Columbia Reviews

Down The Columbia by outdoor enthusiast and river expert Lewis Freeman is a wild and exciting memoir of a bold journey down the Columbia river, before the Grand Coulee and other dams somewhat calmed its rushing flows. Filled with respect for the majesty and savagery of Nature, Down The Columbia is a vividly presented adventure highly recommended for armchair travelers who aren't afraid to get their feet wet!

I am a fan of Tim Bowling's poetry. I was a bit apprehensive about reading his first novel, Downriver Drift, after having enjoyed his poetry so much. I was not disappointed. Living in a British Columbia fishing community for 14 years, I found this book enlightening and engaging. I was most intrigued with the theme of the book, which is the Fraser River. We learn about the life of a fishing family--parents, Kathleen and Vic, their sons Corbett and Troy and young daughter Zoe. Kathleen maintains great pride in the lifetyle of her fishing family through good times and bad and she teaches this to them. The entertaining subplots add to the interest of the novel and show small town pastimes. We come to know the butcher and other unusual characters who live in Chilukthan. This is a truly British Columbian novel, not to be missed.

Of all the individuals that have served in the premeirship of British Columbia, it is Dufferin Pattullo that Fisher feels was the most significant. He places hime above the likes of WAC Bennett, John Oliver and Richard McBride. The book is a chronological account of Pattullo's life, starting with his early childhood, moving through to his time spent in the Yukon. Next, the entering of politics and Pattullo's appointment as the Minister of Lands where he helped to implement the South Okanagan Lands Project. The book continues with Pattullo's time as leader of the BC Liberal Party and beyond.

In writing the book Fisher states that he set out to prove that the medium of the Biography could still be used in historical writing as a successful means of conveying the history of a region. As Fisher points out, Biography had once been the grand tradition of Canadian historical writing (see Creighton's biography of John A. MacDonald), but with the shift to a more "social" history in the 1960 s and early 1970s Biography fell out of fashion. This is because the emphasis that a biography placed on the individual, who was usually tended to be male, white and a politician, was not seen as representative of the larger society. The result was a shift to some of the more marginal aspects of society that had been ignored in past historical works. This is a trend that Fisher has argued against elsewhere (see the 100th issue of BC Studies). Pattullo is therefore meant to show that biography is still a useful method that can be used to highlight a regional history. To quote Fisher; "for this historian, the individual matters as much as the group. And some people are more important than others." (p. X).

A final note about "Pattullo", in that Duff Pattullo came to view the Canadian federation differenty than most of his counterparts is indicative of the trend in BC historiography at the time. It is my understanding that in presenting his views to the Rowell-Sirios Commission Pattullo was very much influenced by the work of UBC historian Walter Sage. Sage was attempting to apply the concept of Turner's frontier thesis to Canada at this time and had come to see the country as possessed of five distinct regions. With each region having more in common with its neighbours to the south than with the other regions of Canada. Which, of course, ran completely contrary to the centralist bias that was prevelant at the time (again, see the work of Creighton).

I finished National Music Academy in Kiev,Ukraine.Now I`m a professor of violin.Can Icontinue my education in your place?

This is the most beautiful book that has ever been written. I cried as I read it. My tears over it's beauty and poetry could fill the ocean (probably the Indian Ocean, because the Atlantic might be too big of a stretch.) I foresee a Nobel Prize for literature in its future. Even the cover of this book makes me tremble with delight. The buxom beauty is drawn with such classical perfection that I sigh with pleasure as i look upon her lily-white breast. Her story is told with such passion, such fervor, my palms filled with sweat merely holding this sacred book. I plead with all the world to read this novel! Oh, beauty, thy name is Emily Donelson

This is a nautical chart atlas of the pacific northwest onto which is printed historical events and the places where they occured. It is great for anyone traveling the waters, or for anyone who is fascinated with the area or loves sailing.

My wife and I used this as one of our navigation atlas' on a 5 month sail up the inland waterway to Alaska and refered to it daily. There is something fascinating about knowing who has been there before.

I would highly recommend this, and its companion edition on Alaska, to anyone who is planning to travel in the area, even if on a cruise ship.

Randy Wall is one of the true poets of this age.

While many of his personal idioms have now become standard elements of American speech patterns, the full impact of his verse has not been adequatly appreciated. In fact, as Lawrence Barnett has argued, Randy Wall's observation that beer is water to him set a standard of analysis that all who come after must follow. Indeed for many it has become the water of our age.

In Experiments On Vegetation Control With Native Pathogenic Fungi we find a precise statement by Wall on the human condition as experenced by Wall just prior to his conversion to Christianity. As such this represents as vital last view of a man's soul as seen through the dark lense of Jack Daniel bottle.

Authoritative and concise descriptions of various remote ski trips in the BC Coast Mountains. Well written and appealingly understated, the author's extensive travels are succinctly laid out, inspiring the adventurous, at least in the case of this reader. As an avid backcountry skier, I find this book an essential reference for accessing the numerous incredible backcountry routes characteristic of the Coast Mountains.

Boaters around here know the Douglasses as the king and queen of cruisers, and their handbooks are our bibles. They've been everywhere, done everything, and they take *really* good notes. This guide is one result; it includes details on every anchorage, waypoint and description in the area. If you plan to spend any time in Pacific Northwest waters, this book is a must have.

I own and use numerous guides to creatures of the Pacific Northwest and British Columbia. Dr. Snively's book is clearly among the best of the genre. Her considerable skill as an educator and her extensive experience along local seashores have combined to create an excellent guide to the marine critters in this part of the world.