Finished January 16
Come Looking for Me by Cheryl Cooper
This novel is 1813, during the War of 1812 (yes it lasted more than just one year). Emily is a young British woman who was travelling to Canada on a merchant vessel. The vessel was attacked by an American ship,the USS Serendipity, and she was kidnapped by the captain, Thomas Trevelyan. She's not sure what he intends and as the book opens, she fears for her future. The book begins with an attack on the ship by a British warship, the HMS Isabelle. On that ship we have the captain James Moreland, officers including one Fly Austen (sister of Jane Austen), a ship's doctor Leander Braden, 12-year-old midshipman Augustus (Gus) Walby, a young sailmaker known only as Magpie, a cook called Biscuit, and many other interesting characters.
The majority of the action in this novel takes place on ships, from the Serendipity, the Isabelle, the Amethyst, and the Prosperous and Remarkable. The characters are wonderful and the action gives a real sense of life on board during this time. The novel also covers a multitude of genres from rollicking adventure, to mystery (just who is Emily anyway), and romance. I loved the added touches to even the minor characters that made them come alive. Thoroughly enjoyable.
Showing posts with label War of 1812. Show all posts
Showing posts with label War of 1812. Show all posts
Tuesday, 17 January 2012
Friday, 19 August 2011
Astonishing General
Finished August 17
The Astonishing General: The Life and Legacy of Sir Isaac Brock by Wesley B. Turner
This book is an account of Isaac Brock, focusing on his time in Canada. Very little is here about his life before coming to Canada, and most of this book is limited to external views on his life. The author includes some excerpts from letters and other personal papers, but I left the book without a strong feeling about this man. I don't feel that I really got a sense of who he was. Some of the information given here about his life and actions seems contradictory, and other information is less substantiated by other sources.
He definitely seems dedicated to his military responsibilities, but also with a strong sense of family, despite his distance from them. The information gathered in this book is interesting, and includes a great deal around Isaac's role in the War of 1812. I was sometimes confused by the jumping back and forth in time when the author started one discussion and seemed distracted by certain elements, going forward in time or to other viewpoints.
There were times when the view jumped back and forth between Canadian and U.S. sides of the battle without clear delineation. Despite these issues, I learned a lot from this book and was intrigued by Brock as a person. An interesting addition to the Canadian historical record.
The Astonishing General: The Life and Legacy of Sir Isaac Brock by Wesley B. Turner
This book is an account of Isaac Brock, focusing on his time in Canada. Very little is here about his life before coming to Canada, and most of this book is limited to external views on his life. The author includes some excerpts from letters and other personal papers, but I left the book without a strong feeling about this man. I don't feel that I really got a sense of who he was. Some of the information given here about his life and actions seems contradictory, and other information is less substantiated by other sources.
He definitely seems dedicated to his military responsibilities, but also with a strong sense of family, despite his distance from them. The information gathered in this book is interesting, and includes a great deal around Isaac's role in the War of 1812. I was sometimes confused by the jumping back and forth in time when the author started one discussion and seemed distracted by certain elements, going forward in time or to other viewpoints.
There were times when the view jumped back and forth between Canadian and U.S. sides of the battle without clear delineation. Despite these issues, I learned a lot from this book and was intrigued by Brock as a person. An interesting addition to the Canadian historical record.
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