Canada Books

Douglas Leighton is an amazing photographer. It's clear from looking through this book that he knows how to take photos worthy of publication. I've never been to the Canadian Rockies but now I intend to.

I recently went on New Year's ski trip to Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada (1998-99) and took some great pictures. Unlike my amature pictures, Douglas Lighton's pictures truly capture the spirit and raw beauty of this unsploiled landscape. In this book, on the inside cover, one line reads,

"Many of today's visitors are on their own kind of vision quest. These mountains rejuvenate tired souls."

Let me tell you, I left my high stress corporate job and graduate studies for 8 days to enter the most beautiful area I have ever visited in my 28 years of existance. I fully agree with the author when he wrote, "These mountains rejuvenate tired souls." I came back to Atlanta changed forever by the utter sense of "awh" when we stayed in the magnificint resort town of Banff and visited the surrounding areas like Lake Louise. I highly recommend this book to anyone who appreciates the splendor of mother nature doing her finest work. I also recommend visiting Banff National Park in either the summer and/or winter seasons; either time of year you will get the full effect of this magnificent and rejuvenating area. By the way, the residents of this area are among the friendliest people I have ever met too!

If you're looking for the perfect "coffee table book" this is it. From first glance you will be captivated by the most beautiful pictorial you could ever lay your eyes on, no exaggeration! This book will have you calling your travel agent and planning a trip to Canada A.S.A.P. From Mt. Robson in Jasper to Red Rock Canyon in Waterton, over 100 pgs of full color landscapes, flora and fauna of the Canadian Rockies. Each picture is titled and described with historical facts and details which only enhance your enjoyment of this awesome book. I highly recommend this photographic masterpiece, you won't regret the money spent!

Full of useful up to date info for those who are considering moving to Canada. An indispensable guide for all immigrants and their families who are looking for advice to help in the immigration process. Ms. Davenport has clearly done her homework on the subject and "The Canadian Way" is the result.

I highly recommend this book.

This book is a great resource for pertinent information regarding the immigration process to Canada from the US. Wish we would have had it prior to starting the process as it definitely condenses the materials into one location.

Especially helpful was the section on the tax ramifications of cross-border immigration, and links to information that makes this aspect of the process more understandable is great!

A big 5-Star rating for the book and the author's effort in putting it all down to aid others in the journey northward.

Thanks, Jo Davenport . . . 'ya done good!!

This book is full of valuable information for anyone moving, or thinking of moving, to Canada. For those who haven't yet started the process of applying for a permanent resident visa, it contains great information to assist you. For those of us who've already submitted our applications, it still contains lots of valuable information about settling in Canada once we receive them.

One of the terrific things about this book is that it is available in print and PDF. If you obtain the PDF version you will have live links to the many, many websites that the author has included. Did I say many, many? Make that many, many, many!Although I had actually located a good number of the sites she includes, it's great to have them all in one place (besides my overloaded bookmark bar) for easy reference.

I've looked at and for lots of books on the process of immigrating to Canada. This is clearly one of the very best. Want to know more? Check out the author's website at [..]

Have fun!

Over the last two summers I have paddled the Fur Trade Route from Pinehouse Lake to Pelican Narrows. This book was the perfect guide with accurate information on rapids, rock paintings, campsites and navigation. This was very important this year with the high water on the Churchill.

Beyond the guide book aspects, this book explains the history, culture, geology and botany of the region. This book is a must own if you're canoeing the route and a great read even if you never dip a paddle.

It is hard to imagine that anyone could ever write a better reference manual to canoeing the historically significant section of the Canadian fur trade route which runs through Saskatchewan. In the summer of 2003 I paddled the entire Churchill and Sturgeon Weir river systems, from the Clearwater River to Cumberland House. This book was an invaluable resource, describing clearly every rapid, portage, and most of the campsites along the river.

Besides its use as a canoeing reference, it is a most comprehensive study of the history of the region, from the fur trade era, to more modern times.

Anyone planning to canoe any Saskatchewan portion of the voyageur's highway should read this book.

This past summer, I put together a three week canoe trip on the churchill river. I found this book in Ric Dreideger's canoe outfitter's store in Missinipe, and immediately bought it. (luckily) Our trip started from Pinehouse lake, and two of us paddled past stanley mission, then backtracked to missinipe, eventually covering some 140 miles. This book covers the whole of the churchill river in detail, while giving brief historical backgrounds about the voyageurs who used to make a living on the waterway. I followed our route in the book, and it was of particular importance when it came to rapids and portages, which were numerous on our route. It was always right on as to the degree of difficulty of the rapids, so we made few mistakes. Once I got confused in a series of rapids as to which was which and ended up running a dangerous one where we were swamped and I injured my knee. However, this can be avoided using *prudent* scouting of all rapids (we were over-zealous), and by paying attention to warnings in the book.

The book also contained information on rock paintings, side trips, and outfitters along the way where we could get supplies.
It's content is cut up into smaller trips with ways to get in and out of the river, which is extremely advantageous.

As a guide book, I think you can't go wrong by purchasing this book for your trip. As I knew basically nothing of this river, (being from kentucky), and since I was only 20 years old, I was lucky in acquiring this book. I owe much to its exactness for keeping myself and the three other people safe.

I have come to the fiction of Alice Munro late. She has been producing extraordinary short stories set in Ontario, Cananda mostly for decades. And she captures a working-class world for me that speaks to my own roots. The stories are about people first and I expect place secondly, but her sense of the culture and social stratification are so accurate they make me remember and realize. Her sense of detail and dialogue are also accurate and winning. I give this big compendium 5 stars, and recommend her to all.

These stories were purportedly selected by Alice Munro herself. Well, I guess Alice needs to make a living, too, as well as writing masterpiece after masterpiece. However, every story in the selection draws meaning and resonance from its original context in the suite of stories from which it was extracted. If you've never read Munro, I'd suggest getting the early collection Moons of Jupiter. If you're not blown away by that book, you wouldn't be "carried away" by the Everyman's Library selection either. On the other hand, if you are astonished by the emotional subtlety of the Moons, then you'll want to buy and read the other ten story-books as well!

Using spare sentences and stark settings, Alice Munro covers in one short story a novel's worth of human experience. Each word is pregnant with nuance and meaning, as if she spent all of her time paring down her work until only the most esstential and core words remained. Even though the themes of her stories are permutations, read each story one at a time, appreciating it like the gem that it is. I will definitely read more of her work.

This book is a 12-month exploration of the area around Clayoquot Sound, on Vancouver Island's west coast. Through ventures to various spots in the area, the author tells us of history, geography, wildlife, and more. He talks about the isolated life of the Lennard Island lighthouse keeper, how the coastline was shaped by glaciers, why Pacific waves are so big, how various fur traders and explorers came and went through the years, life in the town of Tofino, and how ongoing logging has created vast swaths of naked hillsides. This book has something for everybody. Part natural history, part human history, part modern day life on the coast, this is a fascinating read and a beautiful description of a lovely and scenic place. I especially recommend reading this if you plan on visiting the area.

This book is an initiation into one of the most beautiful and mysterious places on the planet. For every month of the year the author takes a journey into the forest and ocean wildernesses of Clayoquot Sound, exploring the main events of the yearly natural cycle---storms in January, herring spawning in March, salmon spawning in October, etc.---as well as the relationships between people and nature in Clayoquot Sound, both past and present. The natural history dominates, though, and the human history, though long and resulting in some deep and lasting environmental impacts, seems fleeting and insignificant when viewed against the backdrop of glacier-formed mountains and ancient forests.

I was impressed by how seamlessly the author combined scientific information with personal observations and the narrative of his travels. I felt the relentlessness of the winter rains, the hallowed beauty of wild creeks flowing through old growth, the salty sea air, and even the mosquito bites. The writing is graceful, rich, entertaining---every bit as varied and interesting as the place it describes. I can see this book standing up to multiple readings, with new nuances being discovered each time. ?Chasing Clayoquot? ought to be required reading for anyone planning a trip to Clayoquot Sound, and it makes for good armchair adventuring too. Don?t forget to pack your rain gear!

This book is a 12-month exploration of the area around Clayoquot Sound, on Vancouver Island's west coast. Through ventures to various spots in the area, the author tells us of history, geography, wildlife, and more. He talks about the isolated life of the Lennard Island lighthouse keeper, how the coastline was shaped by glaciers, why Pacific waves are so big, how various fur traders and explorers came and went through the years, life in the town of Tofino, and how ongoing logging has created vast swaths of naked hillsides. This book has something for everybody. Part natural history, part human history, part modern day life on the coast, this is a fascinating read and a beautiful description of a lovely and scenic place. I especially recommend reading this if you plan on visiting the area.

This book was really good - it showed his whole life. The pictures were great and the tips accurate. It really shows the life of a player and how hard you have to try to make it big. It was a great thing for me---you should check it out.

The worst thing about this book is it doesn't have enough pages...I found myself wanting to read more. There are a lot of tips for young players and some bio information which is interesting. The pictures are great, espescially the younger ones. Thanks to Chris for sharing them with all of us.

If you were like me and were looking for a good Pronger book, your search ends! This had a lot of great information on Pronger. Let's Go Blues!

The authors two volume work (The first volume is: 'Fields of Fire,' this is the second.) establishes two views of World War II that I think are absolutely correct, and long overdue.

The first view is that the Canadian Army in France and Northern Europe was a failure, or if not exactly a failure, then a minor matter. Neglecting Dieppe, where the Canadians left a lot of good men on the beach, the Canadians went into Juno Beach on D-Day. Everybody knows about 'Bloody Omaha.' The allies had to go into Omaha to have a continuous beach head. And the Americans were assigned the job. The Americans went in and suffered 7% casualties, making it the bloodiest of the beaches. The Canadians went into Juno and suffered more than 6% casualties. That's just about as bloody. Furthermore, the Canadians were the only invasion unit to reach their D-Day objectives. But this is the subject of the first volume.

The second 'myth' is how much better the German soldiers were than the Allied, especially the Canadians. In truth, the Canadians were assigned to the left flank of the Allied Army. They went up the coast of France to the approached to Antwerp. This meant that the German units left to guard the coast were on their flank. Then they were assigned to clear the approaches to Antwerp. Furthermore, Montgomery, perhaps in the quest for more personal glory neglected the approaches and refused to give the Canadians adequate support or supplies in favor of Market-Garden which of course failed.

Yes, the Germans had good soldiers, but so did the Canadians. And at the end of the battle, the Canadians were at least the equivalent of any of the forces in the field. This is a splendid and welcome pair of books on a neglected area.

Department of History professor emeritus Terry Copp presents Cinderella Army: The Canadians in Northwest Europe 1944-1945, the follow-up to "Fields of Fire" and an in-depth examination of the operations carried out by the First Canadian Army during the last nine months of World War II. Continuing the argument in "Fields of Fire" that the achievement of Allied and Canadian armies has been underrated while the effectiveness of the German army has been decidedly exaggerated, Cinderella Army supports its proposal with research garnered from trips to the battlefields of France, Belgium, Holland, and Germany. With evidence of the battlefield terrain including maps and air photos, Cinderella Army reveals the challenging defensive positions that the Canadian soldiers had to overcome and illustrate just how impressive their achievements truly were. A welcome addition to Canadian military history shelves, along with the highly recommended "Fields of Fire".

"Cinderella Army: The Canadians in Northwest Europe, 1944-1945" by Terry Copp is a solid piece of historiography that covers does considerable justice to the Canadian men who fought with the Allied forces in the ETO. While certainly not a majority in numbers of men relative to other Allied nations, the Canadian's fought a disproportionate number of 'lousy' less 'appealing' engagements with little chance for popular press kudos between their entrance into the ETO and V-E Day. Given these facts it should maybe not be surprising that the combat and command actions of the Canadian Army have received little attention in the popular Second World War literature. The general lack of literature dedicated to the gallant Canadians has not been limited to historian/authors outside Canada; even with the great northern neighbor of the US only limited pieces have been produced that cover broadly the Canadians in the ETO outside the official histories (e.g., Stacey's "The Victory Campaign"). One historian/author who has keep the fire burning and brought proper attention to the heroism and sacrifices of his fellow countrymen in WWII - Terry Copp.

In collaboration with Robert Vogel, Copp generated a series of books, the Maple Leaf Route series, during the 1980's dedicated to various actions (based on temporal and spatial divisions) of the Canadian Army in the ETO. Each of these soundly researched and written entries provided considerable new material for students to ruminate on beyond that provided in the 'official histories'. However, one would have to read them all (5 volumes in total: 1-Caen; 2-Falaise; 3-Antwerp; 4-Scheldt; and 5-Victory), which given their relatively small printing numbers means first tracking each down, to get a thorough picture. Copp is able to pull together these previous works into effectively two volumes with the production of "Cinderella Army" and its previously published companion piece "Fields of Fire" (2004). However one should not therefore assume that Copp has merely rewritten his previous books, rather he has taken that previous work and woven in considerable new research material to produce a coherent single document (296 pp., plus 94 pp. of Appendices, notes and references) that covers the period from the Normandy breakout to V-E Day ("Fields of Fire covering actions of the Canadian Army up to the Normandy breakout). "Cinderella Army" should adorn the bookshelf of serious students who want a broader perspective of ETO actions.

Not only is "Cinderella Army" an outstanding piece of research but Copp is a talented and engaging writer. Readers, whether specifically interested in the Canadian Army or not, will not be bored with "Cinderella Army". Fortunately for readers Copp does not fall into a parochial category authors who present history with a national bias. All in all Copp's prose is extremely fair, presenting both positives and negatives, is fairly critical of the Canadian leaders and the interactions (not always positive) between these men and the 21 Army Group HQ (and SHAEF to a lesser extent). Readers will walk away from this read with a much deeper appreciation for how the bloody battles (often produced the highest sustained per unit casualty rates in the ETO) to capture the Channel Ports and clear the Scheldt Estuary, while protecting British Second Army units as they pursued more 'lofty' and headline garnering targets. If there was a black-sheep sibling in Montgomery's 21st Army Group who got all the crap details it was clearly the First Canadian Army!

Pick up "Cinderella Army"; it's a solid 5 star read, both from historical research and writing perspectives.

Very well written, and fascinating. The author gives the reader an 'insider' view of the circus world; this includes an objective and respectful portrayal of the brave and talented people. I appreciated the honest perspectives, i.e., hearing 'the other side of the story' in terms of animal rights. It is a beautiful, touching, absolutely fantastic story.

I thoroughly enjoyed every aspect of this book, from the subject matter to the personality of the author to the quality of the writing, which is excellent. At times, it reads as luridly and poetically as a novel. If you are enamored of the circus, as I am, and would like to run away with one for a while--even if only in your imagination--this is the book for you.

For a month in spring 1997, Wilkins traveled with the Great Wallenda Circus, a gritty group of seasoned circus vets, on a trip through a remote stretch of Canada. Facing such obstacles as unyielding immigration regulations (for both animals and performers), unprecedented flooding with unseasonable temperatures, and fierce competition from another circus, the Wallenda performers (led by Karl's grandson, Ricky Wallenda) show their merit as troupers in the truest sense of the word. Interspersed with descriptions of the circus's performances in the often-chilly and poorly lit hockey venues of Manitoba are the stories of the circus's performers and crew, each of which reveals a different facet of the daily dangers of circus life: unpredictable (and sometimes in-bred) tigers, vendetta-holding elephants, unstable rigging for aerial acts, and the omnipresent fatigue that can make a performer misstep minutely, but fatally. Beyond these dangers, however, is another threat to the circus's performers, which Wilkins chronicles beautifully and movingly: the decline and fall of the circus in America. It's a casualty with complex causation, including the senescence of Shriners (who sponsor a large number of American circus performances), the rise of the animal rights movement, and the effect of television, with its showy tromp l'oeil special effects, on our expectations for entertainment. Is watching a 370-pound man put an elderly, blind elephant through a series of slow-moving tricks enough of a thrill for audiences raised on car chases and gunfire? Wilkins thinks so, and after reading this wonderful book, so do I.

BRILLIANTLY WRITTEN AND RESEARCHED. IT SEEMS ANYONE WHO HAD AN OPINION OF THE STATE OF HOCKEY AS IT WAS IS 1972, WAS INTERVIEWED IN THIS BOOK. EASILY THE BEST HISTORICAL SPORTS BOOK I HAVE READ. I WAS BORN IN 1968 SO I HAVE NO MEMORY OF THIS SERIES, BUT SO MANY OF THE SOVIET PLAYERS WHO FIRST BECAME KNOWN FROM THE ORININAL 72 SERIES WERE ALREADY VERY WELL KNOWN AS THE SERIES TURNED INTO THE 'CANADA CUP' THAT I FOLLOWED IN 1976 AND 1980. PETROV, KHARLAMOV AND YAKUSHEV AND ALL THE EARLY RUSSSIAN PRE NHL GREATS. THE BEST PART IS THE HISTORY OF SOVIET HOCKEY AND HOW THEY CREATED THIER OWN STYLE OF PLAY DIFFERENT FROM THE NHL AND HOW THEIR INNOVATIVE TRAINING, CONDITIONING AND AGGRESSIVE OFFENSIVE ATTACKING STYLE, CONTRASTED WITH THE NHL'S 'TOUGH' DEFENSIVE GAME. RUSSIA'S GREAT AMATUERS AND CANADA'S MIGHTY PROFESSIONALS MET FINALLY IN 1972 AS THE SOVIET NATIONAL TEAM FACED THE NHL'S BEST IN AN 8 GAME EXHIBITION SERIES. THE SERIES WOULD REDEIFNE HOCKEY AND INTERNATIONAL SPORT FOR ALL TIME. THE SOVIET NATIONAL COACH AT THE TIME PREDICTED THAT ALL FUTURE HOCKEY WOULD BE A MIXTURE OF THESE TWO DIFFERING STYLES AS BOTH SIDES WOULD INFLUENCE EACH OTHER IN THE FUTURE. TRULY PROTHETIC WORDS. ANYONE WHO IS A FAN OR STUDENT OF THE GAME OF HOCKEY, THIS IS A FINE BOOK, WHICH IN GREAT DETAIL TELLS THE COMPLETE STORY, BOTH RUSSIAN AND CANADIAN OF AN ATHLETIC EVENT WHICH MAY BE ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT SOCIAL AND POLITICAL EVENTS CERTAINLY IN CANDAIAN HISTORY. THAT IS NO OVERSTATEMENT. THINK OF DON CHERRY WHEN HE TALKS ABOUT EUROPEAN PLAYERS. THIS WAS THE FIFST TIME CANADIAN FANS SAW EUROPEANS COMPETE WITH AND AT TIMES DOMINATE CANADIAN "BOYS" AT CANADAS GAME. AND PEOPLE BEGAN THE ARGUMENT, WHICH IS BETTER HOCKEY? GOONS OR GRACE? THE ISSUE OVER WHOSE STYLE OF PLAY IS SUPERIOR HAS POLORIZED CANADA EVER SINCE. THIS WAS A HUGE DEAL IN CANADA, AND THE BOOK TELLS IT SO WELL. IT IS BREATHLESSLY WRITTEN A MUST READ

"Cold War" is a beautifully written (and researched!) book about the greatest series ever played (in any sport!) Every Canadian remembers where they were when Paul Henderson Scored the game and series winning goal in Moscow, and reading this book literally sent shivers down my spine, and brought back memories long forgotten. It also opened doors to many "behind the scenes" facts that I did not know. But most of all, it reminded me of how arrogant and over-confident we all were, and as Ken Dryden put it: "NEVER, EVER, UNDERESTIMATE YOUR OPPONENT". Of course we had ....

This point was driven home to an entire nation in September of 1972 when Canada's "professional" hockey stars (our "best of the best") played this dramatic eight game series against the "amateurs" of the Soviet Union. This series was the first ever between the Soviets and NHL players, and almost all Canadians, myself included, thought Canada would win all eight games easily. That is not what happened though, the Soviets stunned everyone by going 2-1-1 on Canadian ice. Canada came back in Moscow, winning 3 of 4 dramatically, all one goal games. Against a backdrop of the "cold war", and Canada's pride and identity at stake, even non-hockey fans got caught up the unfolding drama. Canada's pride was hurt for sure, but it forced our players to dig deep within themselves to pull out the skills that produced an amazing victory, despite tremendous obstacles. (such as a hostile press, star players quitting, and officiating that was horribly biased against Canada) The Soviets on the other hand had violated this very same rule when the teams got to Moscow, and clearly had lost their psychological edge. In short, they thought they had the series won. The series forced Canadians to look at themselves in a way they hadn't before, and in the decades since we have seen improvements in the game itself. In other words, the bar had been raised.

Roy MacSkimming deserves six stars for this one, he captured beautifully this unique series that really had the full range of human emotion, from the total shock of the the Soviets 7-3 rout in game one to the the hosile reaction of Canadian fans and media towards their own countrymen, to redemption, complete joy and relief in Moscow. Every Canadian, and American for that matter, should read this book, it goes beyond a sporting event really and exposes human nature.

On a personel note, I was in English Class in Cranbrook B.C. when Henderson scored "The Goal" on September 28, 1972. Most of Canada's schools, businesses and government offices closed that day, however we were not among those lucky. We did lobby our teacher however, and we watched the last two periods of game on TV despite her objections. Had she not relented, she would have regretted it forever ... the place went nuts!

For those who were very young (like myself) when the series was played and grew up not with the players mentioned but instead with such Russian players as Fedorov and Bure in the NHL, this book is a must to understand how these 8 games played in 1972 forever changed the face of international hockey -- The Canadians (and people in the States as well) realized that we didn't have a monopoly on how to play the game, and the Russians, for all their tremendous preparation and effort, saw that Westerners could rise to the occasion, and ultimately "opened their doors" just enough to begin the journey that today finds several NHL stars hailing from former Warsaw Pact nations. MacSkimming does an excellent job of both drawing upon the original 1972 news accounts and quotes as well as undertaking a host of interviews and research 20+ years later to give a renewed perspective on the games, the players and what it all meant then and now. Even if you know how "it ends," (if you don't you will find out early in the book) the rising action is expertly developed, and you feel (in your mind, at least) nearly the same sense of pride and accomplshment at the end as the Canadian players must have felt. Highly recommened for anyone w/ an interest in hockey and/or the "old" Soviet Union.

Carol Shields died of Breast Cancer three years ago, a sad loss of a gifted, wonderful Canadian writer. Collected Stories features several of the most wonderful stories I have read. Her quirky humor comes to life in this wonderful collection. Though the stories may come across as incredibly mundane because it deals with every day, ordinary people, said stories give a wonderful portrayal of characters you can definitely relate to. My favorite stories are "Invitations," "Taking the Train," "Pardon," "Segue," "Fuel for the Fire," and "Our Men and Women." This is a large collection of previously released stories and her last effort before she passed away called "Segue." This is a beautiful collection you won't want to miss. I read The Stone Diaries when it first came out eleven years ago and my impression now is the same one I had when I read the aforementioned novel: Carol Shields was a master storyteller.

This is a wonderful collection. Each reflective,gentle story pulls you forward with poetic, awe-inspiring detail. A joy at every level.

From a too-early departed Canadian treasure. Shields could turn a phrase, or take her reader from a wink of an eye to a catch in the throat, like no one else. She was a trickster of a storyteller - start you off slow, comfortable and easy - then wham! Off you'd go into a character, or life, that delights and surprises.

The first two lines of "Pardon":
On Friday afternoon Milly stopped at Ernie's Cards 'n' Things to buy a mea culpa card for her father-in-law, whom she had apparently insulted.
"Sorry," Ernie's wife said in her testy way."We're all out."

I love the off-handed humor and grace of the phrase "apparently insulted". This last collection is a departing gift, and should be read accordingly. Each page turned slowly, each paragraph unwrapped and savored, each word read as though it was the last - "part of the bliss they would one day gladly surrender."