Canada Day Books

Growing up in Philadelphia, James Forton was the son of free black parents. His father made sails for the ships. After his father's death, James has some exciting and frightening adventures during the Revolution! In 1784, he fulfills his dream of becoming an apprentice sailmaker and then a foreman who later was able to own the shop. James Forton became on of the richest men in Philadelphia. He never neglected his own people, and used his own home as a hiding place for escaped slaves.

The process of sailmaking is described with numerous illustrations and photographs. This is accurate history, entertainingly presented with a website for further study.

The work of shipbuilding in colonial days is entertainingly explained by author Laurie Krebs, who tells how a young apprentice, under a master shipbuilder worked to produce a finished ship in the Langdon Shipyard. From the first drawings to the scale model to the life-size patterns, cutting, measuring -- every detail of the trade is explained and illustrated beautifully.

John Langdon, shipbuilder, was also a representative to the second Continental Congress, and the ship that he produced, the Ranger, was captained by John Paul Jones!

A Day In the Life of a Colonial Shipwright also includes a link to a website for more information.

When this book's photos were being shot on June 8th, 1986, I was a boy in Soviet Union. The word "perestroika" was not yet invented, and the "iron curtain" was alive and well. Quite naturally, foreign countries seemed more like other planets to us then. Now I live in Canada, and what I find the most revelational about this book is that from today's viewpoint, Canada of 1986 was surprisingly more like the Soviet Union of the same time than it is like modern Canada or modern Russia. Cars, fashions, appliances, even people's smiles and expressions, let alone the book's design and print quality are all unmistakably the "deep into 1980s" style, and many things in the book look like they're from my own childhood. When you live through changes you tend to miss them, and it takes a book like this to remind you of how even the smallest things in life may change within a decade. These changes constitute the real history of our world, not the sequences of prime ministers or general secretaries. I'd highly recommend this book for its historical interest alone - and besides, it has some really great pictures, too.

While none of her other works (pending a translation of Pieternella van die Kaap) comes up to Circles in a Forest, this is my nomineee for Dalene Matthee's #2 work. The subject matter is more contemporary than Circles - yet it has the same gentle insights into the human being. Dalene Matthee died two days ago. What a loss. What a great writer.

Marianne is 12 and her brother Thomas is 14 when they find themselves alone in Seattle at the beginning of the great 1897 Klondike Gold Rush. With a little food from their family grocery story but with no wilderness experience, they set out for the Yukon to find their prospecting father who hasn't been heard from for more than a year. Will Marianne and Thomas find their father, will they survive the threatening arctic winter, tall mountains, wild rapids, and unscrupulous adults? Fortunately they also encounter kindness and generosity, as well as discovering an unexpected courage and endurance within themselves. Days Of Gold is a superbly written and highly recommended adventure novel for young readers ages 9-14.

Volume 2, Sites Within a Day's Drive of Vancouver is the most detailed field guide available for gold, gemstone and mineral hunters in this area. We found the detailed maps and generous Latitude and Longtitude references very helpful. When inputting this information into our GPS we have easily located the sites mentioned in this book. Highly recommended.

Bob Ottum, the editor of this book asked over 100 Amish to record a single day in their lives (Monday, October 4, 1993) and sent out cameras so that the willing volunteers could take photos to enhance their written diaries. The result is very appealing. I enjoyed my day with the Amish, astounded by the amount of work they achieved, and charmed by the gentle humor with which they accomplished their daily chores.

The one-day diaries were recorded during the peak of the harvest and canning season, and Monday was also wash day in most of the Amish households. From Wyoming to New York, the wash went out onto clotheslines, cows were milked and fed while Orion and the Moon were still bright in the sky, one family--with plenty of help from friends and relatives--was preparing for 500 wedding guests, and of course, children all over the country were bundled off to one-room school-houses on foot, by buggy or school bus.

One Amish lady who runs a bulk grocery store in Minnesota sold flour, yeast, oatmeal and a 60-pound pail of corn syrup to another woman who was having "church next Sunday and needs to do a lot of baking." This book lovingly details the breakfasts, dinners, and suppers eaten by the diarists on October 4, 1993 and by the end of the book I was extremely hungry. One family had 60 guests for a supper that included "scalloped potatoes with ham, dressing, ham and cheese sandwiches, vegetable pizza, Jell-O apple salad, cream cheese pudding, cherry and raspberry pie and ice cream." Plain food you might say, but abundant and home-cooked.

Of all the books I've read about the Amish, 'A Day in the Life' is the most interesting and enjoyable. It is the only book, the editor is proud to announce, with a map that shows locations in America where the Amish have formed communities. The largest concentrations of Amish are found in the Great Lakes states, but there are also settlements in the far northwestern corner of Montana, and the southern plains of Texas. In all, 22 states and one Canadian province are home to these industrious, plain-dealing folks.

The entire book is devoted to telling the story of only one day during the battle of Britain. August the 18th is the date of the highest actual losses for both sides (not the highest claimed losses as was the case on september 15th). This book is so well written I can recommend it to anyone with even the most passing interest in WWII. Alfred Price, has a definite talent for distilling military operational detail into everyday language, and the historical detail is presented in a thoroughly engrossing way. I have read many books written almost exclusively from the historian's point of view and have enjoyed them very much, but for me there's no substitute for hearing from the participants in their own words. From top brass to civilians, from airfeild personnel to aircrews on both sides, this book creates, at times, a minute by minute experience of that day's events. My only complaint (and it's a small one) is the overall pacing. The first couple of chapters or so necesarily set the stage. The next chapters deal effectively with the attacks, but as the chapters progress, the action, and therefore the suspense, steadily dwindles. But while the book is hitting its stride it is just about impossible to put down! Highly recommended.

This is one of the best reads I have found in a long time. Very intertaining and very funny. Mary Palmer is a real woman. This book makes me sad that I will never be able to experience the things that Mary did. After reading this book I am going to have to find Jedediah Island.

This is one of your classic British first-hand journals of the Napoleonic period. What makes this one unique is the fact that its set in the War of 1812. John Le Couteur, a junior subaltern of the 104th Foot, provides an entertaining account of his life up to and including service in British North America.

As a cadet officer of the New Royal Military Academy he was not one of your standard gents who purchased rank in the army. Still, we have every indication that our hero comes from a good family, and his numerous connections and frequent name dropping does drag the narrative a bit at times. In fact, were it not for the time spent on campaign, one might come away with the impression that a British officier of the period spent most of his time at soirees and convvial company! Certainly the difference between garrison life at Kingston, and campaigning on the Niagara frontier makes for considerable contrasts.

It is important to remember that Le Couteur belonged to a particular class, and despite his humble entrance into the army, his station in life ensured a respectable reception at most eastblishments of the day. This was especially so in British North America where an officer had good status. While Le C does his rounds in the social set and flirts with the girls, we are reminded of the harsh realities of war. First the epic march in the dead winter of the 104th from Halifax to Montreal and then Kingston, Ontario was one of the major feats of the war. Le C provides a full chapter to chronicle that episode. The difficuties of finding lodging and having to accomodate living with numerous strangers seems almost a daily process for a time when barracks were not common features of garrisons. Officers had to roam about for suitable lodging, in contrast to the other ranks who camped on the open ground.

We see action with our hero first at the mis-managed raid on Sacketts Harbor where Governor-General Provost lost a significant opportunity to burn the US fleet. Then we see the 104th marching up to support their comrades at the chaotic night battle at Lundy's Lane, the bloodiest of the war. This is followed by the very costly siege at Fort Erie where Le C finally breaks down in tears at the tragic mishap of the assault. In general Le C has a somewhat patronizing view toward the Americans, a view held common by most British officers. The US forces are often referred to as the derogatory "Brother Jonathan" implying a silly, or uncouth country bumpkin. This term seems a carry over from the American Revolution. American actions in the war of 1812 were cloddish, but the British had their faults too as our narrator points out. In general he cites a universal relief at the cessesstion of hostilities in early 1815, claiming it to have been unnatural to fight against "Brother Jonathan".

Those wanting a detailed account of the battles on the Niagara Frontier during 1813-14 won't really find that here. Le Couteur writes from the perspective of his own situation, which was that of a junior officer. The narrative is rich however with personal expereinces, and lively discourse. We find many interesting accounts of skirmeshes since our hero was in the Light Company and fought many small actions. Le C's yearning for the numerous beauties he finds himself in company with reads almost like a Jane Austin novel at times. His lowly status and pay prevents their ardent desires for marriage. One suspects however that he enjoyed his time with the ladies!

Donald Graves, a fine historian of the conflict, provdes expert notes and a good setting for the context of this journal. Those wanting a lively account of a British officer who fought an unpopular war to defend Canada against US invasion should enjoy this work. It was because of the efforts of Le Counteur and others like him in the British army that Canada did not become just another state in the Union!