Biographies and autobiographies

  • Our Young Soldier Lieutenant Francis Simcoe 6 June 1791-6 April 1812

    Creator

    Fryer, Mary Beacock

    Abstract

    Francis Simcoe was the eldest son of John Graves Simcoe and Elizabeth Gwillim. his father is celebrated as the first lieutenant governor of Upper Canada; his mother for her Canadian diary and watercolour sketches. Francis was one year old when his family arrived at Newark (Niagara-on-the-Lake) in 1792, and almost six when they returned to England.Letters written by his mother, sisters, and himself reveal his childhood at Eton. At sixteen, he was an ensign in the 27th Inniskilling Regiment.

    Publisher (Source)

    Toronto

    Dundurn

    Not specified
  • "Our Gallant Doctor" Enigma and Tragedy: Surgeon-Lieutenant George Hendry and HMCS Ottawa, 1942

    Creator

    Goodwin, James

    Abstract

    During the Battle of the Atlantic, Dr. George Hendry had just finished performing two major surgical operations on board the destroyer HMCS Ottawa when his ship was ambushed by 13 German U-boats. Canadian warships like Ottawa had inadequate radar sets that were incapable of detecting submarines approaching in the dark. On September 13, 1942, U-91 stole in and torpedoed Ottawa, sinking her in 20 minutes. utterly exhausted, Dr. Hendry was lost along with 113 of his shipmates. George Hendry was a much-loved man, a great university athlete, and a very good doctor.

    Publisher (Source)

    Toronto

    Dundurn

    Not specified
  • One Soldier's Story: 1939-1945 From the Fall of Hong Kong to the Defeat of Japan

    Creator

    MacDonell, George S.

    Abstract

    This is the story of a seventeen year old boy who ran away from home to join the Canadian Army at the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939. It describes the fateful adventures of two regiments dispatched to the Pacific to face the Japanese, and the courage of two thousand young soldiers who, when faced with an impossible task thousands of miles from home, behaved with honour and distinction. Though they lost the battle of Hong Kong, they succeeded in showing the world the mettle of which they were made.

    Publisher (Source)

    Toronto

    Dundurn

    Not specified
  • On the Front Line of Life Stephen Leacock: Memories and Reflections, 1935-1944

    Creator

    Bowker, Alan

    Abstract

    In the last decade of his life, Leacock turned to writing informal essays that blended humour with a conversational style and ripened wisdom to address the issues he cared about most - education, literature, economics, Canada and its place in the world - and to confront the joys and sorrows of his own life.

    Publisher (Source)

    Toronto

    Dundurn

    Not specified
  • Oak Island Obsession The Restall Story

    Creator

    Lamb, Lee

    Abstract

    As Bob and Mildred Lee, they amazed audiences with their death-defying motorcycle act. In reality they were Bob and Mildred Restall, parents of three, who balanced their glamorous show-business career with a happy, stable home life. In October 1959, the Restalls embarked on the ultimate family adventure, as Bob led his family to the east coast of Canada to dig for the famous treasure of Oak Island. For nearly six years they lived without telephone, hydro, or running water while newspapers and magazines chronicled their attempts to solve the mystery of the Money Pit.

    Publisher (Source)

    Toronto

    Dundurn

    Not specified
  • Not Bad for a Sergeant The Memoirs of Barney Danson

    Creator

    Danson, Barney

    Fahey, Curtis

    Abstract

    Barney Danson began as a twenty-one-year-old sergeant in the Canadian army and rose to the lofty heights of parliamentary secretary to Pierre Trudeau and, eventually, Minister of National Defence. In these positions, he gained insights into previously unknown facts about this remarkable prime minister, and he gives an insider's view of Canadian politicians and world leaders.

    Publisher (Source)

    Toronto

    Dundurn

    Not specified
  • Not All of Us Were Brave

    Creator

    Scislowski, Stanley

    Abstract

    This is the story of a young man’s journey through World War II. It covers a wide cross section of the strengths and weaknesses of young men not attuned to killing, and not mentally prepared to face the horror of seeing their close friends die violent deaths in battle.

    Publisher (Source)

    Toronto

    Dundurn

    Not specified
  • Myself Through Others Memoirs

    Creator

    Watmough, David

    Abstract

    Born in London, England, of Cornish stock, David Watmough arrived on Canada’s West Coast in 1961 and quickly became a fixture on the Canadian cultural scene. Now in his eighth decade, Watmough, often spoken of as this country’s senior gay male fiction writer, has decided to commit his memories to paper. Given the autobiographical nature of his fiction, the prolific raconteur has opted for a novel approach to his own life by telling his story through his encounters with the numerous people he has met, befriended, loved, and jousted with over the years.

    Publisher (Source)

    Toronto

    Dundurn

    Not specified
  • My Year Before the Mast

    Creator

    Davis, Annette Brock

    Abstract

    In 1933, a young Canadian woman rejected the expectations of society and her upper-class family and became a crew member aboard one of the last great four-masted sailing vessels that still plied the ocean.It was not an easy task. Young Annette had to fight pressures from her family, rejection from schools of navigation, and doubts from ship owners.

    Publisher (Source)

    Toronto

    Dundurn

    Not specified
  • My Second Life Living with Parkinson's Disease

    Creator

    Harshaw, William A.

    Abstract

    At the age of 37, Bill Harshaw was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease. The news changed his life forever,bringing forth a saga that will give hope to not only Parkinsonians, but to people with chronic disease everywhere. My Second Life is not a detailed road map or a set of instructions.

    Publisher (Source)

    Toronto

    Dundurn

    Not specified