No comments about Dictionary of Canadian Biography / Dictionaire Biographique du Canada: Volume VIII, 1851 - 1860 (Dictionary of Canadian Biography).

No comments about Downright Upright: A History of the Canadian Piano Industry.

No comments about Song of Rita Joe: Autobiography of a Mi'kmaq Poet (American Indian Lives).

1 comments about Joe Norris: Painted Visions of Nova Scotia.

1. I picked this book up a few years ago after seeing an exhibition of Joe Norris's work. This book is a really great tribute to Joe Norris and you get beautiful reproductions of quite a lot of his art. If you can't go to an exhibition to see his work in person then this is definitely the book to buy.
   
   However, like all great art, you really have to see his work in person to appreciate it fully. The colours are so bright and the images wonderful but, for me, Joe Norris's art is definitely not just a visual experience. The wood panel paintings he made, the furniture he painted, they all have such a great smell to them and all of the colours seem that much more vibrant in person. It may sound really odd but the smell of his work alone makes me feel very comfortable & cozy (reminds me of my family's cabin).
   
   Looking at Joe Norris's artwork in this book reminds me of that & makes me feel happy & content.
   Highly recommended.

No comments about Mountain Masculinity: The Life and Writing of Nello "Tex" Vernon-Wood in the Canadian Rockies, 1906-1938.

1 comments about Cartier: Jacques Cartier in Search of the Northwest Passage (Exploring the World).

1. This book is a great resource for the 2nd to 4th grade reader. Blashfield does an excellent job of making the material accessible to the younger reader. The pictures and illustrations help to keep the reader's interest.

No comments about I Never Sold My Saddle.

No comments about Washington Rollercoaster.

No comments about They Were So Young: Montrealers Remember WWII (Dossier Quebec Series).

1 comments about Healey Willan: Life and Music.

1. This book is actually two books. The first is a comparatively concise biography of Healey Willan, detailing his youth, his coming to Canada, and his long tenure at St. Mary Magdalene. It is full of interesting stories which reflect Willan's personality, but is presented with a professional objectivity which makes it very credible and easy to read. The second part of the book is a very detailed study of most of Willan's works by category -- songs, piano works, symphonic works, choral pieces (motets and masses), organ works, and everything else this prolific composer wrote. It covers, at a medium level, Willan's compositional techniques and influences. At the end is a section with almost 500 musical examples which are referred to throughout the text. All in all, a very valuable and very professionally written biography and musical analysis of the "old man". I would have given it 5 stars if the biography section were longer (It's about 100 pages -- not bad, but.). Those of us who are hardcore fans want all the details of the man that we can get. Other than that, a superb book.