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CanadaHistory.com Book Reviews
| Haunted Girl | Halfax and Titanic |
 Author:
Laurie Glenn Norris with Barbara ThompsonPublisher : Nimbus Publising: Halifax, 2012
Everyone
loves a good ghost story; while stories written in the style
of the classic authors such as M.R.James have the ability to
make ones’ hair stand on end, it is in historically
true stories of
hauntings that that primitive fear is combined with a line
of inquisitive reasoning. The historical milieus of these
true stories provide the perfect mix of story telling and
realism. Haunted
Girl: Esther Cox & The Great Amherst Mystery is one of
these true stories.
Haunted Girl
follows the story of the late 19th century Nova
Scotian girl named Esther Cox who between 1878 and 1879 was
the focal point of a significant series of hauntings
labelled the Great
Amherst Mystery by contemporaries. The book begins by
placing the reader at the onset of the haunting and proceeds
to describe in wonderful detail the varied symptoms of her
condition. Thunderous noises could be heard throughout
whichever residence Esther resided, while objects moved
around the room, went missing or were literally thrown with
malicious intent at erstwhile observers; the physical
manifestations of the haunting on Esther’s quality of life
are portrayed in immaculate detail.
Haunted
Girl
could have focused solely on the great mystery of Esther’s
haunting and been a welcome addition to the corpus of
Canadian non-fiction writing. What makes
Haunted Girl an
excellent work, is its attempt to merge its narrative with
broader themes concerning the rise of the Spiritualist
movement in North America after the American Civil War, the
philosophical beliefs of the period, the scientific
interpretations of Esther’s condition, and the role of the
female in 19th century North America. Above and
beyond the combination of narrative and broader perspective
offered, Haunted Girl’s
examination of Walter Hubbell, the contemporary opportunist
who used Esther’s story for his own gain, makes Laurie Glenn
Norris’ and Barbara Thompson’s book a worthwhile read for
any fan of the paranormal and of Canadian history.
|
 Author:
John BoileauPublisher: Nimbus Publishing: Halifax, 2012In April this year, the world
commemorated the 100th anniversary of the
Titanic disaster.
Documentaries were released, podcasts produced, and eminent
works, most notably James Cameron’s opus,
Titanic were
given renewed exposure; these mediums, while accessible, are
limited in their effectiveness. It is in the written word
that the abundance of primary and secondary sources can be
used to establish a real appreciation for the events which
precipitated and coincided with the disaster. From a
Canadian context, however, there has yet to be a recent
contemplation concerning the impact
Titanic had on
the Canadian landscape. Luckily, John Boileau has, in
partnership with Nimbus Publishing, filled this gap in our
knowledge with an exceptional book on Halifax and the
Titanic. What makes
Halifax and Titanic
such a good book is that it is effective as a general survey
of the disaster, while sufficiently specific in its focus to
set it apart from the general body of
Titanic
literature. Supplementing Boileau’s exceptional research and
literary flow are valuable visuals drawn from various
archives and eminent works, which bring a sense of humanity
to the individuals and events described. The accounts of
many of the prominent Canadians involved in the disaster and
their legacy amounts to bringing the tragedy of the
Titanic to a new
level of understanding for Canadians. Although the disaster
of the Titanic
was one hundred years ago, its impact is still felt by the
families across Canada who had relatives perish in the cold
waters of the Atlantic. Only 32% of the passengers of the
Titanic survived
the fateful night of the 15th of April 1912. John
Boileau’s Halifax and
Titanic is a fine addition to the literature concerning
this eminent modern history disaster. Canadians interested
in learning more about the impact of this event on a key
Canadian city, whilst immersing themselves in a detailed and
thought provoking narrative, should place
Halifax and Titanic
on the top of their 2012 reading list. |
| Defending Our Home | Four Wars of 1812 |
 Author:
Ronald L.DoeringPublisher : Borealis Press: Ottawa, 2012
campaign, the casualties during a skirmish, or the tangible impacts of a
victory (or defeat). What is fundamentally missing from these studies of
bellum mortale is the impact of war on
the individuals and communities involved. Behind each casualty listed on an
after action report is a family; a complex and deeply involved web of human
connections. Ronald L.Doering’s book
Defending Our Home, offers a rich and engaging account of the impact of war
on communities and populations caught up in conflagration.
Taking place during the months leading up to and during the Battle of Crysler’s Farm in 1813, Defending Our Home offers a realistic and human appraisal of the impact of the infamous War of 1812 on Dundas County. Derived from extensive archival research, Defending Our Home recounts Thomas Marselis’ journey from being a relatively uninvolved bystander of a war taking place in distant lands to participating directly in the significant engagement at Crysler’s Farm. Doering skillfully builds tension from the onset; key characters are developed strongly and a natural connection is recreated in the tight knit community of Dundas County. The strongest characteristic of the book is Doering’s exciting and thorough descriptions of the various skirmishes and actions leading up to and during the battle. One cannot help but share in the fear and confusion experienced by the untried and overawed militia as they are ordered to ‘fix bay-o-nets’ and stand in the face of overwhelming odds.
The historical fiction genre has produced relatively little
reading material for the War of 1812 enthusiast. Ronald
L.Doering’s Defending Our Home offers us a fulfilling and
rounded novel which hopefully will inspire other authors to
dive into the wealth of history offered by this period in
Canadian history. Defending Our Homes takes the reader back
in time to a period when Canadians had to decide whether
they would be walked on by belligerent Jonathan, or to
resist and define themselves as a people of their own.
|
 Author:
D.Peter MacleodPublisher: Douglas & McIntyre: Toronto, 2012 Not every war culminates in a decisive campaign or field victory; there is rarely a victory which distinguishes the ‘winner’ of a conflict. Debates surrounding the War of 1812 have often confronted this issue. Which side, indeed, ‘won’ the War of 1812? If you asked an American, British or Canadian scholar, one might hear vastly differing stories of who claimed the title. Americans might argue that they won the war on moral grounds (having achieved a measure of symbolic equity in the field of battle), or by the fact that the British did not reclaim territories lost during the War of Independence. The British scholar could argue that the success of the defence of their major territories in North America defined their victory. Canadians would surely mention the identity defining nature of the war, and the significant role they played in key victories such as Crysler’s Farm and Chateauguay.In Four Wars of 1812 D.Peter Macleod offers a fair and balanced appraisal of the arguments for victory on either side. Importantly, while the Canadian, British and American perspectives are offered, the Native American point of view is also considered, which in turn reveals how in the War of 1812, they may have been the only group with a universal claim to defeat. Macleod’s arguments are presented through stimulating written segments working in tandem with high quality prints of political posters, portraits, maps, paintings and various martial accoutrements from the Canadian War Museum; the result is an accessible and thought provoking addition to the corpus of literature on the War of 1812. On the Bicentennial of the War of 1812 there will be much debate over which side ‘won’ the conflict. Four Wars of 1812 is an excellent primer for engaging in these discussions which will surely occur amongst 1812 hobbyist and professional historian alike; the detailed yet accessible qualities of Macleod’s book makes it a perfect gift for a War of 1812 enthusiast in the making. D.Peter Macleod is the pre-confederation historian at the Canadian War Museum, where he curated the exhibits on the Seven Years’ War and the Battle of the Plains of Abraham for the permanent galleries. A longstanding student of 18th-century Canada, he is the author of Northern Armageddon: The Battle of the Plains of Abraham. He lives in Ottawa, Ontario. |
