ethnic Cultures - General    10. Ethnic Studies - General    11. Historical - General    12. Literary    13. Novelists, Canadian    14. Social Science    15. Sociology    16. Vancouver Island    17. Biography & Autobiography / General   

Reviews (1)

Flawed
We learn nothing new in this book.The book blames everyone but the actual person who really killed the Meech Lake Accord, i.e. Robert Bourassa.Did anyone oppose Meech before the Quebec premier invoked the notwithstanding clause of the constitution?No.The book also tries to support the myth that he was some kind of political genius; a master strategist.The bottom line? Everything he did blew up in his face.Bill 22?Lost the 1976 election because of it.Bill 178?Meech Lake.The rest of Canada should have just ignored him and gone about its own business.Save your money and buy another book. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1933-    2. 1960-    3. Biography    4. Bourassa, Robert,    5. Canada - General    6. Canada - Post-Confederation (1867-)    7. History    8. History - General History    9. Political    10. Political History    11. Politicians    12. Politics and government    13. Politics/International Relations    14. Quebec (Province)    15. Quâebec (Province)   

Reviews (2)

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

Subjects:  1. Biography    2. British Columbia    3. Canada - General    4. Frontier and pioneer life    5. History - General History    6. Pioneers    7. Travel    8. United States - General    9. Wilderness areas    10. Aircraft: general interest    11. Local history    12. USA   

Subjects:  1. Biography / Autobiography    2. Canada - General    3. Expeditions & Discoveries    4. Historical - General   

Editorial Review

The first white man to cross North America, Scottish-born Alexander Mackenzie (1764-1820) was typical of his generation of explorers: this bold adventurer who surveyed the untamed wilderness with impressive accuracy was also a hardheaded businessman who ventured into unknown Canadian territory in search of profits from fur trading. Canadian historian Barry Gough admires Mackenzie's toughness and daring without glossing over the towering ego and knack for self-promotion that won him a knighthood from England in 1802. Read more

Reviews (2)

Canadian explorations
This is a well-written, concise (200 pages) biography of Alexander Mackenzie, the great Canadian explorer, best remembered for two important journeys made in western Canada, one to the Arctic Ocean in 1789, the other to the Pacific in 1792-93. Mackenzie was born in Scotland in 1762 and came to America as a teenager. He lived first in New York State around Johnstown, but moved to Montreal in 1778, where he entered the fur trade. By the 1780s, Fort Chipewyan, on the southern shore of Lake Athabasca, had become an important fur trading post, and this became Mackenzie's base of operations for his two explorations. The first, in 1789, took him north to Great Slave Lake and the river that would later bear his name, down which he ventured to the Beaufort Sea. Three years later he journeyed west from Fort Chipewyan along the Peace River and then over the Continental Divide to the Fraser and finally overland to the Pacific near Bella Coola. Thus Mackenzie and his men became the first to travel to the Pacific from an interior post on the continent (basically the first to cross the continent from sea to sea). He wrote an excellent account of his travels in 1801 (Lewis and Clark studied it thoroughly), much of it having to do with the Indians he encountered and which also included a history of the Canadian fur trade. He was knighted in 1802 and settled in Scotland. Although the book is a full biography, Gough focuses on the two journeys, the itineraries of which he has made extensive explorations of his own, and details the routes carefully, explaining much of what the explorers would have seen and experienced. He's a compelling writer and the book is a most interesting one. Highly recommended.

Factual narrative
Pretty good book.Gives a rather matter-of-fact account of MacKenzie's life.Not alot of detail or passion in either of his 2 great voyages.Interesting in all the other people brought into the story.Now I want toread about Peter Pond, MacKenzies' predecessor.Short and a quick read. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1763-1820    2. Biography    3. Biography & Autobiography    4. Biography / Autobiography    5. Biography/Autobiography    6. Canada - General    7. Explorers    8. Fur trade    9. Fur traders    10. Historical - General    11. Historical - U.S.    12. History    13. Mackenzie, Alexander,    14. North American    15. Northwest, Canadian    16. Sir,    17. Canada    18. World history   

Subjects:  1. 1948-    2. Biography    3. Biography / Autobiography    4. Biography/Autobiography    5. Canada - History - 20th Century (General)    6. Ethnic Cultures    7. History Of Jews    8. Jews    9. Montreal (Quebec)    10. Montrâeal    11. Political    12. Politics and government    13. Quâebec (Province)    14. Religious    15. Biography & Autobiography / General    16. Bronfman, Edgar M   

Subjects:  1. Alberta    2. Anecdotes    3. Biography    4. Family & Relationships    5. Family/Marriage    6. General    7. Kilgour, Betty    8. Tanzania    9. Travel    10. Africa    11. Canada    12. Ireland    13. Travel writing   

Subjects:  1. 1826-1909    2. 19th century    3. Biographies    4. Biography    5. Biography & Autobiography    6. Biography / Autobiography    7. Biography/Autobiography    8. Canada - General    9. Canada - History - 1760-1899    10. Clarke, Charles,    11. English Canadian Prose    12. Historical - General    13. History    14. Hommes politiques    15. Literary    16. Ontario    17. Political    18. Politicians    19. Politics and government   

Subjects:  1. 19th century    2. Biography    3. Education / Teaching    4. Education And The State    5. Education and state    6. Finance    7. History    8. History: World    9. Ontario    10. School management and organiza    11. School management and organization    12. School supervisors    13. Central government policies    14. Organization & management of education   

Subjects:  1. Architects    2. Architecture    3. Biography    4. British Columbia    5. Canada - Post-Confederation (1867-)    6. History - General    7. History - General History    8. History / Canada / Post-Confederation (1867-)   

Reviews (1)

Fulfillment - An excellent overview
This book provides a look at one one person's formative years in Toronto, growing up in a Jewish home in the 1920's and 1930's.What was it like in Toronto during Hitler's rise to power in Germany, the war years and finally, Mr Vanek's elevation to the criminal court bench in Ontario.Thebook provides a succinct look at the maturation of Ontario's justice systemand finally highlights some of Judge Vanek's most promonent cases, the mostfamous of which is R v Susan Nelles.The book is clearly written andextremely readable.Read more

Subjects:  1. Biography    2. Biography & Autobiography    3. Biography / Autobiography    4. Biography/Autobiography    5. Criminal Justice Administration    6. Criminal justice, Administrati    7. Criminal justice, Administration of    8. Judges    9. Lawyers & Judges    10. Ontario    11. Vanek, David    12. Biography & Autobiography / Lawyers & Judges    13. Biography: general    14. Canada    15. Courts & procedure    16. Criminal law   

Subjects:  1. Biography    2. Canada - History    3. Correspondence    4. Ffolkes, Edward    5. Manitoba    6. Pioneers   

Subjects:  1. 1913-    2. Biography/Autobiography    3. Canada - History    4. History    5. Maritime Provinces    6. Quebec (Province)    7. Wade, Mason,    8. Wade, Mason   

Reviews (2)

An uplifting read for young readers of all ages
Highly recommended, Bryan Prince's I Came As A Stranger: The Underground Railroad is a fascinating history and site guide to the American Underground Railroad, a pre-Civil War secret organization of conspirators who risked life and freedom to help fugitive slaves make the perilous journey to the freedom in Canada. Black-and-white illustrations, and compelling testimony make I Came As A Stranger an educational and uplifting read for young readers of all ages.

A Must Have
Very seldom do we get the opportunity to read history from the voices of those that lived it and, the persons who are descendants of those who lived it. In this amazing volume, you have both. Bryan Prince is not only a consumate historian, he is a descendant of the fugitives who made it to freedom and settled in Southern Ontario. While intended for young adults, older readers, especially from the U.S. will have the opportunity to learn "the rest of the story" of the Underground Railroad. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Biography & Autobiography - Historical    2. Blacks    3. Canada    4. Children's 9-12 - History - General    5. Children's Books/Ages 9-12 Nonfiction    6. Children: Grades 4-6    7. Ethnic - African American    8. Fugitive slaves    9. History    10. History - Canada - General    11. History - Canada - Post-Confederation (1867-)    12. History - General    13. History - United States/19th Century    14. Juvenile Nonfiction    15. Juvenile literature    16. Ontario    17. People & Places - United States - African-American    18. Underground railroad    19. Juvenile Nonfiction / History / General