Canada Books

I liked this book. It was very well written, very entertaining and very informative. Numerous well-drawn maps that clarify the text are provided, as is a very useful "cast of characters", organized by area and battle. The author has created a book that reads like a novel, but is based on original scholarship. The book clearly lays out the initial land campaigns of the war of 1812, highlighting the inadequacies of US military leadership, which led to a string of defeats by numerically inferior, but much better led British\Canadian forces. Based only on the title and the fact that the author is Canadian, I half expected an anti-US screed, which this book certainly is not. The causes for the war are clearly laid out (i.e., the British "impressments" of US sailors (recovery of deserters in the British view), restriction of US trade (to weaken Napoleon) and British support of the Indians against the US (in order to gain and keep necessary allies, without whose support victory would be impossible). The book gives a very clear picture of the earliest phases of the war. It shows the US army (and militia units) to have been led by incompetents, in contrast to the excellent leadership of British forces by Isaac Brock and his subordinates. As was often the case in early US history, the US entered the war with great expectations, but completely unprepared, either in terms of equipment, training or leadership. Unfortunately, the book only deals with the earliest phases of the US-Canadian part of the war of 1812. The eventual turnaround in US fortunes, with respect to the Canadian theater of war, is only hinted at.

I would have given the book five stars, instead of four, if it were not for a very misleading title, which gives a false impression of the content of the book. I think that the title is misleading on two levels. It is more about the invasion of America by Canada than the other way around. True, the Canadian invasion occurred in order to forestall a probable invasion by the US. The fact remains, however, that the first breach of the border occurred by Canada invading US territory when the local US forces did not even know that the US had declared war against Great Britain. Except for a brief US incursion, rapidly followed by a quick retreat back across the border, all of the fighting described in the book was on US soil. Thus, a more accurate title should have been the 1812 invasion of the US by Canada. This is not however my primary objection and had this been my only objection I would have completely overlooked it.

My second objection to the title is, in my opinion, much more important. The subtitle is 1812-1813, yet except for some actions that carried over into January of 1813, everything takes place in 1812. This is very important because the fighting between the US and British\Canadian forces can only be adequately understood if the events of 1813 are also covered in some detail. I felt cheated because I invested time and only got half of the story. Not only that, the half that is reported only covers the woeful blundering of the US forces. The narrative stops before the eventual redemption of the American land and Naval forces. It does not describe the 1813 fighting on land that pushed the British and Indians from Fort Detroit, nor the momentous naval victories on Lakes Champlain and Erie that led to the actual invasion of Canada and the capture and burning of the provincial capitol of York (modern day Toronto). The burning of York is never even mentioned, even though it occurred in 1813 and, in part, led to the retaliatory burning of Washington DC. The net effect is to produce a partial and very misleading picture of the US-British\Canadian fighting during the initial phases of the War of 1812. Had I known that I was to get only part of the story I probably would have invested my time in a more complete history. It was only the high quality of the narrative of the events of 1812 that prevented me from giving the book less than 4 stars.

The two reviews below are absolutely correct. Pierre Berton has written a great masterpiece of narrative history. I first read this book almost 20 years ago, and I can still recall the enjoyment it gave. This is perhaps the best book of history in terms of enjoyable reading which I have come across. The only author in the same league today is Simon Schama, and he generally works in somewhat more esoteric, less popular areas. I have also discussed the excellence of Berton's writing in a review of the companion volume Flames Across the Border: 1813-14 which, along with this text, makes up as fine a two volume set of North American history as can be obtained.

A wonderful book by Canada's foremost historian commemorates the War of 1812 as Canada's War of Independence.

The War of 1812 was initiated by President Madison as a war of conquest against Ontario (or Lower Canada, as it was then known). The British forces were arrayed against various un-coordinated American attacks, and the Americans fared particularly badly in 1812-13, notably losing Detroit.

This instalment does not reach the later events of the war, in which more of a stalemate developed (and the Americans scored some big naval victories). But the Canadians never doubted that the campaigns covered in this book - of 1812-13 - had marked a long-term strategic victory, guaranteeing Canada's separate identity, and the inner leadership clique of English-speaking, ethnically Scottish Presbyterians who ran the war effort became the ruling elite of Canada for over a century (if not to this day).

Many key characters of American history come here: General (later President) Harrison; Indian chief Tecumseh; President Madison and President Jefferson. This volume, however, gives equal time (if not precedence) to the Canadian heroes of the campaigns, including in particular celebrates loyalist heroes such as Brock and Strachan. Superb account of the war's critical, indeed decisive, early years.

This volume is an excellent introduction to the War of 1812. The Canadian author maintains his objectivity throughout the volume, and gives accurate and telling details to causes, politics, and leadership on both sides of the northern North American border and how that affected the progress of the war. After reading this book, the reader will come away baffled and outraged at the level of incompetence shown on both sides (initially the US side however), and the level of audacity and caution exhibited by both sides as well. In summation, a highly recommended book, that will provide a good base upon which a detailed understanding of causes, effects, and results of many aspects of this war can be attained.

Best book on history I ever read. Most books on the war of 1812 focus on the 'high level' intrigue--congressional debates, executive office plotting, etc. This book focuses on the front lines. Learn about how Madison decision to appoint imcompetent generals (He didn't want the war, and it was his way of keeping it from happening) led to human suffering. Get a good sense of life on the frontier and the fear Americans had of the local Indians. Read this book.

This is a fascinating review of the history of mental illness for periods of time that are usually rather hard to research. I cannot speak for the accuracy since I am not a historian and I do not have the resource library to check out it's references, but it seems quite reasonable and well researched. I enjoyed the book for the thoughts it provoked and how it filled in gaps about the development of the notions of mental illness over the last several hundred years. This book has been the key to many intreguing disucssions.

This book was a delightful read. It is a fascinating trip back through history on a thought provoking topic, and the authors present their view in a scholarly manner. There is enough anecdotal information to keep it moving and interesting, and it is far from being "dry". If you have even a casual interest in the rise of mental illness in Britain and North America you'll definitely enjoy this book.

Dr. E. Fuller Torrey does excellent research and gives extensive information on the life and times of the maltreatment of the mentally ill. Very good book. I recommend this to anyone who has been diagnosed with a mental illness or has family members suffering from a mental illness.

This book shows me that the mentally ill are still treated like a human zoo just like they were back in the times of Bedlam in London. Just look at the movies and tv news reports....the public is made to fear mental illness instead of understand it.

Dr. Torrey's book tries to break down the walls of stigma and ddiscrimination to educate people.

_The Invisible Plague_ is written by psychiatrist E. Fuller Torrey and examines the issue of the increase in worldwide cases of insanity since the eighteenth century. The book is at once both a scientific study which attempts to explain certain statistical data from different parts of the world, including Europe, the United States, and Canada, as well as a history of the mental asylum. Torrey examines in particular the issue of insanity and it's two principal forms - that of schizophrenia and that of manic-depressive psychosis. He also examines the role of insanity within literature, examining writings of such figures as Edgar Allen Poe, Hawthorne, and Melville, among others of course. Data from successive censuses taken in various countires seem to support Torrey's conclusions that insanity is indeed increasing, though with the era of deinstitutionalization this becomes more difficult to prove. Thus, according to Torrey, this issue may be covered up, because where formerly patients were admitted to asylums today they are not. Explanations for this increase have traditionally varied. Torrey also discusses some of the theories as to the causes of insanity - all biological, including genetics, stress, and environmental factors, as well as toxins and microbes in the environment. While the warnings in this book may appear alarmist, this book offers an informative introduction to the issue of insanity, which continues to plague the modern world despite its ancient origins. As a history text this book is good in that it reveals some of the developments which were responsible for the birth of modern day psychiatry and the state mental institution or asylum. Perhaps we can see in insanity, a reflection of the larger struggles of civilization as it makes its way from its birth pangs in ancient times, to its growth development, and eventual old age and decline.

I THOUGHT THE BOOK COVERED A GOOD AMOUNT OF GROUND. ALTHOUGH SOME WAS A LITTLE DEEP FOR ME IN THE CONTENT. BUT OVERALL I ENJOYED IT AND WILL BE READING SOME PARTS OVER AT TIMES.

sry for anyone who thinks otherwise...but i am joshua jacksons bigest fan...and obsessor...i honestly cannot speak for everyone but almost everyone i know finds out how much i love joshua jackson in the forst 5 minutes of knowing me...so for all those heartbroken girls who dotn quite grasp it..i am joshuas biggest and most adoring fan
xoxo

This book was way cool. I don't just give it five stars, i give it 10,000! Scince I am Joshua Jackson's BIGGEST fan (sorry all those other girls out there, but i know I beat you!) I want to know as much about Joshua Jackson as I can. I thought this book did a lot of that. I could have done with more pictures though. (but of course I already don't think there are enough Joshua Jackson pictures in the world as it is) This book is great, but even if it wasn't i would buy it anyways because it's about Joshua Jackson! What more do you need in a book!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I think this book was great because it brought out a lot in his home life as well as his personal life. I kno we all love gossip gals! ! I also think Josh Is the HOTTEST guy on the planet and that also makes this book great ! ! !

I think Joshua Jackson Is Brilliant. He has done a lot for himself. He always looks great and all the films hes been in are exellent! I have seen all of them so far. This book tells you what hes really like. Not pacey in Dawsons creek, not damon in Urban Ledgend but Joshua Jackon,the greatest star in the world. I love him! Email me if you think so too

I really liked this book. It told me a lot about Josh. He's a really great guy, and funny as well as cute. I always loved Pacey, but now I think I prefer Josh.

I loved this book! Til this day it's still my favorite. I read it a few years ago and have also completed Baree. This book is the tale of 1 wolf dog. It tells the adventurous and amazing tales of this one wolf. This book is not like any of your ordinary wolf stories. It's something definitely worth reading. Even if you don't like you wolves or dogs I'm sure you'll enjoy this courageous story. I know I did.

When I first got this book, I looked at it and said "maybe" to myself. I probably should have read it then anyway. Well, I finally got around to reading it and I got stuck in it! It is really good. Some of the words are kind of confusing but the whole story is very cool. You read about a three-quarters dog and one-quarter wolf named Kazan. This story is really neat and you should buy it right NOW!

I loved this book! Til this day it's still my favorite. I read it a few years ago and have also completed Baree. This book is the tale of 1 wolf dog. It tells the adventurous and amazing tales of this one wolf. This book is not like any of your ordinary wolf stories. It's something definitely worth reading. Even if you don't like you wolves or dogs I'm sure you'll enjoy this courageous story. I know I did.

This is the story of the dog -wolf hybrid Kazan. He was kept by humans but soon escapes back to his real home.

He soon finds a wolf pack and makes it his own. As he fights to keep control he finds a safe place with his mate and she-wolf Grey Wolf.

As they fight to stay alive out in the woods Grey Wolf has pups which are soon killed by a lynx. To find out how Kazan takes his revenge try a different review or in my opinion get the book and read it. It is an exciting read filled with danger and excitement.
As i say everytime enjoy:)

Kazan : Father of Baree, introduces readers to a new level of respect for the wonderful creatures that James Oliver Curwood writes about. Kazan is the story of a wolf hybrid; a mix between a dog and a wolf. The story highlights the adventures of Kazan, as well as lessons taught to him throughout the book. I recommend this story to anyone who enjoys books that revolve around an animal as the main character. The plot is spectacular, as is the writing, and anyone ranging from age 8 to age 88 will enjoy it.

Ms. Skrypuch's passion has always been "to write stories that capture real experiences that have been suppressed or lost"--and, thus, this anthology came to be born. As she states, "We are the Kobzar's Children. Our parents and grandparents suffered in silence, with their life stories and histories either suppressed or falsified. This anthology tells a century of untold stories."

Honored as a Canadian Ukrainian Woman of Influence and as an author of seven books for children and young adults, many of which have been nominated for numerous awards, Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch is editor of "Kobzar's Children: A Century of Untold Ukrainian Stories ("Kobzar's Children")" and contributor of two of its stories.

"As a child, she could only find one Ukrainian book written in English, so she started to read Russian stories, Polish stories, and Jewish stories. The more she read, the more she noticed a disturbing trend: `Ukrainians were often portrayed with negative stereotypes'--they were portrayed as buffoons, bullies, drunks, and murderers."

As an adult, she heard about the kobzars--blind, wandering minstrels of Ukraine who memorized long epic poems, which had been passed down generation to generation. "Those poems captured the rich history, the folk tales, and the cultural identity of Ukraine."

During Stalin's regime, kobzars intermingled the older tales with "contemporary stories of Soviet repression, famine, and terror. In the 1930s, Stalin called the first national conference of kobzars in Ukraine. Hundreds congregated. And then Stalin had them all shot. Stalin then rounded up Ukrainian journalists, artists, novelists, and playwrights, and murdered them, too."

For the Ukrainian, the word kobzar has special meaning--Kobzar is the title of (Ukrainian bard) Taras Shevchenko's first collection of poems, which was published in 1840. Shevchenko "is popularly known as The Kobzar. During Stalin's time, Shevchenko's writings were deliberately falsified."

The publication of "Kobzar's Children" was sponsored by the Canada Council for the Arts, the Ontario Arts Council, the Government of Canada through BPIDP, and the Ukrainian Canadian Foundation of Taras Shevchenko. The cover image is from the Library and Archives of Canada. Each of the twenty writings is accented by artistic design work by accomplished illustrator Fortunato Aglialoro, and photos throughout have been supplied in many cases by the authors.

Twelve Ukrainian-Canadian authors (from Quebec, Ontario, and Western Canada) collaborated on this anthology of memoirs, historical fiction, and poetry that chronicles the lives and struggles of Ukrainian immigrants to Canada during the past one hundred years (1905-2004).

"More than a collection, it is a social document that revives memories once deliberately forgotten." Events heretofore described in articles, come to life as characters take on a very personal persona. The topics are as varied as their lengths--the shortest being a poem placed prominently on one page, the longest being a story spanning twenty-two pages. The reading is engrossing, informative, and thought inducing.

"Kobzar's Children" begins in the early 1900s with a fascinating recital of a family's homesteading and concludes in 2004 with an engrossing historical fiction dealing with the very real, recent Orange Revolution in Ukraine. Although the recommended reading level is ages 9 through 12, nevertheless, the adult will also benefit from this rich reservoir of remembrances. To enhance your reading experience, each author (Kobzar's Child) is given a face by way of a photo and brief resume.

The days of Ms. Skrypuch's youthful encounters with hostile, derogatory portrayals of Ukraine and Ukrainians are slowly metamorphosizing, as the Internet exposes to the world the true beauty and culture of Ukraine.

On June 14, 2008, former Beatle, Sir Paul McCartney gave a free concert in Kyiv, Ukraine before a live audience of 350,000 fans--it was "simultaneously broadcast on giant screens in Odesa, Donetsk, Lviv, Kharkiv, and Dnipropetrovsk, and on television, with an estimated 10 million people watching." The concert ("a mammoth 33-song set") started a half hour late due to the heavy pouring rains--which didn't dampen anyone's spirits, though!

"McCartney has made mention of Ukraine in a song with the Beatles. In the well-known hit "Back in the USSR" the Beatles sing: "The Ukraine girls really knock me out." Also, several years ago during the concert in St Petersburg in Russia Sir Paul in response to a greeting of Ukrainian fans suddenly took the microphone and said: "I send all my love to you, Ukraine."

Sir Paul McCartney took Ukrainian lessons for an hour, "hoping to be able to talk to the audience." During his three-day stay in Kyiv, "Sir Paul McCartney will open a personal exhibition of his artistic works, which will include 40 of his works at the PincukArtCentre." And, he'll bike Kyiv's streets seeing what his friends told him is "a beautiful city with lots of historic places." His video is on YouTube--see it. Kobzar's Children who witnessed this concert will pass along their stories for generations to come.

"Kobzar's Children: A Century of Untold Ukrainian Stories" should be in libraries worldwide, both public and personal! A definite five-stars plus!--Mandrivnyk, Arlington Heights, IL

The modern Kobzars who wrote the stories in this book do an invaluable service for readers everywhere. They bring together a group of tales that gives vivid life to the Ukranian immigrant experience. The unique, remarkable and sometimes horrifying events are related with such clear voices that the result is an uplifting testament to the power of the people who have lived these lives. For all its disturbing imagery, in the end, reading this collection is ultimately a celebration of the Ukranian immigrant experience, as told in the many and varied voices of Ukranian storytellers.

I didn't know very much about Ukrainian immigrants, but this collection of fiction, poetry, and memoir has really opened my eyes. For one thing, it reminded me that life for so many people on this planet has been one of grim survival--and that's just the effort to farm an inhospitable land, let alone to deal with man's inhumanity. This story collection, while it has moments of humor ("The Red Boots" and "A Bar of Chocolate" spring to mind), is mostly poignant and at times haunting as it evokes events such as Stalin's famine-genocide against millions of Ukrainian farmers, an event punctuated by farcical displays of peasant well-being orchestrated and enacted for foreign journalists.

The challenges facing immigrants is a timeless message which has an unpleasantly real application for me today, since I live in a country where many people direct hostility toward Hispanic immigrants. Likewise, the internment of Ukrainian immigrants in Canada during World War I is reminiscent of the Japanese internment here in California during World War II. I was also reminded that, though the primary focus of the Nazi Holocaust was the Jews, other peoples, including Ukrainian and other political dissidents and resistance fighters, were also tortured and killed in death/slave camps.

It's nice that the book ends on a hopeful note, with a contemporary story about the Orange Revolution.

Kobzar's Children is not for young children, but for those Young Adult (and older) readers who are willing to consider the complexities of this world we live in and to focus on a less well-known era and people in history, I highly recommend this book.

The Kobzar's (storytellers) of the Ukraine died by Stalin's orders, as did their stories. A new generation of Kobzars emerged. In this title, a collection of short historical fiction, poems and memoirs, Kobzar's children chronicle the Ukrainian immigrant experience in Canada from 1905 to 2004--living through internment as enemy aliens, displacement, homesteading, concentration camps, and more. This magnificent collection is so absorbing, it is impossible to put it down.

Marsha Skrypuch has gifted readers with a mix of dark and light subjects that are intimate and totally absorbing. While enriching one's knowledge of Ukranian immigrant history, this collection gives testimony to the human experience unbounded by geography. Masterful!

In the introduction to this collection of short historical fiction, memoirs and poems touching upon a century of the history of Ukrainian immigrant experience, Marsha Skrypuch writes the following:


"When you don't write your own stories, others will write them for you."

And in publishing this marvelous collection of stories she begins the process of putting the record straight. Like Marsha, I too grew up with the realization that I belonged essentially to an invisible and completely unknown ethnic group -- Ukrainians, whom no one seemed to have ever heard of, and if they had, they said things like -- "That's the same as Russian, isn't it?"

As Marsha explains in the foreword, the kobzars were Ukraine's blind, wandering minstrels, who in the ancient tradition of Homer memorized long epic historical poems that spoke of the great events of Ukrainian history, and in doing so kept a population that was largely illiterate in touch with their great heritage.

During Stalin's times they kept people apprised of the repressions and persecutions and famine in addition to their traditional role, and so they came to the notice of Josef Stalin, who called for a national conference of kobzars. Hundreds showed up, and all were shot. There are a few kobzars who survived to tell the tale, and a very few who carry on the tradition today.

Because Marsha does not speak Ukrainian, she did not have access to emigre literature that spoke of the immigrant experience, and of experiences in Ukraine. But Ukrainians are inveterate story tellers, and as fortune would have it, the writers of these tales are either witnesses themselves to the events they describe, or are children of parents who told vivid tales of their own experiences, and as such the works have a compelling and hypnotic interest.

I couldn't put the book down. I frankly had expected a charming work aimed at children, but how mistaken I was. Although this book is suitable for all ages capable of reading at this level, it is of no less interest to the adult reader as to the young reader. It never talks down to its audience. In the same way that I remember my own parents relating the many stories of our family, no punches are pulled. Harsh reality and horror and danger take their place alongside tales of humor, childhood pranks and misunderstandings.

Beginning in the early part of the century, the stories span everything from a memoir of homesteading in the early 1900's in the wilds of western Canada, to a first-hand horrifying account of a young child's suffering and survival during the Stalin-created Ukrainian famine genocide of 1933, in which at least seven million Ukrainians perished. Tales of helping out in a family grocery store take their place alongside a psychologically insightful meditation on the interior life of an elderly Ukrainian woman living in her memories while confined to a nursing home. One of the stories relates the shocking history of how Ukrainians were unjustly interned in hard labor camps by the Canadian government during WWI, and subjected to treatment that is sadly reminiscent of Soviet gulags. This is a chapter of immigrant history I knew absolutely nothing about. There's a delightful tale about the tragicomedy of attempts to move the grave of one family member from one cemetery to another, followed by a grim personal memoir of surviving Auschwitz. The stories span a century of experience, beginning in the early 1900's and ending with a charming Christmas time tale that takes place during the exciting days of the Orange Revolution.

Ukrainians do not talk down to their children. We do not protect them from the harsh realities of history and of repression. Perhaps this is why Americans and Canadians of Ukrainian descent are generally highly sensitive to any encroachments upon their freedoms and dangers gathering in the world. We have experienced, if not first-hand, then through the tales of our parents, the kinds of things that can happen if people forget their history.

As such, Marsha Skrypuch has done a great service by publishing this book. Not only has she introduced the literature and history of Ukraine to immigrants who may no longer be in touch with the language of their ancestors, but also she exposes the stories of these people to a wider American and Canadian audience.

This book must and will, by its very nature, find a wide audience. It is gripping, well-written, well-balanced, and paced with a mixture of lighter and darker topics, and in the end is a testament to the basic humanity that binds us all into one common human experience.

History comes alive when we read about the lives of individuals. What once existed only as a page in a history book or a phrase with a date attached, suddenly becomes a gripping personal drama that anyone can identify with.

Buy this book, read it. You don't have to be Ukrainian to thoroughly enjoy it and to profit by it. We are all enriched by enlarging our knowledge of history and the very human stories that make up that history.

The kobzars indeed live, and this book carries on that great Ukrainian tradition. Every country needs its kobzars.

I loved this book. He seemed genuine and really care the fate of the Hong Kong Chinese.

Regardless of the so-called hidden agenda behind the rush to the democracy before the handover, the truth was back then none of the patten's predecessors had the political reforms in agenda. They were all diplomats and they only really concerned to kowtowing Beijing. Patten was a politican and he tried to work and fight for the benefits on behalf of HIS constituents i.e. people of Hong Kong. He got unfairly smeared by Beijing in return just because the truth hurts.

The bottom line was Chris Patten did leave a legacy way better than Tung che-hwa, the chief executive of Hong Kong SAR (Special Administrative Region-not the disease) could ever dream of. What an irony it was when the white Anglo-Saxon master who make Hong Kong prosperous and better than the mainland Chinese themselves.

When the Union Jack lowered the last time on June 30, 1997, it symbolized not only the beginning of the fall of Hong Kong, but also spell the death of Hong Kong. Hong Kong-the beacon and the crown jewel of what a Chinese society ought to be back then ceased to exist.

I loved this book. I thought it was a great narrative on Chris Patten and his governorship and the hardships he endured. The book spares almost no detail, but I would have liked to see more of the Democrat's point of view. This book is absolutely necessary for people who wish to know in-depth about his governorship.

After reading the online review of Theroux's Kowloon Tong (a fictional account of the 1997 Handover of Hong Kong), I am surprised to find that only one customer have contributed a review to Dimbleby's marvelous work on the historical events. Dimbleby provided an excellent and comprehensive account of the political events that led to the signing of the 1984 Sino-British agreement, the arrival of Chris Patten, the introduction of legislative reform, and the eventual derailment of the democratic movement by the Communist Chinese Government. Dimbleby also tell the stories of several Hong Kong citizens and their views of the Handover. Being a native of Hong Kong who have spent my last 12 years in the States, Dimbleby's book brought me up-to-date on the big political stride taken by and the obstacles awaiting the people of Hong Kong.

This book is one of the best books about the history and political development of HK. It not only gives a brief but interesting historical outline at the beginning of the book, it also traces the development of HK politics. What the governors before Chris Patten did and what have been changed since the arrival of Patten. It also outlines lots of power struggles between the governor and the ministers in Britain and how Patten dealt with them. For sure the relations between the governor and the Prime Minister John Major is a key factor contributing to the "success" of the governor. Of course one would have no doubt about that the close relationship between the governor and the writer, Jonathan Dimbleby, who followed Patten to come to HK and spent several years with him, which does enable him to access some crucial but secret matters that are not easily accessed by other journalists. Being a HK citizen, reading the book enables me not just to know the past better but it also enriches me about the situations of HK at that time. Reading it is just like passing through the history once again, with all those political arguments between China and both Patten and Britain reappearing in real life. Another interesting thing about the book is that it also touches lots of the everyday lives of the ordinary people living in HK, how did they feel about the political arguments and what did they plan to do after the handover of China. This makes the book more lively. This book is definitely a book that students of history/Political Science/HK Studies should read.

Jonathan Dimbleby's The Last Governor is a tour de force that gives the reader an insider's perspective into the tenure of Hong Kong's last colonial leader, Chris Patten. Dimbleby treats the reader to a narrative account of the trials and tribulations that Patten faced as he attempted to enact democratic reforms in Great Britain's last colonial jewel. Although one would undoubtedly expect the government of the People's Republic of China (PRC) to be vociferously opposed to any belated attempt by the British colonial authorities to bequeath a semblance of democracy on Hong Kong, Dimbleby makes the case that Patten's biggest enemies often came from within his own government. Dimbleby's revelations that selected British cabinet and Foreign Office officials shamelessly sought to downgrade the importance of Hong Kong and sacrifice Patten's proposed reforms on the alter of commercial relations with the PRC, resulted in Dimbleby being investigated by the Foreign Office for possible receipt of secret intelligence materials. Dimbleby was cleared of these allegations, but the vast array of insider information that Dimbleby amassed for this book strengthens the strident arguments that Dimbleby advances. Only a handful of participants in The Last Governor emerge with their reputations unscathed. Hong Kong's local and international business elite is portrayed as willing supplicants in the PRC's efforts to scale back personal and political liberties after Hong Kong's reversion to PRC sovereignty, a position easily enforced by PRC threats to their commercial interests. Martin Lee and Emily Lau, two of Hong Kong's leading democracy advocates, are portrayed as actually weakening Patten's push for democratic reforms through their uncompromising approach. The various representatives of the PRC are painted as unbending ideologues with little appreciation of Hong Kong's way of life. Dimbleby is most critical of the British officials, past and present, who acted to either inadvertently or deliberately sabotage Patten's governorship. Most prominent on this list is Sir Percy Cradock, Great Britain's lead negotiator in the 1984 Joint Declaration and former Ambassador to the PRC. Cradock comes off as a modern-day Neville Chamberlain, willing to cut a bad deal with an unsavory power for the sake of diplomatic expediency. Cradock compounded this error by working both privately and publically to weaken Patten's political position and policies. Dimbleby also argues that the Cradock mentality had infected the entire Foreign Office and selected members of John Major's cabinet, who worked to undercut Patten and sell-out Hong Kong in favor of better commercial relations with the PRC. The greatest strength of The Last Governor is also its greatest weakness. While such open access to Patten gives this book the necessary dramatic propulsion, it also strikes the reader as serving as Patten's mouthpiece. While Dimbleby does downgrade Patten for underestimating the challenges he was to face as Governor, Dimbleby's portrayal of Patten as the lonely David fighting against the multi-headed Goliath seems to diminish the numerous allies Patten needed to help him accomplish the limited reforms he was able to enact. Dimbleby could have also delved deeper into the political rationale behind the PRC's bargaining position and policies regarding Hong Kong. The Last Governor is highly recommended reading for anyone interested in Hong Kong, Chinese, or British affairs and to readers interested in how bureaucratic politics affects international diplomacy. Dimbleby's prose is brisk and should easily captivate and entrance the reader. Keep in mind that this is not an academic tome, so Dimbleby's point of view is repeatedly expressed without reservation or apology.

Findley is a very gifted writer, and his talent shines through in this book. "The Last of the Crazy People" is a stunning piece about a dysfunctional family. From the first page, Findley calculatingly begins to describe the family in such a way that holds the readers attention. Reading this book is like watching a car crash in slow motion. It is a creative and intriguing read.

This is Findley's first novel, written in 1967 and set in the mid-1960s. It takes place in a small town setting outside of Toronto, but could very well have been set in deepest Mississippi for all the southern goth elements that dominate this book. A family disintegrates through the eyes of an 11-year-old boy. Mother won't leave her room, Brother is consumed by alcohol, Father is powerless. The boy's best friends are his cats and the black housemaid he is most attached to. In true southern goth style, things unravel in horrible ways as the family members drift further apart over the course of what should be a magical summer for the typical 11-year-old. Darkness, decay, death, despair, and the opening of a young boy's eyes to the realities of the world. Emotionally powerful, this book is simply awesome. Highly recommended for southern goth fans.

This is one of Mr. Findley's finest works. The metaphorical imagry used to discribe us as mankind is graphic and haunting. I know that I'll never forget,"The Last Of The Crazy People".

Much of Findley's work revolves around upscale families with problems. The Last of the Crazy People is no exception. As seen through the eyes of the youngest child in the family, who is really the only one not yet corrupted by loss of innocence, the story is told with the accuracy that only a child's perception will grant. Beautifully written, this is yet another book by Timothy Findley that i have loved.

Timothy Findley's first novel is a powerfully shocking read full of characters who reach out to the reader. Set in Ontario in 1964, the main character is an 11 year old boy, Hooker Winslow, living within a dysfunctional family. Findley holds your attention while you identify with this young man trying to learn about the problems in his family--but no one will tell him the truth. Not his distanced father who speaks to no one except his own spinster sister Rosetta who lives FOR her brother. Not his mother, the "crazy" Jessica who no longer wants to be a mother. Sometimes his drunken brother Gil. And the maid, Iris, tries to help him--but the truth is never within his grasp. The ending is breath-taking. Read this novel and you'll become a Findley fan.

The Last Safe House is a fictional story with non-fiction stories in it. It tells about people in slavery during the mid eighteen hundreds. I recommend this book for kids 7 years old and up. They will enjoy the excitement of the story while learning about all the great African-Americans. I would give this book a four and a quarter stars. I think that you will have a good time with this book.

The last safe house is a great book. It shows the trails of a runnaway slave and how it does't matter whats your color you are.People are not always friends but really know.

The year is 1856. Twelve year old Johanna Reid lives in Saint Catharines, Ontario, a small town on the border of the U.S. and Canada. Eleven year old Eliza Jackson is escaping slavery in Virginia with her mother and older brother, Ben. Along the way, Eliza's mother is captured, and Eliza and Ben are separated. Eliza's journey brings her to the Reid home. At first, Johanna resents Eliza. But as she hears Eliza's story, she becames aware of the horrors that slaves face. Included in this book are activties and tidbits of historical information. THE LAST SAFE HOUSE brings the pre-Civil War period to life through an engaging story of two young girls.

Wow, does it make for persuasive argument if I just say this book is good? No, but Barbara Greenwood's "The Last Safe House"" is a must for anyone interested in the topics of slavery, underground railroad or 19th century history, (America or Canada).

What makes this book so special is that it is so much more that just a young adult novel. Yes, there is a fictional story being told here, but mixed into the fictional story are non-fictional side bar stories. So for example when the story starts to tell of a nefarious slave catcher, the author stops the fiction and starts giving us a real background of slave catchers and how they operated. Basically the footnotes for her story become part of the story. And believe me it is not distracting at all. It's almost like Barbara Greenwood is sitting us next to a fire and telling us the story and pausing every once in a while to more fully explain some things.

I also loved Heather Collins's illustrations. We are not talking the fine art you occasionally see in juvenile books, but we are talking very functional drawings that not only add to the story but to our general understanding. I would love to have a poster size picture of her drawing of "A Cotton Plantation."

In addition to the great design of this book, there are some story details that are often skipped over in many other similar type books. First off, she tell the story that slaves were still not completely free even if they made it to Canada. Also while Canada may have been the land of the free, it was not completely free of prejudice.

I collect books about the underground railroad as a hobby. And Barbara Greenwood's "The Last Safe House will be one of my most recommenced reads.

Snip, snap, snout, my tale is told out . . . . :-)

The Last Safe House is a blend of good research, good writing, enjoyable illustrations and activities to make the subject come alive for children. Greenwood spins a simple central tale of an escaped slave family and one of the families who helps them reach freedom, and uses this story as a springboard to a larger picture - the history of black slaves in America, the hero(ines) of the Underground Railroad, the whole question of justice and prejudice. Greenwood does not sugar-coat the issues or her characters - her protagonists are real children, who sulk, bicker and wish to be popular just like children do in every age. There's also a delightful lack of smugness about the presentation - this isn't a 'look at the wonderful white family helping out the poor black refugees' story, or even a 'look at the wonderful Canadians saving people from the terrible Americans' story - it's a book that examines a huge and complex issue in childsize pieces, in a sensitive yet sensible manner.

In my opinion, this book is award-winning material...it has solid worth, and the illustrations and activities combine with the adventure in the story to produce a captivating whole (for children and adults alike). Bravo to Greenwood and Collins!

"The Lesser Blessed is a coming of age tale told in photo-booth snapshots and raunchy one-liners. It is poetry and prose and locker-room boasts and puking-your-guts-out shame. It's sex that transcends tragedy. It is loud and rude and high. It's a shaker."
--John Burns for the Georgia Straight (Nov. 28, 1996)

"[Van Camp] does not stumble over nostalgia or romanticism or careless diction. He loves words-his own, his Nation's, rock and roll's-and slips perfect ones into atrociously profane and perfect sentences..."
--Lorna Jackson for The Malahat Review (Summer, 1997)

The Lesser Blessed. Richard Van Camp. Douglas & McIntyre, 1996. Reviewed by Dr. Geary Hobson.

In virtually every generation, in the realm of literary activity, there comes along a
book that, by the very nature of its subject matter and place and the sheer exuberance
of its utterances reverberant of the place and people depicted, introduces not only a
little-known terra firma and people, but sometimes becomes the definer of that era in
which it is produced. Not surprisingly, these books are usually the products of younger
writers. Wordsworth's and Coleridge's Lyrical Ballads, Jane Austin's novels, the
work of the Brontes, Stephen Crane's stories, Hemingway's The Sun Also Rises
ushering in the Lost Generation, Kerouac's Beat Generation introduced in On The
Road, Salinger's Holden Caulfield wandering through Catcher in the Rye, the jaded
"me"-obsessed teens in Bret Easton Ellis's Less Than Zero, Native American
sensibilities in Momaday's House Made of Dawn, and a generation later, Alexie's The
Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven-all these books and writers burst forth
in such dynamic ways that not only defined their respective eras, shook the accepted
literary standards of their day, but expanded and extended the English lan-{78}guage,
while at the same time occasioning the debut of sometimes extraordinary new literary
talents.
In my view, Richard Van Camp, a Dogrib Nation writer born in Fort Smith,
Northwest Territories, Canada, in 1971, is accomplishing virtually the same thing in his
first novel, The Lesser Blessed, as Hemingway, Kerouac, et al. did in their times.
Given the smaller spectrum of Native American literature within (or without, as many
Native writers would have it) the larger context of American, British, and Canadian
literatures, Van Camp's novel introduces a new terrain and language that nonetheless
has roots in the fiction of Momaday, Leslie Marmon Silko, and James Welch, while
simultaneously exploring the same subject matter as the contemporary stories of
Sherman Alexie, Adrian Louis, and Lorne Simon.
In The Lesser Blessed, a Dogrib Indian teenager named Larry Sole narrates his
story and thus invites the reader into the little-examined world of contemporary Dogrib
(a part of the Dene, or Athabaskan-based, tribal people of the Northwest Territories
of Canada). More specifically, Larry embodies a modern Indian teenager's view of his
particular tribal culture and of the Indian world in general, acknowledging them and
appreciating them along with his fondness for Iron Maiden, Bruce Springsteen, Ozzy
Osbourne, occasional pot-smoking, getting "hamburgered" ("Raven" talk--Larry's own
take on his tribe's trickster figure's language for "drunk," Larry tells us), and trying to
get closer to his own particular Juliet (and, incidentally, the girl's actual name in the
novel) whom Larry remembers as "the first girl in grade school to swear at a teacher."
A North of 60 Romeo, Larry is in love with Juliet while she throws her sexual favors
to Johnny Beck, Larry's best friend, who is scornfully casual to her attentions.
Van Camp's method of characterization is strikingly vivid. At seventeen, and tall
and skinny, Larry describes himself as having "spaghetti arms and daddy longlegs,"
and at one point he visualizes himself as a Dogrib hunter of an earlier time as he
watches Juliet, "seen in his sights as a white caribou, pure, but (whom) he let go out of
respect and awe." Larry and his mother, a night school student at Arctic College, live
in Fort Simmer, a north-of-the-60th parallel town near the border of Alberta. Jed, his
mother's on-again, off-again boy friend, is a traditional Slavey Indian trapper whom
Larry identifies as a father-figure, and who promises to take Larry out "on the land" for
a season of trapping. Larry is amenable to this, but he is still comfortable in his
high-school world of hanging out with Johnny, lusting after Juliet from afar, {79} trying
his best to avoid the numerous school-ground fist-fights, and playing his tape deck
"cranked up" with AC/DC, Judas priest, and Iron Maiden.
Slowly, through a number of finely crafted, fragmented flashbacks, the reader
learns of Larry's past, in which his biological father physically and sexually abused him
and later died in a cabin fire that Larry himself may have started. Like Welch's
emotionally frozen nameless narrator of Winter in the Blood, Larry gradually awakens
to love and affection--after he surprisingly (to himself most of all) consummates his
sexual desire for Juliet in a brief relationship--and learns to retrust his mother and to
give himself fully in a father-son relationship with Jed. The Lesser Blessed, incredibly
funny and wise-cracking in many places, is nonetheless filled with the genuine
ingredients of a well-wrought tragi-comedy.
The Lesser Blessed is also the harbinger of a sophisticated Arctic literature, and
of a bold new direction for contemporary Native literature. And while it is perhaps not
the first novel to come out of the Canadian Northwest Territories, it is certainly the first
work of fiction by a Native writer from that vast region. By all accounts, it is a
masterful achievement.

Dr. Geary Hobson

Richard Van Camp¡¦s novel "The Lesser Blessed" is rooted firmly in the tradition of the coming-of-age, Bildungsroman genre that appeals to all who have survived the teen years and lived to tell about it. Or in this case, lived to read about it.

Writing from the sensibility of a Canadian aboriginal artist, a First Nation author speaking from within the experience of life as a member of the Dogrib nation, Van Camp imbues his novel with a definite sense of the indigenous culture situated within the history of Canadian social colonization. His 16-year-old narrator and primary protagonist, Larry, is comfortable with the First Nation culture passed down to him by his family. However, Larry truly finds himself coming alive in the stories told by his mother¡¦s firefighter boyfriend, Jed.

As the novel progresses and we discover the dark ¡§devil¡¦s kiss¡¨ secret that weighs so heavily upon Larry¡¦s heart, it becomes increasingly clear that Jed the firefighter is there to save Larry from burning in the flames of guilt and shame. The quenching waters that he offers the tormented teen are his stories, histories and mythologies. Indeed, the chilling influence of Adrian C. Louis and Leslie Marmon Silko is recognizable in this novel at its darkest moments. This is certainly not a childhood story of nostalgia and happiness, but neither is it a tale overwhelmed by sadness and self-destruction.

The sharing of stories helps Larry survive the challenges thrown at him as a North American teenager: experimenting with drugs; dealing with bullies; controlling sexual urges; getting into fights; and making friends. Scattered across the pages of almost every chapter is the music of the period, as Larry also draws strength from his favorite band, Iron Maiden. Band names and song titles are peppered throughout the novel. Most post-teenaged readers will probably smile as they remember how very important music was to them as teens.

Especially satisfying is Van Camp¡¦s playfulness with language and his creation of a jargon that is both pleasant and jarring, such as the hyper-speech that Larry calls ¡§Raven talk.¡¨ The dialogue is often fast and funny, although the humor tends toward the darker edges of comedy. Most intriguing are the flashes of memory offered up in dreamlike and psychedelic patterns. Watch out for those blue monkeys.

If the novel has any failing, it is the brevity of the work. The story takes place in the space of a few weeks, and though ¡§manhood¡¨ or ¡§adulthood¡¨ remain far from Larry¡¦s grasp, he revels in his life experiences and fancies himself lucky to be alive. For the cynical adult reader, Larry's joy represents his naivety; his faith in love seems misplaced. Poor Larry just doesn¡¦t know what kind of mud the world still has in store for him, for us all. But maybe, just maybe, he¡¦ll survive better than the rest of us because he¡¦s got stories, Jed¡¦s stories and his own, to keep him going.

Timothy R. Fox
Kui Xing: The Journal of Asian/Diasporic and Aboriginal Literature
http://www.kuixing.panopticonasia.com
Join the Kui Xing Discussion Group

"THE LESSER BLESSED is easily one of the most truthful, painful, powerful novels I've ever read."

-Joseph Bruchac

Women, like men, want to have a comfortable lifestyle, an attractive partner, and loving friends. What gets in the way of that is women's ideas that they can not date like men, can not work competitively like men, and must be the moral police to themselves and their friends.

Finally a book that tells the TRUTH about women and dispels the myth of female moral superioriy. This book doesn't trash women, but shows how myths harm both men and women. Don't waste your time on PURE [JUNK] such as "Men are From Mars, Women are From Venus," Beg, borrow or steal this book!

Finally a book that tells the TRUTH about women and dispels the myth of female moral superioriy. This book doesn't trash women, but shows how myths harm both men and women. Don't waste your time on ... "Men are From Mars, Women are From Venus," ...[Get] this book!

book is great, articulates aspects of female reality with surgical precision. I could go on and on, but I only want to say the book is excellent.

This well-written book provdes some amusing insights in female-female relationships, which most women would prefer to deny. Fillion's use anecdote to illustrate a series of broad points is funny and entertaining. A very enjoyable (and cringe inducing) read.