Book Review - Calvary of the Air

There is something romantic, frightening and daring about the men who flew in air combat during the first world war. That's why Calvary of the Air by Norman S. Leach of Calgary appealed to me so much.

In the clinging mud and trench warfare of WWI, it was soon clear that the cavalry — the elite of the elite — would be of little use.

The dashing men and officers of the cavalry searched for a way to be front and center in the conflict, and found it in the new air forces being established on both sides of the Western Front. Soon lances and sabres were replaced by silk scarves and machine guns. Combat on horseback was replaced by dogfights in the air — one-on-one and in great flying formations — always between warriors. No technology changed more in the five years of the war, and none would have a bigger impact.

From Great Britain to Canada to Australia and New Zealand, new heroes took the honour and dash of the cavalry to the air in flying machines — which would change the face of war forever.

I thought the book is well thought out and put together. The first chapter is on the Allied Aces including Canadians Billy Bishop and Raymond Collishaw who were two of the top ten pilots in air combat victories. Donald MacLaren, Billy Barker and Wop May's stories were also covered.

The second chapter features the German aces of the day including, of course, the famous Red Baron, Manfred von Richthofen.

No pilot can fly without a plane and the third chapter is all about those great old flying machines. Some looked so rickety that they didn't look road worthy, let alone being able to fly in combat.

The book goes on to tell the stories of some of the more famous dogfights and what happened to the surviving pilots after the war.

All in all, a very interesting book, on a very interesting topic.

Book Review - Inside the Inferno: A Firefighter's Story of the Brotherhood that Saved Fort McMurray

Last year I watched the news in fascination. The images of cars driving along highways with flames shooting hundreds of feet in the air behind them while evacuating Fort McMurray are forever imprinted in my mind. I can't imagine leaving everything I know and own behind, especially all those personal pictures and mementos

Inside the Inferno is a story, not only about the brave fight to save Fort McMurray but also the story of the loss that most of the residents suffered.

An action-packed, on-the-ground memoir of the Fort McMurray wildfire and the courage, resilience, and sacrifice of the firefighters who saved the city.

In May 2016, what began as a remote forest fire quickly became a nightmare for the ninety thousand residents of Fort McMurray. A perfect combination of weather, geography and circumstance created a raging wildfire that devoured everything in its path. Winds drove the flames towards the town, forcing the entire population to evacuate. As the fire swept through neighbourhoods, it fell to the men and women of the fire department to protect the city.

Born and raised in Fort McMurray, Damian Asher was a fifteen-year veteran and captain in the city’s fire department. Day after day, Damian and his crew remained on the front lines of the burning city. As embers rained down around them, they barely slept, pushing their minds and bodies to the brink as they struggled to contain the fire. As he led his crew through the smoke and the flames, Damian had little time to worry about whether the house he had built for his family was still standing. With media unable to get into the locked-down city, the world watched in hope and fear, wondering what was happening on the fiery streets.

Finally, after weeks of battling the wildfire, the firefighters managed to regain control. When the smoke cleared, much of the city had been destroyed. Would things ever be the same? How would the city reunite? What would it take to rebuild life in Fort McMurray?

The story of the fire is told very well by firefighter Damian Asher. It is easy to forget how long this blaze burned and threatened the town, but he does an excellent job in not only explaining the exhaustion of the firefighters, but the physical and mental toll it took all those involved. Imagine fighting a wildfire that is threatening your community, while wondering if your own home is still standing or not.

This is a fast paced book that covers the journey of one man through the disaster. It is well worth reading.

Book Review - Truth & Honour, The Death of Richard Oland and the Trial of Dennis Oland

I just finished reading Truth & Honour, which examines the investigation into the the murder of Saint John, New Brunswick, businessman Richard Oland (of the Moosehead Brewing Company) in 2011, the arrest of his son Dennis two years later and the subsequent trail.

Oland's trial would be the most publicized in New Brunswick history. What the trial judge called "a family tragedy of Shakespearian proportions," this real-life murder mystery included adultery, family dysfunction, largely circumstantial evidence, allegations of police incompetence, a high-powered legal defense, and a verdict that shocked the community.

Today, the Oland family maintains Dennis Oland's innocence. Author Greg Marquis, a professor of Canadian history at the University of New Brunswick Saint John, leads readers through the case, from the discovery of the crime to the conviction and sentencing of the defendant.

The book is very thorough, although it could be a very dry read in places, which is due to the explanations of some of what seems to be minor facts. It was interesting to note how different our court system is compared to the American one and how much more complicated justice systems are in real life.

I have been interested in this case since I first heard that it happened. A wealthy man murdered with an axe or drywall hammer in his office in early evening with no obvious evidence pointing to the killer right away has all the makings of a good fiction, except it all really occurred.  To me, the fact that Richard Oland was struck repeatedly with the hammer or axe over forty times tells me this is a crime of passion, that the killer had to be somebody very close to Richard. After reading this book, I am now convinced that Dennis did indeed commit the crime.

One note the author continually makes, which is kind of sad, is that after the murder the family kept speaking of poor Dennis not being able to see his family at Christmas or holidays and poor Dennis having to spend time in jail, where Richard, the victim, seems hardly ever thought of.

If you like true crime stories, or stories of murder, this book is for you. Draw your own conclusions as to whether he did it or not.

Book Review - Tyrant's Throne (Greatcoats #4)

This morning I finished the fourth and final book of the Greatcoat Series, Tyrant's Throne.

After years of struggle and sacrifice, Falcio val Mond, First Cantor of the Greatcoats, is on the brink of fulfilling his dead King's dream: Aline, the King's daughter, is about to take the throne and restore the rule of law once and for all.

But for the Greatcoats, nothing is ever that simple. In the neighbouring country of Avares, an enigmatic new warlord is uniting the barbarian armies which have long plagued Tristia's borders - and even worse, he is rumoured to have a new ally: Trin, who's twice tried to kill Aline to take the throne for herself. With the armies of Avares at her back, she'll be unstoppable.

Falcio, Kest and Brasti race north to stop her, but in those cold and treacherous climes they discover something altogether different, and far more dangerous: a new player is planning to take the throne of Tristia, and the Greatcoats, for all their skill, may not be able to stop him.

As the nobles of Tristia and even the Greatcoats themselves fight over who should rule, the Warlord of Avares threatens to invade. It is going to fall to Falcio to render the one verdict he cannot bring himself to decide: does he crown the girl he vowed to put on the throne, or uphold the laws he swore to serve?

The entire series was excellent. The author, Sebastien De Castell, can really tell a great story.

All the books are written in first person by First Cantor of the Greatcoats, Falcio val Mond, whose companions, master swordsman Kest and archer Brasti, both too are Greatcoats, accompany him throughout all the books. I really enjoyed the banter and friendship the three shared .

The series, a fantasy that has been compared to the Three Musketeers (both De Castell and Dumas should be flattered), is the story of the breakdown of the country of Tristia after the murder of its king, Paelis, and Falcio, Kest and Brasti's attempts to fulfill the final order given to them by the king before his death while also saving the country and its people.

Tyrant's Throne takes Falcio and the others around the country in an effort to put Aline, the daughter King Paelis, on the throne without creating a civil war in the process. It seems the Dukes of the various Duchy's are quite devious and power hungry. Falcio, as usual, takes a physical and mental beating in the process.

The book is fast-paced, full of adventure and intrigue and a great read. It neatly ties up all the loose ends for the book and series in the last few chapters.

I am sad that the book and series are finished but happy that the author did not fall to temptation to expand it to many more books which may have watered down the story, series and characters.  

So long, Flacio, Kest, Brasti! I'm glad we had a chance to get together.

Book Review - The Ward, The Life and Loss of Toronto's Immigrant Neighborhood

Recently I had to go into the hospital and my friends knowing that I am not only a history buff but also a Toronto history buff, gave me The Ward as a present to read during my stay.

From the 1840s until the Second World War, waves of newcomers who migrated to Toronto – Irish, Jewish, Italian, African American and Chinese, among others – landed in ‘The Ward.’ Crammed with rundown housing and immigrant-owned businesses, this area, bordered by College and Queen, University and Yonge streets, was home to bootleggers, Chinese bachelors, workers from the nearby Eaton’s garment factories and hard-working peddlers. But the City considered it a slum, and bulldozed the area in the late 1950s to make way for a new civic square.

The Ward finally tells the diverse stories of this extraordinary and resilient neighbourhood through archival photos and contributions from a wide array of voices, including historians, politicians, architects, story­­tellers, journalists and descendants of Ward residents. Their perspectives on playgrounds, tuberculosis, sex workers, newsies and even bathing bring The Ward to life and, in the process, raise important questions about how contemporary cities handle immigration, poverty and the geography of difference.

This book is uniquely done. It is a study of the what was known as The Ward, located in the area mentioned above. There are over 60 stories and and essays in the book that were written, today and earlier looking back at the area and so many articles that were written at that time.

The Ward is also full of pictures that look at the Ward from all angles, work, play and the awful living conditions of the area. It talks about the mixture of people, many newly landed immigrants, that found themselves living in the area together. Also told very well are the stories on how these people were viewed by the middle and upper class  citizens of Toronto. It was a very racist view.

I really enjoyed The Ward and would highly recommend it. Thanks, guys!

Here is my favorite picture from the book circa 1930.

Book Review - Stone Mattress: Nine Tales by Margaret Atwood

Although I don't read them often, and I have no reason to offer as to why i don't, I do enjoy a good short story. Short stories are one of many of Margaret Atwood's strengths and I have just finished her collection:  Stone Mattress: Nine Tales, published in 2014. The book is named after one one the story's in the boom, which also was one of my favorites.

Margaret Atwood turns to short fiction for the first time since her 2006 collection Moral Disorder, with nine tales of acute psychological insight and turbulent relationships bringing to mind her award-winning 1996 novel, Alias Grace.

A recently widowed fantasy writer is guided through a stormy winter evening by the voice of her late husband in "Alphinland," the first of three loosely linked stories about the romantic geometries of a group of writers and artists. In "The Freeze-Dried Bridegroom," a man who bids on an auctioned storage space has a surprise. In "Lusus Naturae," a woman born with a genetic abnormality is mistaken for a vampire. In "Torching the Dusties," an elderly lady with Charles Bonnet syndrome comes to terms with the little people she keeps seeing, while a newly formed populist group gathers to burn down her retirement residence. And in "Stone Mattress," a long-ago crime is avenged in the Arctic. In these nine tales, Margaret Atwood is at the top of her darkly humorous and seriously playful game.

The stories in the book are told in present tense and many are told from the perspective of a senior looking back on a life altering moment of their past life, and how they may be able to correct or at least make peace with or avenge it, at that particular moment of time.

I have already said that Stone Mattress was one of my favorite tales told in the book. Some didn't work for me, which will happen in collections. My other favorites (in no particular order) were: the first tale, Alphinland, The Freeze Dried Groom and Torching the Dusties. (I had to look up Charles Bonnet's Syndrome when it was mentioned on the second page of the story to be able to understand what was happening).

When I first started The Dead Hand Loves You, I wasn't really enjoying it. Then as the tale of both the real story of the author and the story of the hand that he had written became more complex, I found them both to be very compelling.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Stone Mattress.

Book Review - "Fire" by C.C. Humphreyes

C.C. Humphreys is a Toronto-born writer who now lives in London, England. He not only writes novels but plays too and is an actor who has performed on stage all around the world as well. He once was a fencer whom I had an opportunity to briefly speak with him in the fall and was happy to hear that when he did fence, he fenced the finest of the three weapons, the Sabre.

Humphreys has written three series of books. I really enjoyed his Jack Absolute series, which were inspired when he took on the part of Jack Absolute in a play in Vancouver.

When I read what his book Fire was about, I had to read it.

The epic tale of the hunt for a serial killer threatening London's rich and poor during the Great Fire of London. 

Fires don't start by themselves. They need someone to light them. What are friends for? As the Great Plague of London loosens its grip at last, Charles II's court moves back to the city, the theatres reopen and a new year arrives. 1666. It cannot be more terrible than the previous year, surely? But it can. For many will strive to make it so; to finally rid London of the curse that brought the plague upon it. A wholesale cleansing is required if society is to be born again. What's more it seems that a serial killer who stalked hand in hand with the Plague might not be dead after all. Together with actress Sarah Chalker, highwayman William Coke and thief-taker Pitman come together as one, determined to stop the brutal murder of London's rich and poor once and for all.

But another threat is on the way. It hasn't rained in five months. London is a tinderbox--politically, sexually and religiously. The Great Fire of London is about to ignite. And the final confrontation between Coke, Pitman and Sarah Chalker and their murderous adversary will be decided against a background of apocalypse.

This is the second book of a new series. Plague was the first.

I found the pace of the story fast moving but sometimes the way the heavy accents were written were hard to follow. Then again, to hear them spoken out loud, they likely would be hard to understand too.

As if the desperate fight to save London from completely burning to the ground and the flight of those trying to escape it wasn't excitement enough, put a serial killer in the midst of the story and it becomes quite the tale!

I really enjoyed the writing and characters in this story and now want to step back and read the first book of the Captain Coke series Plague. If it is anything as good as Fire, I'll be anxiously awaiting a third Captain Coke book the same as I am awaiting a fourth book of the Jack Absolute series.

Book Review - Unflinching: The Making of a Canadian Sniper

I just finished reading Unflinching: The Making of a Canadian Sniper by Jody Mitic, who was a sniper with the Canadian Armed Forces 1st Battalion Royal Canadian Regiment.

Unflinching is an uplifting memoir on military issues, endurance, and overcoming adversity. 

Afghanistan, 2007. While on patrol with the 1st Battalion Royal Canadian Regiment deep within enemy territory, sniper Jody Mitic stepped on a land mine and lost both legs below the knee. Though Jody was a dedicated serviceman who had dreamed of a military life since he was a child, it seemed that his fighting days were done. 

Ever a soldier at heart, Jody was determined to still be of service to his country, and he refused to let his injury hold him back. After only a few short months of rehab, Jody was up and walking again on two prosthetic legs, and only a year later, he was running his first road race. 

But despite his success in physically recovering from his injury, Jody still struggled to mentally adapt to his new reality. As he experienced first-hand the controversial treatment of Canadian veterans, Jody turned his efforts towards developing programs for wounded veterans and publicly advocating on their behalf. With a renewed purpose to guide him, Jody came to find a new lease on life.

I found this book to be a very uplifting read. It is the story of Jody's life, who as a teen lived a life without purpose until he decided to join the army and received some direction in his life. After joining, though, he had some issues and he tells of some of the personal battles he fought just to stay in the force. Jody really emphasizes the  respect and camaraderie of soldiers, not only those in the Canadian force, but also between Canadian and their US army counterparts.

The book also highlights what I have always had a problem with when it comes to our politicians and the armed forces. We send them off to fight for Canada but cut back on the dollars to equip them properly. This theme comes through over and over, whether it is regards to clothing, weapons or vehicles. If we are asking them to lay down their life for our country, we should do our very best to ensure that everything they receive is top notch.

Jody also highlights the lack of support, physically, mentally and financially for wounded soldiers who return home with massive wounds.

This book is very well written and one that should be required reading for every member of Canadian Parliament.

Book Review - Vij: A One-Way Ticket to Canada with India in My Suitcase and Lessons I Learned in Life

I've had some time to catch up on my reading lately and just finished Vij: A One-Way Ticket to Canada with India in My Suitcase and Lessons I Learned in Life. 

Vikram Vij, one of Canada’s great chefs, shares his story of the trials and triumphs in building a world-renowned food empire.

Fragrant with the smells of cumin, turmeric, fennel, and cloves, Vij reveals the story of Vikram Vij, one of Canada’s most celebrated chefs and entrepreneurs. Co-owner of the world-famous Vij’s Restaurant in Vancouver, his story is a true rags-to-riches tale of a college dropout from northern India who made it to Europe’s temples of high cuisine, then with a one-way ticket bound for Canada, found fame serving some of the world’s most transcendent Indian cuisine. Vij’s Restaurant, originally a fourteen-seat establishment known for its extraordinary flavours and spice blends, along with a firm no-reservation policy, received accolades from restaurant critics and patrons alike.

A culinary journey that began in India as a boy enjoying the praise of visitors for his chai and biscuits, Vikram’s passion for Indian cooking and his lifelong mission to bring awareness to the culture he left behind have fueled his tireless drive in building a world-renowned food empire. Driven to succeed, Vikram realized his dream to launch five major initiatives under the Vij’s brand by age fifty, but with challenges and sacrifices along the way.

For the first time, Vikram opens up about his struggles with prejudice, his mentors’ lasting lessons, and the painful demise of his marriage—both the successes and the failures that have shaped and sharpened one of Canada’s most unique and revered culinary talents.

I really enjoyed this book. Although he was little known to me until he came onto the Dragons' Den, it turns out he really has made his mark on the Canadian restaurant scene.

Vikram gives so much credit of the success of his food to his ex-wife, Meeru, who worked with the kitchen staff and created many of the recipes for his earlier places, while he worked the front of the house and handled the publicity. That is not to say that Vij did not take part in the cooking as he is quite the chef himself as his new establishments attest.

He isn't shy to explain the money he has spent on all his ventures and the amount of debt that he is in. Most restaurateurs lease properties where he is only keen to buy. The same went for when he decide to expand his operation to include packaged foods for the supermarket. Again he never leased a plant but decided to buy the land and build it from the ground up. Seems it was just recently that it started to turn a profit.

As tough as one has to be to be an entrepreneur, Vij has quite the soft side to him, especially when it comes to family and friends. In many autobiographies, the authors will show themselves as totally driven 100% to their business but where Vikram does talk about this, he also talks about missing family and the joy he feels when with them.

Although I never have wanted to work in the restaurant industry, I find it fascinating and this is an excellent look at that inside world.

Book Review - We Stand on Guard

I don't read many graphic novels but just finished We Stand on Guard by writer Brian K. Vaughan who wrote the SAGA series and Canadian storyboard artist Steve Skroce, who has done the storyboards for Hollywood blockbusters such as The Matrix Trilogy, I, Robot, and Jupiter Ascending.

Set 100 years in our future, WE STAND ON GUARD follows a heroic band of Canadian civilians turned freedom fighters who must defend their homeland from invasion by a technologically superior opponent...the United States of America.

The original story was told in a series of six comic books, all of which are combined here in one book.

I found that the artwork was great and the story entertaining, but felt that the story moved along too quickly. It would have worked better for me if some of the story lines were more fully flushed out. But that might just be me. As I am not used to reading graphic novels I really don't know if this is the normal pace of a book like this or not.

It's always good to read different kinds of stories and I am glad I read this, as I did enjoy the story.

Book Review - Sleeping Giants by Sylvain Neuvel

I enjoy reading Science Fiction especially cleverly done Sci-fi, so when I read the premise to Sleeping Giants, knew it was my kind of book.

A girl named Rose is riding her new bike near her home in Deadwood, South Dakota, when she falls through the earth. She wakes up at the bottom of a square hole, its walls glowing with intricate carvings. But the firemen who come to save her peer down upon something even stranger: a little girl in the palm of a giant metal hand. 

Seventeen years later, the mystery of the bizarre artifact remains unsolved—its origins, architects, and purpose unknown. Its carbon dating defies belief; military reports are redacted; theories are floated, then rejected. But some can never stop searching for answers. 

Rose Franklin is now a highly trained physicist leading a top secret team to crack the hand’s code. And along with her colleagues, she is being interviewed by a nameless interrogator whose power and purview are as enigmatic as the provenance of the relic. What’s clear is that Rose and her compatriots are on the edge of unraveling history’s most perplexing discovery—and figuring out what it portends for humanity. But once the pieces of the puzzle are in place, will the result prove to be an instrument of lasting peace or a weapon of mass destruction?

The story is told in a series of interviews by one unnamed person with the different people involved in the story, personal logs and mission logs. It is a hard way to tell a story but Neuvel does it so well. The personalities of all the characters, including the interviewer come through and the story is gripping.

It's a very clever story told in a very clever way. I can't wait to read the sequel Waking Gods.

About Sylvain Neuvel:

Sylvain Neuvel dropped out of high school at age 15. Along the way, he has been a journalist, worked in soil decontamination, sold ice cream in California, and peddled furniture across Canada. He received a Ph.D. in linguistics from the University of Chicago. He taught linguistics in India, and worked as a software engineer in Montreal. He is also a certified translator, though he wishes he were an astronaut. He likes to tinker, dabbles in robotics and is somewhat obsessed with Halloween. He absolutely loves toys; his girlfriend would have him believe that he has too many, so he writes about aliens and giant robots as a blatant excuse to build action figures (for his son, of course).