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Age of Heroes
Publisher: Pottersfield Press$19.95Age of Heroes documents one of Nova Scotia’s greatest sea tales. It comes from the golden age of fighting sail, the so called “age of heroes” which has long drawn audiences to books like Master and Commander and the Horatio Hornblower genre of nautical fiction. France’s La Tribune frigate fell to Britain’s HMS Unicorn after a moonlit sea battle fought off Ireland’s coast. The humbled warship was added to the Royal Navy lists when admirals like John Jervis and Horatio Nelson were defending England’s shores from invasion and her sea lanes from attack by revolutionary France. Tribune was ushered into British service during the turmoil of the Spithead and Nore mutinies, her crew a collection of young English, Irish and Scots eager to fight for King and Country, as well as for their own glory. Unfortunately, HMS Tribune was mistakenly run aground by her sailing master while entering Halifax Harbour on November 23, 1797. During the attempt to escape from her rocky prison, Tribune was caught in a horrendous storm and ultimately sank at night with the loss of more than 240 souls. Only a thirteen-year old orphan fisher boy from nearby Herring Cove dared to row his tiny skiff into the jaws of the tempest to save British sailors stranded on the wreck. Impressed by his selfless act, Prince Edward, the future father of Queen Victoria who was residing in Halifax at the time, rewarded the young boy for his brave deed. In this true tale of valour, the legend of the hero fisher boy lives on more than two centuries after his part in one of Canada’s most compelling sea stories.
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Ocean of Storms, Sea of Disaster
Publisher: Pottersfield Press$19.95Here are over sixty stories of piracy, fire, explosions, disappearances, rum running, shipboard mutiny and murder. There are also stories of collisions with whales, icebergs and other ships, as well as wrecks on rocks, islands and sand bars. Vessels, large and small, were struck by lightning, shelled or torpedoed by enemy vessels, crushed by Arctic ice, and even swallowed up whole by unexpected intense gales and hurricanes. These true tales of shipwrecks delve into strange and curious marine disasters. The setting, primarily the northwestern Atlantic Ocean, was the main trading route for passenger steamers and treading schooners plying their way to and from Europe and also the site of the much frequented fishing grounds. It is said to be the “stormiest ocean on earth.” The time range in Ocean of Storms, Sea of Disaster is one hundred years, between the 1850s and the 1950s but the stories themselves are timeless.
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« Merci de nous avoir choisis » K.C. Irving, Arthur Irving et l’histoire d’Irving Oil
Publisher: Nimbus Publishing$29.95Est-ce qu’on naît entrepreneur ou est-ce qu’on apprend à le devenir? « Merci de nous avoir choisis » cherche à répondre à cette fameuse question en examinant l’histoire fascinante des magnats des affaires Arthur Irving et K.C. Irving, et celle d’Irving Oil.
Un observateur aguerri a écrit au sujet des Irving : « Qu’on les aime ou qu’on les haïsse, on se doit de les respecter. » S’appuyant sur d’innombrables entrevues et des recherches approfondies, l’auteur primé Donald J. Savoie (Se débrouiller par ses propres moyens) examine en détail le succès d’une entreprise qui a vu le jour à Bouctouche et qui a grandi à Saint John, au Nouveau-Brunswick, et qui exploite maintenant la plus grande raffinerie de pétrole au Canada, ainsi que plus d’un millier de stations-service réparties dans l’Est du Canada, la Nouvelle-Angleterre et l’Irlande. L’entreprise a également des bureaux à Amsterdam et à Londres et exploite la seule raffinerie en Irlande.
Comme l’a dit K.C. Irving, on n’est jamais assuré de garder les clients; il faut gagner leur fidélité une personne à la fois. « Merci de nous avoir choisis » retrace l’histoire de la famille Irving depuis ses origines en Écosse, couvre la création et les premières années de l’entreprise et étudie la façon dont Irving Oil fait face aux défis actuels. Cette biographie exhaustive fournit des enseignements précieux pour les aspirants entrepreneurs, les écoles de commerce, les politiques publiques et, en particulier, le Canada atlantique.
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Nova Scotia and the Great Influenza Pandemic, 1918-1920 A Remembrance of the Dead and an Archive for the Living
Publisher: Nimbus Publishing$32.95The definitive academic resource on the Great Influenza at the beginning of the twentieth century threaded with the human stories of the people that lived and died in the three year pandemic in Nova Scotia.
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“Thanks for the Business” K.C. Irving, Arthur Irving, and the Story of Irving Oil
Publisher: Nimbus Publishing$29.95As K. C. Irving said, business is never given—it has to be earned, one customer at a time. “Thanks for the Business” traces the Irving family back to its roots in Scotland, covers the establishment and early years of the company, and looks at how Irving Oil is confronting current challenges. This comprehensive biography holds important lessons for aspiring entrepreneurs, for business schools, for public policy, and particularly for Atlantic Canada.
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Oak Island Mystery: Solved The Final Chapter
Publisher: Nimbus Publishing$25.95For more than two centuries, Oak Island, Nova Scotia, has been studied, searched, probed and cursed all the while failing to give up its secrets. Joy Steele’s ground-breaking historical research into the island’s true history is no less intriguing. In this second edition, Ms. Steele is joined by professional geologist Gordon Fader to not only solidify her theory, but to expand on it, including a thorough explanation of the area’s geology.
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All ‘Bout Canada A Compendium of Canadiana
Publisher: Nimbus Publishing$19.95This fun, informative celebration of Canada is a combination rhyming alphabet book and compendium of factual information about Canada from “Aurora Borealis” to “Zellers” that uses a blend of poetry, prose, posters, jokes, and quizzes—many with a humorous twist—to educate and inform a diverse readership.
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Nova Scotia’s Historic Harbours The Seaports that Shaped the Province
Publisher: Nimbus Publishing$22.95With twenty-five historical photos, and featuring profiles of more than fifty harbours—from the Bedford Basin to Shelburne Harbour to Cobequid Bay, Louisbourg, and Canso—Nova Scotia’s Historic Harbours explores each harbour’s historical significance and explores how these communities have been shaped by the sea, and how Nova Scotia’s growth has been driven by its harbours.
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Kings of Friday Night The Lincolns
Publisher: Nimbus Publishing$19.95Over a span of ten years, The Lincolns played rock ‘n’ roll, R & B, and soul, not just in their hometown of Truro but at dances and on campuses across Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. They changed the lives of small-town kids clamouring for a beat that would move their feet, their hips, and their hearts. Through interviews, stories, and photos, The Lincolns will stir fond memories for the band’s countless fans.
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Chocolates, Tattoos, and Mayflowers
$24.95Did you know that goose grease apparently cures the common cold, while salt fish draws a fever? How about the fact that “Torpedos” (automobiles) were manufactured in Kentville in 1910? These are just some of the tidbits of Maritime wisdom and little-known facts that you will find in Chocolates, Tattoos, and Mayflowers.
Collected over the years for Clary Croft’s popular radio column on CBC’s Mainstreet, these stories, memories, photographs, and advertisements show a fascinating side of Maritime popular culture and history. From accounts of sea monsters and famous duels to the history behind Maritime staples like Pot of Gold chocolates and Morse’s Tea, these entertaining and evocative pieces are sure to spark conversations around your kitchen table—just like any good Maritime subject!
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Casey The Remarkable, Untold Story of Frederick Walker “Casey” Baldwin: Gentleman, Genius, and Alexander Graham Bell’s Protégé
Publisher: Nimbus Publishing$24.95Eleven months before the historic 1909 flight of the Silver Dart in Baddeck, Frederick Walker “Casey” Baldwin, became the first Canadian to fly. One of Alexander Graham Bell’s young associates, Casey was an aeronaut, engineer and politician—and heralded as a true genius. In this biography by John Langley, Casey’s remarkable story is told in full for the first time.
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It’s Our Time Honouring the African Nova Scotian Communities of East Preston, North Preston, Lake Loon/Cherry Brook
Publisher: Nimbus Publishing$19.95The Black Loyalists were the first large group of people of African ancestry to settle in Halifax, in 1782. In 1796 the Jamaican Maroons arrived. Then in 1813, Black refugees fleeing the United States came. These Loyalists, Maroons, and refugees settled in the Preston area, and although some subsequently left for Sierra Leone, many stayed and established the largest community of African Nova Scotians in the province. Since then, the Preston township—comprising North Preston, East Preston, and Lake Loon/Cherry Brook—has become a web of vibrant neighbourhoods with a rich and complex history.
With care and precision, award-winning writer Wanda Lauren Taylor delves into the history and development of this area, the organizations and churches that helped bolster the population, and the struggles, successes, and personal stories of several Preston-area residents. Through interviews and archival documents, Taylor shows how a resilient group of marginalized people built a thriving community that generations of African Nova Scotians can be proud of. Contains seventy-five images, both contemporary and archival, of the people and places around Preston.
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Atlantic Canada’s Greatest Storms
Publisher: Nimbus Publishing$24.95Wind, waves and snow: Atlantic Canada has experienced more than its share of dramatic and tragic storms. In this accessible narrative, author Dan Soucoup takes readers from the eighteenth century to present day, as he details the blizzards, floods, tornadoes—and even tsunamis—that have brought havoc to the East Coast.
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As British as the King Lunenburg County During the First World War
Publisher: Nimbus Publishing$21.95The Great War comes to Lunenburg County in this gripping and detailed historical account from award-winning author Gerald Hallowell. In 1914, Germans in Lunenburg County, despite deep roots, faced suspicion as Canada waged war with Germany. Hallowell’s meticulous research breathes life into the World War I home front, in a time of blackouts, rumours of spies and naval skirmishes.
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Wounded Hearts Memories of the Halifax Protestant Orphans’ Home
Publisher: Nimbus Publishing$19.95A portrayal of trauma and innocence lost at an infamous Halifax orphanage, from veteran journalist Lois Legge, which centers the strength and sorrow of the survivors. Thousands of children, between the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, passed through Halifax Protestant Orphan’s Home. Legge writes an in-depth narrative of an institution that betrayed so many of the children it was entrusted to protect.
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Canadian Confederate Cruiser The Story of the Steamer Queen Victoria
Publisher: Nimbus Publishing$17.95Canadian Confederate Cruiser tells the story of an elegant but unpretentious steamer that bore witness to the birth of a nation. In 1864, the Queen Victoria took the Fathers of Confederation from Quebec to Charlottetown and back. Long before she could be given the recognition she deserved, the Queen Victoria was lost in a hurricane off Cape Hatteras, the crew and passengers rescued by the American brig Ponvert. That incident and the events that followed it put the lost vessel into the international limelight and tweaked diplomatic relations between Canada and the United States.
John Langley, the author behind Steam Lion, the award-winning biography of Samuel Cunard, documents the life of this steamer and the unlikely cross-border tug-of-war that developed over her bell. In telling the Queen Victoria‘s story, Langley provides a better understanding of the social and political forces that led to Confederation, explaining the pivotal choices that were made.
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A Soldier’s Place
$19.95For two decades following the First World War, Nova Scotia-born Will R. Bird published war stories in magazines and periodicals, which have gone out of print and were never digitized, and the stories had long fallen into obscurity—until now.
Carefully curated by author and editor Thomas Hodd, A Soldier’s Place is an anthology of fifteen of Bird’s best combat stories, based on the experiences of himself and of others, covering all aspects of the war effort and following brave Canadian, American, and Australian soldiers.
An infantry soldier, Will R. Bird miraculously survived the First World War and became one of the most prolific Canadian authors on the subject, completing both fiction and non-fiction works.
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The Blind Mechanic The Amazing Story of Eric Davidson, Survivor of the 1917 Halifax Explosion
Publisher: Nimbus Publishing$19.95Eric Davidson was a beautiful, fair-haired toddler when the Halifax Explosion struck, killing almost 2,000 people and seriously injuring thousands of others. Eric lost both eyes—a tragedy that his mother never fully recovered from. Eric, however, was positive and energetic. He also developed a fascination with cars and how they worked, and he later decided, against all likelihood, to become a mechanic. Assisted by his brothers who read to him from manuals, he worked hard, passed examinations, and carved out a decades-long career. Once the subject of a National Film Board documentary, Eric Davidson was, until his death, a much-admired figure in Halifax.
This book does not gloss over the challenges faced by Eric and by his parents. Written by his daughter Marilyn, it gives new insights into the story of the 1917 Halifax Explosion and contains never-before-seen documents and photographs.
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Explosion in Halifax Harbour, 1917
Publisher: Nimbus Publishing$15.95In December 1917, one of the greatest natural harbours in the world was humming with excitement. Halifax Harbour was filled with naval convoys and merchant vessels while factories worked overtime in support of the Allied war effort in Europe. But on December 6, Canada’s worst disaster struck, as two ships–one carrying high explosives–collided. The explosion killed and injured thousands, razing the city’s North End and destroying nearly everything in its path.
The story of the worst human-made explosion before Hiroshima is the account of tremendous human suffering and devastation, yet also of human bravery and survival against all odds. Chaos and confusion reigned that day in Halifax and Dartmouth but what followed was a massive relief effort involving charitable assistance from all over the globe–especially Massachusetts.
Explosion in Halifax Harbour, 1917 includes a detailed account of the event, chronicling many remarkable human tragedies, rescue and relief efforts, attempts to place blame for the collision, and the reconstruction program that created Canada’s first government-assisted housing program. The newest Stories of Our Past title includes 60 full-colour images as well as sidebars on many monuments and commemorations that pay tribute to this catastrophic event that took place 100 years ago.
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White Point Then and Now Ninety Years of Making Memories
Photographer: Len WaggPublisher: Nimbus Publishing$22.95John and Anne Sun first came to White Point in 1993 when they were dating, and they are still coming back, now with five children, including quadruplets. It is the tranquility of the south shore resort that appeals to the Suns of Ho-Ho-Kus, New Jersey. Others enjoy the ocean, the stone fireplaces, and the famous bunnies. This book captures the magic and the memories of White Point, which opened in 1928 and has survived storms, both real and financial. What started as a seasonal destination for the well-to-do from outside Atlantic Canada has turned into a year-round operation that welcomes everyone. How has the resort changed? How has it stayed the same? Photographer Len Wagg skillfully contrasts the thens and the nows of White Point with over 60 charming photos, and Rick Conrad incorporates the memories of guests and staff.
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25 Years of 22 Minutes
$29.95The final chaotic season of Codco had just wrapped when Mary Walsh sat down at a Toronto bistro with George Anthony, then creative head of CBC TV’s arts programming. She’d been thinking about a news-based comedy show–did he think that would fly? He did. That was the early ’90s. Twenty-five seasons later, hundreds of thousands of Canadians continue to tune in weekly to This Hour Has 22 Minutes for its unashamedly Canadian, biting satirical take on politics and power.
25 Years of 22 Minutes takes readers backstage to hear first-hand accounts of the show’s key moments—in the words of the writers, producers and cast members who were there. Readers will have a front-row seat to the birth of the show—including a crisis that had producers scrambling in the very first episode—and offer an insider’s take on the highs, the lows, and the daily grind behind the scenes at 22 Minutes.
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Historic House Names of Nova Scotia
$17.95Mount Uniacke, Acacia Grove, Winckworth, Saint’s Rest, Spruce Tree Cottage. Ever wonder how Nova Scotia houses got their names? The better-known names are largely connected with prominent historical figures who resided in commodious homes with sprawling grounds, but the naming tradition was far more prevalent than that. Historic House Names of Nova Scotia provides a fascinating look at the house-naming tradition in Nova Scotia. What sorts of names did Bluenoses create, and what did the names mean? Author and historian Joe Ballard has amassed a wealth of historical information and photos on the subject.
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The Accidental Farmer The Story of Ross Farm
Publisher: Nimbus Publishing$15.95Nova Scotia’s Ross Farm Museum is a living window into the province’s agricultural history. Since the museum opened in 1970, it has been a favourite destination for school children, who have been educated about early times and farming. There, you can see straw hats being woven, wool being spun, and butter being churned. There is a blacksmith shop and a stave mill.
This delightful book, the latest in the Stories of our Past series, tells the story of the original Ross family who crossed the Atlantic in 1816, built a home, and overcame many challenges. Perfect for high-school students and general readers with an interest in local history. Illustrated with over 60 colour images, and including sidebar features and an index.
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In Their Own Words
$21.95What was the First World War really like for Maritimers overseas? This epistolary book, edited by historian Ross Hebb, contains the letters home of three Maritimers with distinct wartime experiences: a front-line soldier from Nova Scotia, a nurse from New Brunswick, and a conscripted fisherman from Prince Edward Island. Up until now, these complete sets of handwritten letters have remained with the families, who agreed to share them in time for the one-hundredth anniversary of the Great War’s end in 2018. These letters not only give insight into the war, but provide greater understanding of life in rural Maritime communities in the early 1900s.
In Their Own Words includes a learned introduction and background information on letter writers Eugene A. Poole, Sister Pauline Balloch, and Herry Heckbert, enabling readers to appreciate the context of these letters and their importance.
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Dusty Dreams and Troubled Waters A Story of HMCS Sackville and the Battle of the Atlantic
Artist: Richard Rudnicki, Susan TookePublisher: Nimbus Publishing$19.95They said I was a sailor, now. But this was my first time on the ocean. And I was going to war…
By 1942 most of Europe was under the heel of the Nazis. Only the United Kingdom remained free to oppose them. Knowing Britain needed supplies from overseas, the German navy built a large fleet of U-boats to hunt merchant ships. It was up to Canada to protect all shipping from North America to Britain. Corvettes like HMCS Sackville were crewed by young men from across Canada, and from all walks of life. The Battle of the Atlantic (1939–1945), the longest of the Second World War, was Canada’s battle, and the outcome sealed Hitler’s fate.
Following young Wally as he leaves the family farm on the prairies to pursue a daring career in the navy—leaving love interest Winnie behind—this striking graphic novel is a high-stakes adventure, a love story, and an important historical lesson. Features meticulously detailed black and white drawings, an illustrated diagram of the Sackville, information on wartime propaganda, glossary, and an illustrated map.
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A Blinding Light
Publisher: Nimbus Publishing$14.95It’s 1917 in Halifax, Nova Scotia. The First World War is raging, and despite its distance from the conflict, the Halifax Harbour is bustling with activity. Anti-German prejudice is rampant, and though 12-year-old Livy Schroeder and her 15-year-old brother Will are still mourning the loss of their father, who died in a mysterious boating accident just six months before, his German heritage doesn’t merit them much sympathy. The rumours he’d been a German spy are only flamed by his disappearance.
On the morning of December 6, while Livy is in Richmond begging forgiveness from the Schroeders’ former housekeeper, Will is atop Citadel Hill reporting for the school paper, when he sees two ships collide. A flash of light, then thunder from underground: the Halifax Explosion hits. Instantly, the city is unrecognizable. Lost and separated in the dark, destroyed city, will the siblings find each other again? Where is their mother? And who is to blame for the catastrophe?
In A Blinding Light, award-winning author Julie Lawson (No Safe Harbour) tells a riveting story of the Halifax Explosion and its aftermath, exploring the concepts of guilt, blame, and taking ownership, the divide between the rich and poor, locals and immigrants, as well as the human bonds that arise in times of tragedy. Young readers will be spellbound, and teachers and librarians will find plenty of topics for discussion in the book’s historical and cultural lessons.
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Nova Scotia’s Lost Communities The Early Settlements That Helped Build the Province
Publisher: Nimbus Publishing$27.95Beaubassin was once a prosperous farming community at the head of the Cumberland Basin; Africville was the vibrant home of Black Nova Scotians who struggled to make a living and found spiritual solace in their church. Both are now gone, one a casualty of long-ago colonial warfare and the other a victim of misguided urban renewal.
In this fascinating book, author Joan Dawson (A History of Halifax in 50 Objects) looks at 37 of Nova Scotia’s lost communities: places like Electric City, Indian Gardens, and the Tancook Islands. Some were home to ethnic groups forced to leave. Others, once dependent on factories, mills, or the fishery, died as the economy changed or resources were depleted. But they were all once places where Nova Scotians were born, married, worked, and died, and they deserve to be remembered. Featuring over 60 archival and contemporary photos and illustrations, Nova Scotia’s Lost Communities preserves those memories with fascinating insights.
