Canada Books

This is the definitive work on Schwere Panzerjaeger Abteilung 653. Worth every cent.

This is, indeed, an incredible work! The numerous photos of the Ferdinand/Elefant are amazing. I enthusiastically recommend this book, especially for Ferdinand/Elefant fans.

What can i say, If you do not have it.. grab it while you can.. The book is jam packed with photos of Ferdinands/Elephants and other goodies like the sturmPanzer and exceptionally rare Panther w/Panzer IV turret and a T-34 with a German 20mm Quad instead of the turret... The book is first class... I cannot say more.. GET IT

When this book appeared, it collectively took the breath away from World War Two armor enthusiasts and historians alike. Karlheinz Munch has cleared away decades of half-truths and assumptions by going directly to the source. He has interviewed unit veterans and consulted original military documents and private diaries to produce the most complete history of the 653rd Heavy Tank Destroyer Battalion, a unit that operated some of the most remarkable vehicles of the war, the Elefant and the Jagdtiger. The other surprise was that the soldiers were avid shutterbugs, and the veterans and their familes have opened their private photo collections to the author. These are vehicles previously known through a mere handful of German propaganda photos and US Army Signal Corps pictures. Suddenly, we have not dozens but hundreds of fresh photos, showing details of operations, unit markings, and more. Rarities include a Tiger P prototype converted to a command tank, a recovery Panther with a Panzer IV turret bolted to the roof, a Russian T-34 converted to a German antiarcraft tank, and more. Publisher J.J. Fedorowicz does not believe in half-measures. There are color drawings by famed military artist Jean Restayn, and multiview drawings by Hilary Louis Doyle. A superb investment for the historian or model builder.

As others have noted, the book is not only informative but entertaining. Barkley's photos set the tone brilliantly for a look at the game in earlier days. Where today players wear helmets and masks, then Barkley's close-in style highlighted the emotion of the game by vividly showing players' faces. The illuminated, rapid-fire sports photography of today loses the luster of Barkley's contrasted shots that make it seem as though there is only the players and the ice surface, which he lit with his own set of lights along the glass hours before each game.

A must-have along with Kevin Allen, Bob Duff and Johnny Bower's "Without Fear."

I own many hockey books, and this book is, by far, the one I open up most often. Each picture takes you into a world of NHL hockey that has long passed away. The beautiful full-color photographs will cause you to forget that they are images of the fastest moving sport in the world. It's as if the players have posed for the camera in an attempt to recreate hidden moments of the game. The facial expressions alone will capture your eye. You'll find yourself scanning every detail of the pictures, looking for that elusive black puck (and you'll find that puck in nearly every picture). This book is a pure treasure for fans of the game of hockey, in particular those fans who remember the simple days of 6 teams, 120 players, 1 Cup.

You can literally spend hours looking at this book and not tire of the images. They're so life-like it's eerie. Harold Barkley's strobe photography techniques give the pictures a "3-D" quality that is completely absent in today's "flat" images. Of course, the fact that the stars in the photos are from the "Golden Era" (50's and 60's) make the book all that much better. These stills make you yearn for the hockey of yesteryear, even if you weren't there! The flat sticks, the glossy narrow skates, the bryl-cream donned hair (helmet, what helmet?) - it's all here right down to the ice-shavings littering the goal crease, all in awesome detail.

Frank Selke's introduction is excellent as well. Here is a man that makes no bones about why this was hockey's greatest era. My favorite example - fights were seen as a gentlemanly way to settle differences, not as an indication of a sport gone awry with "violence". My only complaint is that his anecdotes are only a few pages rather than a few chapters.

But the photographs are really what this book is about. Sure, the statistics and history of each player featured are there, but I found my eyes continually wandering from the print back to the image - they're that good. It's tempting to cut them all out and frame them.

This book will be enjoyed by any hockey fan, but if your over 40 it will be a treasure.

Wow! Buy this book just for the fabulous photographs taken by Harold Barkley, a long-time photgrapher with the Toronto Star. Barkley pioneered the use of the strobe in sports photography, and the detail he captured in these bright color photos is phenomenal--the texture of the ice, the meticulously greased and combed hair on the players, the rows of dark-suited spectators in the audience. This is how hockey used to look! The text consists of 1-2 page spreads on individual players of the day. The stars are all here, of course, but more interesting, to me anyway, are the players who've slipped from memory--Andy Hebenton, Norm Ullman, Camille Henry, Elmer Vasko. These names ring bells for fans who grew up in that era, but you seldom hear them now. Yet, here they are, preserved for us both in prose and in pristine photographic detail. This book's a gem.

Writers wishing to engage with the Holocaust can be faced with a vast array of initially overwhelming difficulties. The gravitas with which the subject area must be approached and the struggle to "express the inexpressible" through the written word alone, is enough to deter many from ever embracing the subject. One of the most difficult tasks for an historian is perhaps presenting factual information and a coherent line of argument, whilst retaining a degree of reverence and sensitivity to Holocaust survivors and the families of the six million victims. Conversely, an excess of sentimentality and emotion, could lead to the loss of any objective method of study in its entirety. The challenges posed by this area of historical study, as one can see, are great and yet Marrus in his text The Holocaust in History, succeeds in producing an excellent overview of the events and current polemics surrounding the period, which maintains a high level of objectivity throughout, without ever drifting towards callousness.

Michael R. Marrus, is a Canadian historian, born 1941, who specialises in, and has dedicated much of his time to researching; Jewish history, the Holocaust and anti-Semitism in France.1 The Holocaust in History, published in 1987, is his best-selling text to date and according to the cover quotation, provides "the best review of this tragic period"2.In many ways however, Marrus' work is far more than a "review" of the period, but a work of detailed scholarship and synthesis which examines many aspects of the Holocaust in considerable detail. Most notable, perhaps, is the assessment of the Final Solution or Endlösung, which lucidly presents the key arguments of both the Intentionalist and Functionalist schools. With animated prose, so often lacking from historical and especially historiographical texts, Marrus engages the reader in the various debates between the two groups, leading to an accomplished four-way discourse, between writer, reader, Functionalist and Intentionalist.

The Holocuast in History is, however, primarily an historiographical not an historical work. Although it provides sufficient background information on the events of, and build-up to, the Holocaust, its foremost aim is to establish the various scholarly polemics, which have emerged through what Marrus describes as "serious historical investigation" and engage the reader in these pertinent debates.3 Such topics examined, are the emergence of anti-Semitism both within the Nazi party and on a European scale, bystanders and collaborationist governments, the Jewish resistance, public opinion and state of knowledge, and finally, the victims of the Holocaust. Despite its relative accessibility as an historiographical text, some knowledge of the methods of genocide employed by the Nazis and knowledge of the rise of the Nazi party in the nineteen twenties make the book far more accessible to the "lay-reader".
This is one area where Marrus' text excels, as the book seldom drifts from its central lines of argument. It is often the tendency of erudite historians to loose track of important polemic threads, feeling that they must lengthily discuss specific terminology and in doing so; loose the coherence of their arguments and often, in turn, the readers attention. Neither does the text concern itself with defining the term Holocaust, Marrus acknowledges that this is "a serious body"4 of literature in itself but rightly does not feel the necessity to discuss it within the confines of his text.

One of the key uses of The Holocaust in History as an historiographical text is to use the arguments revealed within it and apply these to the wealth of Holocaust related material now available, noting whether or not Marrus' arguments are supported. The text also clarifies many of the Holocaust "myths" which have presented themselves, dispelling rumours for example that there was inherent anti-Semitism in Germany at the turn of the century, on the contrary in fact, Marrus informs us that " one might easily settle upon France" for the most dangerous country of inhabitancy for a Jew. 5 The sheer volume of Holocaust related literature available and the varying states of knowledge on the events of the Holocaust in the past, both in terms of scale and accuracy can lead to many studies, being ill informed, especially those undertaken by inexperienced students, who do not always question the credibility of their source material. Therefore Marrus' text is extremely useful for students writing on the Holocaust, as it allows a greater awareness of the key questions and debates, which are applied to the period.

When we are informed by scientists that there are more grains of sand on a beach than stars in the sky, we "lock up" mentally, unable to comprehend what we have heard. The same could also be applied to the Holocaust. Statistics report that there were six million Jewish victims between 1933 and 1945. To us, this becomes another meaningless number, something our psyche is unable to contemplate, let alone understand. Perhaps exactly the same could be said of our treatment of the Holocaust as a whole, because it is so morally, ethically and proportionally incomprehensible, we refuse to admit that it exists and that it can be studied in the same way that other periods in history are. Until we translate the universal to the particular, it eludes us, not just academically, but chronologically as well, occupying a position removed from time rather than its place in the middle of century we have only recently left. There are many arguments in favour of the academic study of the period, in the hope that once it is universally recognised and accepted, it could prevent such a tragedy from ever occurring again. Marrus is a clear advocate of scholarly study and demystification of the Holocaust. He insists that it must "receive universal recognition" and become part of our "general consciousness".6 His authoritative text brings us closer to understanding why the Holocaust is an area of such dynamic and emotive debate, and why the years between 1933 and 1945 must never be forgotten.


1. Http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_R._Marrus (24/2/06)
2. Laqueur, Walter, Quoted on cover of The Holocaust in History, M. R. Marrus
3. Marrus, Michael R. The Holocaust in History, (Penguin 1987) 7 / Introduction
4. Marrus, Michael R. The Holocaust in History, (Penguin 1987) xiv / Preface
5. Marrus, Michael R. The Holocaust in History, (Penguin 1987) 9 / Holocaust in
Perspective
6. Marrus, Michael R. The Holocaust in History, (Penguin 1987) xiv / Preface

Document Copyright T.H.Sharrad 2006.

Marrus' work, The Holocaust i History was a very perspective view of the Holocaust. He sees the and presents the controversies and problems within the study of the Holocaust as a normal historical event. My only problem was that I found it difficult to understand and determine which parts of the piece are his opinions and which are not.

First published in 1987, this book holds up to the test of time. Marrus is great at putting the Holocaust in perspective, laying a high amount of blame on the indifference of the Germans, Poles, Allies and the neutrals (the Vatican, Switzerland, etc.). He shows how anti-semitism was not confined just to Germany at the time - at the turn of the century it was strongest in France and Russia and was at its highest ever in the U.S. during World War II - and how most top Nazis did not join the movement because of their belief in anti-semitism. He also shows the context of the Holocaust in the larger picture of World War II: more than three times as many Russians were killed (20 million) as Jews.

Marrus is also very good at describing the Holocaust itself - how it reached a fervor in 1942 (when more than half of all Jews were killed) and how only half of the 6 million were killed in camps. He dismisses the view popularized by Hannah Arendt that the Jews acted like sheep led to the slaughter: he convincingly shows that the Jews were in total disbelief about the Holocaust and did resist when they actually knew what was going on. Finally, he discusses the actions of those few people who actually helped out the Jews, namely the Dutch, Italians, Danes, Bulgarians and Hungarians.

All in all, a very good book on a depressing topic.

This is not a book about the history of the Holocaust as much as a work on the historiography of the Holocaust. It is excellent, covering the various theoretical debates that exist in the literature and giving excellent guides to further reading. One note of caution: the book was published in 1987, and is now beginning to show its age a little as regards the latest synthesis of scholarly knowledge on the subject e.g. there is no discussion of the recent Browning / Goldhagen debate nor the attempts at resititution by the Swiss banks etc. In these cases, readers should be directed to the most recent edition (4th) of Ian Kershaw's "Nazism: Problems and Perspectives of Interpretation".

This is not a criticism, however. I have used Marrus in the classroom for the past five years and find it perhaps the best introduction available to the historical debates surrounding the Holocaust. Students will gain by reading it.

Sevie and Jessie have got a case! But it's half-way across the contry in sowy Winnipeg. The case is: Who really stole some valuble meat-eating plants? They've got a handfull of suspects, but which one did it but their prime suspect is Jessie's sixteen-year-old uncle! Could someone in the family really have done it? Watch out! Stevie and Jessie are hot on the trail!

it was great! i liked the book a lot! it has some nice parts and funny parts. i read all the books, i think and they are allgreat. i recomend this book to readers of all ages.

This was a great book if you love mysterys. It was full of suspence, and at some times funny. It was supprising and I liked it alot. Other Stevie Diamond books are great too, I've read almost all of them. I would recomend this book to younger readers.

I recently went to writer's camp. Every day an author came. One of the authors was Linda Bailey. She talked about her books. I read "How come the best clues are always in the garbage?"and it was absolutely incredible. Who can write about dumpsters, robberies, mail slots, chicken body parts and make it funny? Linda Bailey can?

I wasn't expecting such a small book, but it will work well as a pocket guide. The author offers excellent suggestions, helpful hints and beautiful photos. I cannot really know the book's impact until I actually visit the places he suggests, but I feel it will really come in handy. Would definitly buy this book if you are a photo enthusiast and will be visiting the Canadian Rockies.

Although this is a small book that can fit in your pocket, I believe it is the most helpful photography book I've read. Darwin Wiggett covers the necessary equipment, how a camera see's light differently from the human eye and how to capture the best pictures with filters. An example would be, "Digital cameras do not like the blue-yellow filters." He goes on to explain why and gives example after example with color photos of what and how to use specific filters. He also gives specific hiking and camera gear to enhance your experience. Then he suggests his favorite locations to get great pictures. This book is worth much more than the $14.95 I paid for it. Buy This Book!

I purchased "How to Photograph the Canadian Rockies," prior to visiting them with my family. As this was more of a family vacation I didn't have the time to scout out the best locations and this book provided all the information I needed and then some. Not only does it give the best locations but what time of day, what season and even which way to face for the best possible photographs. The pictures in the book are beautiful images that show you the magic of the location but also serve as inspiration to all photographers. The book is nicely organized by location to quickly find the information you need. The author shares with you some of his "Secret Spots", locations that only local knowledge would give you. As an added bonus it also provides tips valuable to both beginner and advanced photographers alike. I would recommend this book not only for photographers but for anyone who wants to see the true beauty of the Canadian Rockies.

I purchased this book while on a road trip in Western Canada last month. It's (a) a great guide on what to see in the Rockies, (b) a great guide on when to go there if you want the best phtoos and (c) a good photgraphy guide if you are an amatuer like myself.

An eaxample if of a comment of a view point on the 1A south to Banff. The author comments that he doesn't like the viewpoint himself but he sees a lot of other photographers there. There is a lot of wildlife there. Sure enough, when we drive up, there is a bull elk will a full set of antlers wandering about and grazing on the rest stop itself.

Recommended for anyone who wants to take the best photos of the Rockies. I also recommend his collection book - Dances with Light. It's a good souvener of your trip. It's probably worht getting too if you want to plan your trip.

As a big fan of DOA since the late seventies, I was really looking forward to reading this book. Joe gives you a great amount of background about one of the hardest working bands ever.
If you love punk music and the DIY attitude, this book is must read.

Anyone, and I do mean ANYONE, who is interested in the west coast punk scene needs to read this book. Keithley gives a fantastic first hand account of how he formed his band and all of the tests they endured going from relative nobodies to one of the biggest and best known punk bands in North America.

The book is also a mini how-to manual for anyone interested in starting up their own punk band. Keithley talks about the business side of the music industry, what it's like to play gigs to crowds of different sizes and interests, and above all, he gives a great first hand account of just what it takes to make it in the music business.

Finally, Keithley's writing style is very easy to digest. The book is written like the lyrics to many of his songs; straight ahead without and BS! What's more, the book contains many pictures and personal anecdotes about Vancouver and places beyond. In reading the book it easy to see yourself sitting at a bar with Keithley as he tells a couple tales over a couple of beers.

If you're a punk, or even think about calling yourself a punk, then you owe it to yourself to give this book a read.

Sit down at a kitchen table with Joe Keithley. Open a few beers, and hand him one, or two... Ask him to give you a crash course on himself and his legendary punk band, D.O.A., making sure not to gloss over the interesting bits.

If you can't arrange to do this with Joe, picking up a copy of this book would be your only alternative. It's 200+ pages of compelling reading, written by a man who helped define punk music both in and out of Canada, and who certainly put Canada at the roots of the punk historical tree.

Unlike a lot of books about punk bands, this is first-person stuff of the first order.

I will start by claiming 100% bias as I've known the author for well over 20 years and have greatly enjoyed his contributions to punk rock for over 25 years. DOA taught a lot of us how to go out and get it done, with "it" being spreading the music and message to the less than masses spread out among the world. Joe's book is simple, straightforward blast of history that will interest anyone into the punk rock way of existence. Essential reading, so get it and enjoy!

Read a few Ice-Climbing books, but found this to be the best of the lot in that it touches all the aspects of Ice-climbing- Equipment, Technique, Attitude, Ratings, all illustrated with good photos & tables. The order of presentation could be changed though, IMHO i.e technical stuff first

Jeff Lowe did a wonderfull job explaining the climbing techniques and reasons behind the technique. The knowledge in the book range from basic crampon technique to desparate overhanging dry tooling. All that is completed by excellent story of the frozen world

Jeff Lowe's Ice World is a must have for any ice climber. His in depth descriptions of classic techniques as well as insight into skills that helped him put up incredible mixed routes are all detailed in easy to read language.

The vivid photography really brings Lowe's instruction to life. This book is one of the best climbing reads out there.

Jeff Lowe's earlier book, the Ice Experience, was a companion text to Yvon Choinard's Climbing Ice, and those two formed the vast majority of the printed information on technical ice climbing for several decades. Now his new book eclipses everything else on the market for its scope, practicality, and good looks (the photos are one of the highlights of the book).
Buy this one if you have any serious or casual interest in the subject; the others pale in comparison.

Catherine Diodati's book on Vaccines and their ethics is a must read for all parents harnessed with the difficult task of navigating through the maze of "Vaccine Controversy". This book provides much needed insight into the essential pillars of medical and legal ethics. Her meticulous work greatly helps in the final analysis of the dilemma facing all potential recipients of Vaccines. If a medical procedure like vaccines can't even pass basic medico/legal ethical standards, should we be so quick to have our children or ourselves repeatedly exposed or injected with the stuff? Thank you Catherine for your most timely book.

Dr. Gerry Bohemier D.C. Founder and President of the EAGLE FOUNDATION INC. http://www.eaglefoundation.org

The author presents a well researched up to date guide on all aspects of vaccines and vaccination with important historical, ethical and legal considerations as the book title implies. Catherine Diodati gives cogent arguments for both sides of the controversial issues that surround current mass immunization policies. A superlative source for anyone interested in making informed risk-to-benefit decisions before vaccinating.

Catherine Diodati, M.S. has presented a well documented account of the dangers of vaccination with an unique ethical perspective. Yes parents do have rights. They can now arm themselves with this seminal information to protect their children and the inalienable right to decline any or all immunizations. I urge all interested in our childrens' health to obtain this definitive effort.

Catherine Diodati's work is the best that I have read to date regarding the issue of immunization. It is written in a style that is easy to read, with some acidic wit thrown in at just the appropriate place to keep the topic semi-lighthearted. The book is well researched, well referenced, and well documented with just enough politics of health care to help the reader reach the only conclusion that can be reached. BRAVO!

A valuable book for those who wish to remind their children - and themselves - of the utter horrors of a brutal war. While not for very young children, it would be a great way to get one's family to think about war and its violence and, sometimes, its absolute necessity.

I read this book while resting my feet at Book Expo 2000. At least three people stopped to ask me about it because they were so taken by the illustrations. This picture book for young people intersperses breathtaking illustrations for the poem "In Flanders Field" with background on World War I and the story of the writing of this poem. A deeply affecting and touching book, it will give young people a personal view of war, particularly this war. Unfortunately, many children as well as adults know nothing about World War I. This book is a fine introduction and a good war to broach a painful topic. By any standard, it is well-well written and thoughtful.

This lovely book is a perfect introduction to Veteran's Day or Remembrance Day or World War I. The story of John McCrea and WWI flows through the book, interspersed with lines from the poem, "In Flanders fields." It discusses the significance of the date, November 11 and supplies interesting details from the period. Over two page spreads Wilson also interprets lines from the poem with lovely paintings that fill in more information about soldier life.

This book is very popular with kids who like nonfiction "war" books.

Cultural references to this poem abound. The poem is a classic that should be shared with young people today.

Growing up in Canada, I and every other child knew this poem inside and out. Every Rememberence Day[Nov.11th], we recited it, wore our poppies and then walked down to the cemetery to commemorate all the soldiers who died during the different wars. We talked about it in class for a few weeks.I gave it to my children after I found the book at a Canadian bookstore the week of it's release. They in turn took it school and their teachers read it to their classes. As a education major, I will use it in my studies and then as a teacher for my class to learn about the World Wars. The art work is beautiful and the story enclosed is lovely too, if ever can be of a book about war. It's too bad this isn't used over here in the States.

A real heart warming memoir. I don't want to give to much of the book away..but I would recommend this book--if you want a memoir that brings thoughts of growing up and growing old to your mind and also your heart.

From BlueJeanOnline.com
by Amruta Gadgil

J.R.R Tolkien's acclaimed trilogy Lord of the Rings places New Zealand at the center of action, but the summer of '63 Western Ontario became a playground of fairies, kingdoms, fantasy, and a budding friendship for one five-year old girl. Author Susan Coyne relives and reflects on her magical summer In the Kingdom of Fairies.

While on an excursion at the family cottage, Susan stumbles onto a fireplace wedged between her house and the next-door neighbors. Her father's rationale is that the fireplace was built by elves. Intrigued, Susan leaves small gifts and flowers. The kind gestures prompt a correspondence from character, Princess Nootsie Tah through Queen Mab and Susan.

Susan strikes up a friendship with her neighbor Mr. Moir and shares her secret correspondence. Moir a good-natured old man is knowledgeable about the princess fairy Nootsie Tah and revels in Susan's curiosity and merriment in fairies and all things magical.

Nootsie Tah and Susan continue their exchange of letters and drawings while Susan's friendship with Mr. Moir blossoms, until it is time for her to go back to school in Toronto. After that summer, Susan's foray with elves and fairies stop. Nevertheless, her relationship with Mr. Moir never wanes even with the daily distractions of school and friends.

Ten years later when Susan's father sends her the old letters and cards that were exchanged, she discovers that the fairies and elves she communicated with were actually Mr. Moir.

In the Kingdom of Fairies is a true tale mingled with fantasy and friendship. Susan and Mr. Moir's friendship is uncomplicated in a complicated world making that summer one that will be etched in her mind forever.

Copyright 2003 BlueJeanOnline.com

Lately I've been having the worst time trying to find something truly worthwhile to read. Countless titles have been started and then quickly set aside (since I am of an age where I no longer feel compelled to waste time reading boring books). Not only did this book not bore me, it brought me joy. Been a looooooong time since a book did that for me! If you sometimes (or oftentimes) feel as if the world has gone mostly mad, set aside a few hours for this book.

Bravo and thanks to Ms. Coyne (and Mr. Moir)!

This one-year in the life of biography describes how in 1963 then five-year old Susan Coyne spends a summer at the family cottage in Western Ontario. Susan discovered an abandoned fireplace in the hedge between her family house and that of the next door neighbors Mr. and Mrs. Moir. Her dad explained to Susan that the elves built the fireplace. Feeling some form of kinship, Susan leaves small presents for the elves that are gone by the next day. One day Princess Nootsie Tah on behalf of Queen Mab writes a thank you note. With the help of her nanny, little Susan responds. Soon an elf and a human child become pen pals even while Susan spent plenty of time with the retired Mr. Noir listening to his stories.

This true story is a great book that shows how one caring person can make a difference. Princess Nootsie Tah obviously cherished the classics and sprinkled much of that love into the letters (the allusions are brilliant) that fired the imagination of a child. The letters are incredibly written as Mr. Moir treats his young friend with respect and intelligence. Perhaps starting with that one summer provided the foundation to the dream of becoming an actress that Susan Coyne later fulfilled. IN THE KINGDOM OF FAIRIES is a strong bio of a child and an adult sharing meaningful social values.

Harriet Klausner