2 comments about Outlaws of the Lakes: Bootlegging & Smuggling from Colonial Times to Prohibition.

1. Edward Butts book Outlaws of the Lakes is nothing less than brilliant! A must to read! This is an extemely well written account of both Canadian and American smuggler's, bootleggers and corrupt government official's at it's best! Also great detailed accounts on Al Capone and his rivals Dion O'Bannon and the Purple Gang. A must for crime readers and historian buffs! I give this book 5-stars with highest honors.



2. The Great Lakes have served as a smuggler's freeway since Canada's infancy. In "Outlaws of the Lakes: Bootlegging and Smuggling", Canadian author Ed Butts tackles the subject of the illegal trade in booze and just about everything else banned or excessively taxed by the government. He also highlights its more infamous practitioners, such as Rocco Perri, Canada's Al Capone.
   
   Butts has dicovered or deduced some eye-opening facts. He demonstrates that a French bootlegger was responsible for the founding of Detroit, and points out that smugglers made a valuable contribution to the British-Canadian victory during the War of 1812. Historic triumphs aside, Butts does not whitewash or glorify the degraded character of the smuggler or the vicious reality of his / her daily life. These lake pirates killed each other, turned the legal system into a farce by bribing government officials, and created a legacy of violence and corruption that taints Canada and the United States to this day.

No comments about Dictionary of Canadian Biography / Dictionaire Biographique du Canada: Volume I, 1000 - 1700 (Dictionary of Canadian Biography).

1 comments about Leading by Example: Partisan Fighters & Leaders of New France, 1660-1760, Vol. 1.

1. This is a great book filled with information not generally known about the French and Indian War.I own all of Bob Bearor's books now and find him to be a superb writer and excellent storyteller.History is written by the winners, so there was not much info on the French side of things until recently.I recommend all of Bob's books to anyone interested in the other side of the conflict that really determined our country's future.

2 comments about High Flight: A Story of World War II.

1. "High Flight" is the brief story of the poem of the same title and its author, John Gillespie Magee, Jr. Often thought to be British, Magee was an American who served, and died, in the Royal Canadian Air Force during World War II. This book, for readers ten years and older, recounts Magee's life as a child of missionaries in China, his studies in Rugby school in England, his life in America, and his career in the RCAF. Interwoven with his story is the story of his famous poem and the events of WWII. The story is beautfully told and illustrated. It brought tears to my eyes and will be a joy for boys young and old.



2. This delightful children's book, well worth reading by any adult whose imagination has risen above a stepladder up to some leaf-clogged eaves, is about the Royal Canadian Air Force pilot and the greatest poem ever written about the joys of flight.

   Magee, an American born in China, went to school in England, joined the Canadian air force and died in a training accident in England just four days after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour launched the United States into World War II. Like all great timeless literature from the realm of combat -- the Funeral Oration of Pericles, Lincoln's Gettysburg Address, and McCrae's In Flanders Fields -- it is about ideals instead of ideology.

   In 114 words, dated Sept. 3, 1941, he celebrated the sheer joy of flight. He could have had a scholarship to Yale in the fall of 1940 to study the classics; instead, that October he went to Canada. By then his father was assistant minister at St. John's Church in Washington, D.C., popularly known as "the church of the presidents." His parents hadn't been thrilled about his decision to fly instead of going to Yale, but they gave him their reluctant support.

   The poem, written on the back page of one of his letters from England, may have been his explanation of "this is why I like to fly" to his parents. Having spent hours in the cockpit of many aicraft, from sailplanes to bush planes, and executive jets to a Flying Fortress, I understand the feeling. I can't say "share," because the single engine fighters of World War II created a brief era in flight that will never be repeated. Today's jets are pure power, simply point and go anywhere; World War I aircraft were sadly limited by a lack of power. Magee flew when the sheer joy of piston engine power matched but didn't eclipse the nerve and ability of a pilot's feelings, reactions, skills and dreams.

   In only 28 pages, superbly illustrated by Toronto artist Michael Martchenko, Linda Granfield book tells how the spirit of a young man -- somewhat rebellious and undisciplined to start -- soared like the high flight he describes so memorably. I first found the poem when I was in the seventh grade, some 50 years ago, and memorized it as part of the 200 lines of memory work that were required every school year. It's the only poem from those years that stayed with me.

   This book is the first account I've read that describe's Magee's background, and how the poem came to be written. In school, we were told it was "written on the back of an envelope." The real story, admirably told by Granfield, is more inspiring. Truth is always better than fantasy or imagination.

   It's called a children's book. Don't be fooled. It's too good just for children. Anyone who understands the soaring adventure of the human spirit will love it. Magee made his dream come true. Very few of us get to live a more perfect life.

5 comments about Canoeing With the Cree (Publications of the Minnesota Historical Society).

1. 2250 miles in a canoe - a great adventure and a book worth reading. I can't add much that isn't already perfectly described in this book.
   
   At the start of the trip during a brief stay in Fargo, North Dakota, a friend and doctor named Frederick Gronvold sets the boys on their journey in a proper frame of mind. "Don't let anyone, no matter who he is, convince you that your trip can't be completed. You have youth and strength, and courage too, I hope, and with a little common sense you can do it."
   
   When the journey finally ends and the boys share their tale with the adults at York Factory, they are asked why? Bud responds simply, "Oh, for pleasure, I guess." A journey simply for the sake of the adventure. It is an idea lost on some of the adults listening to the boys. "Pleasure! What a jolly funny kind of pleasure!" Better yet, maybe the idea isn't lost. Colonel Reid continues, "Oh well, that's youth. Things look different when you're young, I suppose. My word, I almost believe I envy you."
   
   Enjoy the beginning and the end; enjoy the pineapples and everything in between. Enjoy the journey simply for the journey; it's an adventure that is perfect for any reader of any age!



2. "Eric Sevareid made his name as a CBS news correspondent. But at a young age, Sevareid experienced an adventure most only dream of. Sevareid detailed the journey in his book "Canoeing with the Cree". Now to mark the 75th anniversary of Sevareid's journey, two Minnesota men plan to make the same trip." Tim Post
   
   In 1930 two young men paddled their way from Minneapolis to Hudson Bay in Canada. A trip of 2200 miles. Everyone told them it could not be done. Eric Sevareid, then a 17 year old, fresh graduate of high school, and his best buddy, Walter Port, planned the entire trip. They garnered financial support, collected supplies and a canoe and paddles and off they went. Five months later after trials and tribulations, they made it to Hudson Bay. Their journey is documented by Eric Sevareid, who gathered the weekly diaries he sent to their local Minneapolis paper, and in 1935, he wrote this book.
   
   I stepped back in time to the 1930's when life seemed to be more innocent and the world a safer place to be. Sevareid who went on to become one of the most revered journalists of our time, wrote in an unpretentious manner, and we can feel the excitement of their adventures. They traversed unknown land and water. No one, it seems, had ever accomplished this trek. Even the best canoeists in the country failed. How then, did these two young lads accomplish this journey? Intelligence and good luck, I'd say. They questioned everyone they met, took upon themselves to digest all of the information and made decisions based on their best judgement. And, most of the time they were correct. They had no radio, no maps( this was uncharted country), little preserved food except for hardtack, but they had their ingenuity and the assistance of all of the people they met.
   
   The North Country was mostly woods. Camps, small towns and two larger towns had been established for hunting and trapping. Most of the humans they met were Indians who were kind and generous. As a matter of fact, most of the people they met were in awe of their journey and shared whatever food, equipment and conversation they were capable. The trip was amazing when we look at the obstacles they faced. Water, roaring cold water, sometimes rapids, sometimes falls, no maps, only the word of mouth of strangers, and cold brutal weather at times. Or hot humid weather with flies and gnats. They discovered all sorts of wild animals but were never in real danger. They had their tent, two paddles, food, water, ponchos and several blankets. This seems like a story of new adventurers discovering a new world, and in fact this is what they were. Two 17 year old lads set out on an adventure and one day after another they found one. Extraordinary when you think about it.
   
   Since the time of Eric and Walter, several other duos have made the trip by canoe. However, they had maps, food that could be kept for months and the best of camping equipment. This is not to lessen these young men's courage, but to think 78 years ago, this was accomplished with such primitive arrangments and care.
   
   This was an exciting read and one page after another flew by. The book was difficult to put down. Easy, simplistic writing. but some of the most important writing I have found. The boys parents and friends did not hear from them often and at times, I am sure the parents were worried. But the two lads persevered and the trip was taken.
   
   Highly Recommended. prisrob 06-26-08
   
   Not So Wild a Dream
   
   The Eleanor Roosevelt Story



3. This story is about two high school boys who decided to take a canoe trip during the summer of 1930. Not only is it an adventurous tale but it is a lesson about survival and the determination to accomplish a goal. It is well written and very descriptive making the journey very realistic. This is a must read especially for teenagers who love the sport of canoeing.



4. The late CBS News Correspondent Eric Sevareid's highly regarded adventure chronicle Canoeing With The Cree has been given new life in an enjoyable audiobook production released by Holton House Audio. The story, as written by the late Mr. Sevareid, is one of an epic journey through the Canadian wilderness during the summer and fall of 1930. Sevareid and his friend Walter Port, both just teenagers, set out from Minneapolis, Minnesota, in an attempt to do what no one else had ever done before: canoe over 2,200 miles north to the Atlantic Ocean.
   
   Holton House Audio chose Mr. John Farrell to record Sevareid's epic tale, and it has chosen well. Mr. Farrell's pleasant baritone displays a wide range of emotion that consistently matches both the intensity and innocence of Mr. Sevareid's story, and Farrell's reading style adds what almost seems like visual and sensory components to the recording. At times, as I listened, I could see and sense the stillness of the Canadian wilderness that Mr. Sevareid experienced, while at other times, the tone in Farrell's voice led me to imagine the deafening roar of crashing rapids. I could sense the perils that Sevareid and his friend faced on many occasions. Also, Mr. Farrell's ability to give characters in the story their own unique voices added yet another enjoyable aspect to this quality recording.
   
   I found it refreshing that Canoeing With The Cree was exciting, and yet profanity-free. The recording would be a great addition to any public library's audio collection, and it would also be appropriate for use in High School English classrooms. I intend to start using it in my own Alternative Education High School class this fall, and will make this wholesome and engaging story a regular part of my curriculum for many years to come.
   
   Eric Sevareid's Canoeing With The Cree is a great story, and it's been well told by Mr. John Farrell. I highly recommend this new Holton House Audio recording.



5. First of all, the title of the audio book "Canoeing With The Cree" is misleading. This work is not about Cree Indian canoeing style. Nor is it about a trip taken with Cree Indians. It is about two boys, Eric Sevareid (later a famous journalist and TV reporter) and Walter Port aged 17 and 19 respectively, who take the trip of a lifetime canoeing some 2200 miles from Minneapolis to Hudson Bay over the course of one summer. Although they do occasionally paddle with or get assistance from both Indians and whites alike, they are pretty much on their own in the world of 1930- No GPS, no satellite phones and a route with long undeveloped stretches between towns and eventually trading posts. The route was incompletely mapped, and nobody could find record of this route having been used before. A better title might be "A Summer Canoe Adventure; Triumph Over Adversity" or just "From Minneapolis to Hudson Bay By Canoe".
   
   Eric and Walter managed to obtain sponsorship from a local newspaper before they asked their parents for permission to take the trip. The parents reluctantly agreed... The boys quickly obtained a used canoe and christened it "Sans Souci". They packed a non-useful pup tent, mosquito netting, a .22 rifle, fishing gear, food, $5 and some traveler's checks and they were off!
   
   From the beginning, they were doubted by nay-sayers who didn't believe they could do it. Even well into the trip, their final destination raised eyebrows. Indeed, it was a daunting task, and many miles had to be covered before the early winter freeze-up in the north country. In addition to pressure to beat the weather, Walter found out he was offered a college scholarship that would only be valid if he showed up at school in late September. The boys risked their futures and their lives by undertaking this trip.
   Along the way they encounter blistering heat, and freezing cold, illness, injuries, doldrums and windy weather, flat water, rapids, and wind-blown whitecaps. At one point, they cheat a little and ride aboard a ship when they were wind-bound on Lake Winnipeg, but the majority of the trip was just the two boys paddling through wilderness, even many miles going upstream! There were many miles of portaging their boat and gear between waterways, only occasionally aided by a friendly passerby. Most meals they cooked themselves- Even a dinner of (ugh) carp! You can almost feel their struggle as the cover mile after mile, hour after hour racing towards the saltwater of Hudson Bay.
   
   Their struggles were not always against the elements. Sometimes they got bad directions, including instructions to run the rapids on the right side of the river, when the safer course was belatedly found to be the left side. They made it through, but it was pointed out that the local Indians sometimes didn't... Another struggle they faced was a result of stress due to the elements arduous journey, when they briefly came to blows. Fortunately, they got past their fight and continued on their journey and remained lifelong friends.
   
   This audio-book is highly recommended, and is worthy of repeated listenings.

No comments about Pilgrims of the Wild.

No comments about Eating Apples: Knowing Womens' Lives.

5 comments about SCTV: Behind the Scenes.

1. For years, I'd been waiting for some kind of compendium of SCTV trivia or a chronology of shows, and when this book came out, I had to buy it.

   It's missing commentary from a few of the principal cast members, but overall, well worth the investment. The insight into that one episode with Sir Ralph Richardson and Sir John Gielgud alone is worth it, and it's got a well-balanced view of the show from the producers, to the cast, to the production department, make-up artists, etc.

   It's a tragedy that this brilliant show hasn't been put on DVD just yet, but it will. SCTV was far more irreverent than SNL, and much cleverer than Monty-Python, not to mention more prolific. Until then, pick this up as an SCTV primer.




2. This sat on my "wish list" for quite a while because it was unavailable. However, it recently was restocked here at Amazon, and I suspect that it was because of the upcoming release of the first set of DVDs of the show. Well, the wait was worth it, and the timing great! Can't wait to get the DVDs even more now after reading Dave's very interesting, very well produced book. The human stories, the business insights, as well as the hilarious recantings of many legendary skits come together perfectly here. I only wished there were more direct quotes from Eugene and Andrea. It seems Andrea was the most inaccessible, perhaps because of some bad blood between she and Dave (?).

   Any true fan of SCTV owes it to themselves to read this book. Very interesting. Very funny.




3. SCTV is starting to get it's due with this book and the release of the DVd collections. Dave Thomas, a founding member of the troup, brings in just about everyone involved in the show to give their 2-cents worth. The book is very comprehensive taking the reader through many of the groups sketches from the original concept idea to the finished sketch. It really is a must read for fans of the show because of the input from cast members and producers, and director and even the hair and makeup talent. My only reason for the four stars and not five stars is the fact that very little attention was paid to the final Cinemax season , which was without Dave Thomas. I guess this is natural, but the final season is given a real short-change treatment and none of the better sketeches are covered in much detail. The book is loaded with pictures and and a per-show sketch budget. very good read.



4. In the pantheon of televised comedy, "SCTV" (or "Second City Television") is often cited as a little-seen but much-praised example of the heights of creative brilliance. In "SCTV: Behind the Scenes", former cast member Dave Thomas sifts through his memory bank to recount the tale of the little Melonville station that could.
   
   Now for the disclaimer: I haven't seen all that much of SCTV. NBC did a fair job of running reruns of the show a few years back, but I saw very little of it. I was interested in purchasing the DVD box sets when they first came out simply on word-of-mouth, but the price tags scared me off. So this is my first real look at the show...in a book form.
   
   Back to the review: Dave Thomas recounts the highs and lows of performing cutting-edge sketch comedy at a time when "Saturday Night Live" was gradually becoming the very "showbiz variety" program it had set out to mock. Beginning in 1976, and coming to an end eight years (and several network changes) later, the show was much-heralded but little-seen stateside during its prime. Only in the aftermath of its final Cinemax season, when the various cast members began turning up in a variety of comedy productions, did the show earn a small but cultish audience.
   
   The book starts with Thomas revealing how the show was born from the talents of various stage performers like himself, John Candy, Eugene Levy, Catherine O'Hara, Joe Flaherty, Andrea Martin, and others. Thomas proceeds to document the various behind-the-scenes struggles that the cast went through with producers and directors, and networks. From its lowly birth to the expansion to the States and going from a half-hour to a full ninety minutes (the "Network 90" version that most people remember when they think of SCTV), Thomas lets the reader in on all the various ups-and-downs that he and the rest of the cast went through to maintain creative control. In a time when producers like Lorne Michaels or Fred Silverman dictated the content, SCTV was unique in having control and final say on the direction of the show.
   
   Unlike its more popular peer SNL, SCTV was not littered with drug problems that picked off cast members ala Belushi or Farley. But they did suffer a big loss years later; Thomas provides a loving memorial to departed John Candy, the only one of the original cast who is not alive for interviews (the other absent voices, Levy and Martin, are thankfully very much alive; their absence is missed, but not necessary).
   
   Again, I wouldn't pretend to be an expert on SCTV, but after reading this book and keeping in mind the comedians who got their start, I feel a little more in awe of what they managed to achieve far from the madding crowd of American television crassness.
   
   Thomas's is not the only voice heard, as various personalities associated with the show (writers, producers, directors, and the cast) share their own tales. The oral history of anything is bound to be fraught with inaccuracies or omitted memories, but the book is coherent on many main points.
   
   From analyzing how he and Rick Moranis became distanced from their castmates thanks to their alter egos Doug and Bob McKenzie, all the way to what the cast are doing now (or "now" as in 1997, when the book was published), Dave Thomas shares memories and lets us in on the way SCTV worked. The result is a loving look back at what many of the cast members feel was their best work. I'll leave that to the more experienced SCTV fanatic to determine that, but for my money "SCTV: Behind The Scenes" is a worthy tribute.



5. I felt this book was missing the overall essense of what SCTV was all about. Few anecdotes on how characters were created and developed. Not all of the SCTV cast participated, which was a letdown.
   
   Unfortunately, I stopped reading after 3/4 of the way through.

No comments about A Woman's Way Through Unknown Labrador.

No comments about from Fjord to Floathouse: one family's journey from the farmlands of Norway to the coast of British Columbia.