Best 20th Century Canadian History

From New York Times bestselling author John U. Bacon, a gripping narrative history of the largest manmade detonation prior to Hiroshima: in 1917 a ship laden with the most explosives ever packed on a vessel sailed out of Brooklyn's harbor for the battlegrounds of World War I; when it stopped in Halifax, Nova Scotia, an extraordinary disaster awaited …. On Monday, December 3, 1917, the French freighter SS Mont-Blanc set sail from Brooklyn carrying the largest cache of explosives ever loaded onto a ship, including 2,300 tons of picric acid, an unstable, poisonous chemical more powerful than TNT. While much has been written about the disaster, there is still much more to the story that remains untold, including an investigation of the key figures involved, the histories of the colliding ships, and the confluence of circumstances that brought these two vessels together to touch off one of the most tragic disasters of the twentieth century. The Halifax Explosion reveals the gripping untold story of Canada’s worst disaster, a haunting tale of survival, incredible courage, and, ultimately, the triumph of the human spirit.

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • The riveting, tick-tock account of the largest manmade explosion in history prior to the atomic bomb, and the equally astonishing tales of survival and heroism that emerged from the ashes. , from acclaimed New York Times bestselling author John U. Bacon. This is the unforgettable story told in John U. Bacon's The Great Halifax Explosion : a ticktock account of fateful decisions that led to doom, the human faces of the blast's 11,000 casualties, and the equally moving individual stories of those who lived and selflessly threw themselves into urgent rescue work that saved thousands. John U. Bacon, a superbly talented historian and story teller, has rescued from obscurity an astonishing episode of horror and heroism.” (GEORGE F. WILL). In this suspenseful tale of heartbreak and heroism, Bacon deftly recreates a world at war and sheds new light on one of the greatest tragedies of the 20th century.” (BETH MACY, New York Times bestselling author of Factory Man and Truevine ). With deep research and evocative writing, John U. Bacon has brought back to life this devastating wartime event and illuminated its lasting meaning.” (DAVID MARANISS, Pulitzer Prize winner, and author of Once in a Great City ). “Fans of Ken Burns, Daniel James Brown’s The Boys in the Boat , and John Hersey’s Hiroshima will find in John Bacon’s meticulous reporting a story that literally rocked the world. “John U. Bacon’s The Great Halifax Explosion is the seminal account of one of the bloodiest man-made disasters in world history, which killed some 2,000 people.

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • The riveting, tick-tock account of the largest manmade explosion in history prior to the atomic bomb, and the equally astonishing tales of survival and heroism that emerged from the ashes. , from acclaimed New York Times bestselling author John U. Bacon. This is the unforgettable story told in John U. Bacon's The Great Halifax Explosion : a ticktock account of fateful decisions that led to doom, the human faces of the blast's 11,000 casualties, and the equally moving individual stories of those who lived and selflessly threw themselves into urgent rescue work that saved thousands. John U. Bacon, a superbly talented historian and story teller, has rescued from obscurity an astonishing episode of horror and heroism.” (GEORGE F. WILL). In this suspenseful tale of heartbreak and heroism, Bacon deftly recreates a world at war and sheds new light on one of the greatest tragedies of the 20th century.” (BETH MACY, New York Times bestselling author of Factory Man and Truevine ). With deep research and evocative writing, John U. Bacon has brought back to life this devastating wartime event and illuminated its lasting meaning.” (DAVID MARANISS, Pulitzer Prize winner, and author of Once in a Great City ). “Fans of Ken Burns, Daniel James Brown’s The Boys in the Boat , and John Hersey’s Hiroshima will find in John Bacon’s meticulous reporting a story that literally rocked the world. “John U. Bacon’s The Great Halifax Explosion is the seminal account of one of the bloodiest man-made disasters in world history, which killed some 2,000 people.

When 38 jetliners bound for the United States were forced to land at Gander International Airport in Canada by the closing of U.S. airspace on September 11, the population of this small town on Newfoundland Island swelled from 10,300 to nearly 17,000. As the passengers stepped from the airplanes, exhausted, hungry and distraught after being held on board for nearly 24 hours while security checked all of the baggage, they were greeted with a feast prepared by the townspeople. Despite the grim consequences that led to the situation, DeFede finds humor: two flight attendants are offered a car for sightseeing by a local woman who happened to be driving by; the stranded chairman of Hugo Boss finds himself shopping for men's underwear at the local Wal-Mart.

When 38 jetliners bound for the United States were forced to land at Gander International Airport in Canada by the closing of U.S. airspace on September 11, the population of this small town on Newfoundland Island swelled from 10,300 to nearly 17,000. As the passengers stepped from the airplanes, exhausted, hungry and distraught after being held on board for nearly 24 hours while security checked all of the baggage, they were greeted with a feast prepared by the townspeople. Due to the ongoing closure of U.S. airspace, the passengers spent four days in this isolated town of 10,000 before being allowed to continue on their way. --John Moe Journalist Defede calls our attention to a sidelight of the events of September 11, when the town of Gander (pop.

When 38 jetliners bound for the United States were forced to land at Gander International Airport in Canada by the closing of U.S. airspace on September 11, the population of this small town on Newfoundland Island swelled from 10,300 to nearly 17,000. As the passengers stepped from the airplanes, exhausted, hungry and distraught after being held on board for nearly 24 hours while security checked all of the baggage, they were greeted with a feast prepared by the townspeople. Due to the ongoing closure of U.S. airspace, the passengers spent four days in this isolated town of 10,000 before being allowed to continue on their way. --John Moe Journalist Defede calls our attention to a sidelight of the events of September 11, when the town of Gander (pop.

The Curies' newly discovered element of radium makes gleaming headlines across the nation as the fresh face of beauty, and wonder drug of the medical community. Written with a sparkling voice and breakneck pace, The Radium Girls fully illuminates the inspiring young women exposed to the "wonder" substance of radium, and their awe-inspiring strength in the face of almost impossible circumstances. "Kate Moore's new book will move, shock and anger you" -- The Big Issue Kate Moore is a Sunday Times bestselling writer with more than a decade's experience in writing across varying genres, including memoir and biography and history.

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • The riveting, tick-tock account of the largest manmade explosion in history prior to the atomic bomb, and the equally astonishing tales of survival and heroism that emerged from the ashes. , from acclaimed New York Times bestselling author John U. Bacon. This is the unforgettable story told in John U. Bacon's The Great Halifax Explosion : a ticktock account of fateful decisions that led to doom, the human faces of the blast's 11,000 casualties, and the equally moving individual stories of those who lived and selflessly threw themselves into urgent rescue work that saved thousands. John U. Bacon, a superbly talented historian and story teller, has rescued from obscurity an astonishing episode of horror and heroism.” (GEORGE F. WILL). “When I first encountered the Halifax Explosion, I knew immediately it was a tick-tock of a story just waiting to become a book. With deep research and evocative writing, John U. Bacon has brought back to life this devastating wartime event and illuminated its lasting meaning.” (DAVID MARANISS, Pulitzer Prize winner, and author of Once in a Great City ). “Fans of Ken Burns, Daniel James Brown’s The Boys in the Boat , and John Hersey’s Hiroshima will find in John Bacon’s meticulous reporting a story that literally rocked the world. “John U. Bacon’s The Great Halifax Explosion is the seminal account of one of the bloodiest man-made disasters in world history, which killed some 2,000 people. The astonishing true story of history’s largest manmade explosion before the atomic bomb, and its world-changing aftermath, from acclaimed New York Times bestselling author John U. Bacon. This is the unforgettable story told in John U. Bacon’s The Great Halifax Explosion : a ticktock account of the hours preceding the disaster, the fateful decisions that led to doom, the human faces of the blast’s 11,000 casualties, and the aftermath.

Easily as many as 100,000 adventurers, dreamers, and would-be miners from all over the world struck out for the remote, isolated gold fields in the Klondike Valley, most of them in total ignorance of the long, harsh Alaskan winters and the territory's indomitable terrain. Pierre Burton is the internationally renowned bestselling author of fifty books and the recipient of over thirty literary awards including the Governor-General s Award for Creative Non-Fiction (three times).

In the most comprehensive atlas of Native American history and culture available, the story of the North American Indian is told through maps, photos, art, and archival cartography. "...gorgeously illustrated volume...Chock full of historical and contemporary maps, photographs, and paintings, this smart hybrid of art book and textbook is irresistible to leaf through because of the eye-catching images on every page.

A huge, ambitious re-creation of the eighteenth-century Battle of the Plains of Abraham, the pivotal battle in the Seven Years’ War (1754–1763) to win control of the trans-Appalachian region of North America, a battle consisting of the British and American colonists on one side and the French and the Iroquois Confederacy on the other, and leading directly to the colonial War of Independence and the creation of Canada. It took five years of warfare fought on three continents—Europe, Asia, and North America—to bring the forces arrayed against one another—Britain, Prussia, and Hanover against France, Austria, Sweden, Saxony, Russia, and Spain (Churchill called it “the first world war”)—to the plateau outside Quebec City, on September 13, 1759, on fields owned a century before by a fisherman named Abraham Martin . It was the final battle of a three-month siege by the British Army and Navy of Quebec, the walled city that controlled access to the St. Lawrence River and the continent’s entire network of waterways; a battle with the British utilizing 15,000 soldiers, employing 186 ships, with hundreds of colonists aboard British warships and transports from Boston, New York, and Philadelphia, with France sending in a mere 400 reinforcements in addition to its 3,500 soldiers. France surrendered Quebec to the British, setting the course for the future of Canada, paving the way for the signing of the Treaty of Paris that gave the British control of North America east of the Mississippi, and forcing France to relinquish its claims on New Orleans and to give the lands west of the Mississippi to Spain for surrendering Florida to the British. Excitement about Peter MacLeod’s. NORTHERN ARMAGEDDON. “Significantly advances our understanding of the naval role in the battle of the Plains of Abraham and excels all previous studies . He skillfully illuminates the many ways Americans fit into the big picture of the continent’s conflicts, in which two big nations emerged out of a patchwork of contending powers.”. —Clarke Crutchfield, Richmond Times-Dispatch “Writing with a keen eye for the dramatic, MacLeod tells this story in a big way, giving equal parts to each side . The events of the battle are finely rendered, and MacLeod makes a strong case for their importance as a precursor to the American Revolution.”. — Publishers Weekly “MacLeod explores the extent of Quebec’s insurmountable natural defenses and Wolfe’s inability to overcome them . The author’s strong knowledge of every aspect of the fight prevails to produce an intricate, enlightening account . Students of American history will appreciate the detail and the thoroughness of this account of what Churchill called the ‘first world war.’ ”. — Kirkus “Definitive . Americans (who composed roughly a third of the conquering army) did not realize at the time that as Montcalm’s men surrendered they had taken the first steps on their own country’s path to independence.

Stephen R. Bown has unearthed archival material to give Amundsen's life the grim immediacy of Apsley Cherry-Garrard's The Worst Journey in the World , the exciting detail of The Endurance , and the suspense of a Jon Krakauer tale. “Brown's biography breaks some new ground in detailing the explorer's time spent in New York and the evidence of his sense of humor, which stands in contrast to the usual picture of him as cold, methodical and harsh.” Winnipeg. Free Press , 10/6/12 “Bown's tension-packed narrative recounts the illustrious career of the most accomplished polar explorer of all time.” Shipwreckology.com, 10/25/12 “In a world where little is left to explore, Bown transports his readers to a time when great men battled nature to explore the earth's last remaining terra incognita. As the winter months approach, readers would be well served to buy The Last Viking and curl up in front of a roaring fire to enjoy Bown's gripping account of Amundsen's epic polar adventures.” Maclean's , 10/26/12 “Bown draws on extensive research and access to the personal journals of Amundsen and his travel companions to paint rich and gripping accounts of his perilous voyages. Amundsen, perhaps the greatest polar explorer of all time, comes to life once again to ignite the spirit of exploration in all of us.” Toronto. Globe & Mail , 11/16/12 “Bown writes from the lofty, distancing heights of the fair-minded historian The work is sharp-eyed, thorough and convincing, and constitutes a significant addition to the Arctic canon.”. “One of Bown's strengths in writing this biography is his ability to write about Amundsen's expeditions—often multi-year affairs during which the crew was completely isolated—in a way that engages readers accustomed to satellite phones and real-time updates Bown's clear prose never gets bogged down by the vast emptiness of its settings or by Amundsen's regular successes in his expeditions. “These later stories of Amundsen's life are less frequently told, and Bown has done a good job of restoring them to Amundsen's biography Since the highly private Amundsen kept his private life to himself, we get little insight into the man (and Bown wisely avoids speculation). What we do get is an overdue acknowledgment of what Amundsen was: the greatest polar adventurer who ever lived, and the man whose life was the capstone on the Age of Exploration.”. If you haven't read about polar exploration it's a good book to read since it relates the entire history of man's search for the final fabled lost lands or undiscovered sea lanes that would make trade travel quicker and cheaper In this day of constant communication the book acts like an escape of sorts to a time when years would go by between shoving off on an expedition and returning.” “Politics and Patriotism Show” (blog), 11/21/12 “An eye opening history of the larger-than-life Norwegian explorer Intensely researched and passionately written.” Literary Review of Canada , October 2012 “A riveting tale of adventure, political intrigue and achievement Exceptionally well researched and eminently readable An important contribution to the historiography of polar exploration.” Milwaukee. Shepherd Express , 12/4/12. CBC Books, 12/17/12 “Bown draws on extensive research to create a clear and often surprising portrait of a truly adventurous spirit.” Library Journal , 12/20/12 “A great new biography Well written and enjoyable, the book uses ample quotes from Amundsen to give readers a sense of the man a great title for collections that don't own Amundsen's own books or previous biographies, this volume is recommended for readers high school-age and up who are interested in polar exploration.” Minneapolis Star-Tribune , 1/8/13 “[A] persuasive and highly readable biography/adventure story.”. Bown writes Amundsen's story with a sharp eye to what's important Amundsen's life is without a doubt fascinating, and Bown does it a service by getting out of the way and just telling the story. He succeeds; his Amundsen is complicated and compelling, capable of leading men through deadly danger and telling self-deprecating stories to rapturous lecture audiences later The New York Times published hundreds of articles chronicling his voyages, and Bown gracefully weaves together these and other journalistic records, along with journals kept by Amundsen and his men, to paint a surprisingly intimate portrait of a complex, at times difficult, yet eminently admirable man.” Denver. Post , 9/30/12 “A deep, spine-chilling look at the life of Roald Amundsen, Norwegian polar explorer.” Tucson Citizen , 10/4/12 “An outstanding biography of a focused, determined man Bown has served up a crisply written book that is exciting, meticulously researched, and an appropriate literary tribute to one of history's greatest explorers.” Bookviews blog, October 2012 “The story of a man who accomplished in two decades when other explorers of his day couldn't do in a lifetime The world needs heroes like Amundsen, warts and all.”.

Hélène, along with the majority of the other French settlers, was put on an English ship and taken to France. This, then, is her remarkable story, set against the backdrop of France’s efforts to establish a colony in the New World along the banks of the St. Lawrence River. "Against a backdrop of the history of the period, customs of the times, contemporary descriptions, and the lives of her fellow pioneers, Hélène's conjectured life takes on form and color. [This book] will appeal as much to anyone with a general interest in the founding colonists of Québec as it will to descendants of Hélène Desportes." Instead she paints a rich background and then states what is known about Hélène's life from the available documents for her and her neighbors."

This riveting true story recounts the author’s journey on horseback across Arizona and New Mexico, retracing Coronado’s desperate search for the legendary Seven Cities of Gold. The Old West's last glimmers flicker through this piercingly beautiful adventure, an unforgettable saga in which Preston, astride his horse Popeye, traverses the desert and mountain wilderness of Arizona and New Mexico, retracing the trailblazing 1540-1541 expedition of Spanish explorer Francisco Vasquez de Coronado.

The battle of the Thames was the culmination of a bloody campaign that saw American forces clash with the British and their Native American allies on multiple occasions. Peter has since contributed to hundreds of books, predominantly on historical subjects, including many Osprey titles.