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History and geography

  • Author:
    Northup ,Solomon
    Summary:

    12 Years a Slave is the harrowing account of a black man, born free in New York State, who was drugged, kidnapped, and sold into slavery in 1841. Having no way to contact his family, and fearing for his life if he told the truth, Solomon Northup was sold from plantation to plantation in Louisiana, toiling under cruel masters for twelve years before meeting Samuel Bass, a Canadian who finally put him in touch with his family, and helped start the process to regain his freedom. This extraordinary text is the basis for the major motion picture starring Brad Pitt.

  • Author:
    Cline, Eric H.
    Summary:

    In 1177 B.C., marauding groups known only as the "Sea Peoples" invaded Egypt. The pharaoh's army and navy managed to defeat them, but the victory so weakened Egypt that it soon slid into decline, as did most of the surrounding civilizations. After centuries of brilliance, the civilized world of the Bronze Age came to an abrupt and cataclysmic end. Kingdoms fell like dominoes over the course of just a few decades. No more Minoans or Mycenaeans. No more Trojans, Hittites, or Babylonians. The thriving economy and cultures of the late second millennium B.C., which had stretched from Greece to Egypt and Mesopotamia, suddenly ceased to exist, along with writing systems, technology, and monumental architecture. But the Sea Peoples alone could not have caused such widespread breakdown. How did it happen? In this major new account of the causes of this "First Dark Ages," Eric Cline tells the gripping story of how the end was brought about by multiple interconnected failures, ranging from invasion and revolt to earthquakes, drought, and the cutting of international trade routes. Bringing to life the vibrant multicultural world of these great civilizations, he draws a sweeping panorama of the empires and globalized peoples of the Late Bronze Age and shows that it was their very interdependence that hastened their dramatic collapse and ushered in a dark age that lasted centuries. A compelling combination of narrative and the latest scholarship, 1177 B.C. sheds new light on the complex ties that gave rise to, and ultimately destroyed, the flourishing civilizations of the Late Bronze Age-and that set the stage for the emergence of classical Greece.

  • Author:
    Fawcett, Bill
    Summary:

    Bill Fawcett offers a compendium of 101 all-new mammoth mistakes--from the ill-fated rule of Emperor Darius III to the equally ill-fated search for WMDs in Iraq--that will, unfortunately, never be forgotten by history.

  • Author:
    Sawler, Sarah
    Summary:

    Did you know that the Halifax? Dartmouth ferry was once operated by a team of nine horses? Or that Babe Ruth used to visit Yarmouth regularly for hunting and fishing vacations? Enter journalist Sarah Sawler: your guide to discovering 100 fascinating things you don't know about Nova Scotia--from robberies and murders to famous landmarks, events, and people. Inspired by the success of her popular Halifax Magazine column "50 Things You Don't Know about Halifax," Sawler has expanded her focus to include interesting anecdotes and facts about the social, political, economic, and cultural history of the entire province. Arranged in chronological order, each "thing" is accompanied by a contextual write-up explaining its historical significance. Includes twenty-five black and white photos.

  • Author:
    Sawler, Sarah
    Summary:

    An interactive, photo-filled book for young readers featuring 100 fun facts about the East Coast. Did you know that you can walk on the ocean floor at the Hopewell Rocks in New Brunswick? Or that there was once a UFO sighting in PEI? Or that someone found a real Maud Lewis painting in a thrift shop? Journalist Sarah Sawler, author of the bestselling 100 Things You Don't Know About Nova Scotia, has collected the most interesting, surprising, and bizarre facts that you never knew about Atlantic Canada, just for kids. 100 Things You Don't Know About Atlantic Canada (for Kids) includes fun photos and helpful explanations that go with all the wacky and weird trivia that is sure to entertain and educate. As an added bonus, each 'thing' is paired with an interactive sidebar suggesting fun family activities, and places to visit.

  • Author:
    Forster, Merna, Payette, Julie
    Summary:

    Following the bestselling 100 Canadian Heroines, Merna Forster presents 100 more stories of amazing women who changed our country. In this second installment of the bestselling Canadian Heroines series, author Merna Forster brings together 100 more incredible stories of great characters and wonderful images. Meet famous and forgotten women in fields such as science, sport, politics, war and peace, and arts and entertainment, including the original Degrassi kids, Captain Kool, hockey star Hilda Ranscombe, and the woman dubbed "the atomic mosquito." This book is full of amazing facts and trivia about extraordinary women. You’ll learn about Second World War heroine Joan Fletcher Bamford, who rescued 2,000 Dutch captives from a prison camp in a Sumatran jungle while commanding 70 Japanese soldiers. Hilwie Hamdon was the woman behind the building of Canada’s first mosque, and Frances Gertrude McGill was the crime fighter named the "Sherlock Holmes of Saskatchewan." Read on and discover 100 more Canadian heroines and how they’ve changed our country.

  • Author:
    Lucaci, Dorica
    Summary:

    Le meilleur ami de l’homme n’aura jamais eu si bonne presse Amis fidèles, compagnons dévoués, jappeurs invétérés ou dépendants affectifs sans vergogne, les chiens habitent les souvenirs de tous. En plus d’être d’attachants animaux domestiques, ils ont aussi joué un rôle important dans l’Histoire. Voici une balade dans le passé qui permet de faire plus ample connaissance avec 100 toutous d’exception. Qu’il s’agisse de Fortuné, le carlin hargneux de Joséphine, de Thisbé, la chienne de Marie-Antoinette, de Foxl et Blondi, respectivement fox-terrier et berger allemand d’Adolf Hitler ou de Baltique, le fameux labrador de François Mitterrand, ces superhéros à quatre pattes en disent souvent beaucoup sur leurs célèbres maîtres… Passionnée par les animaux et par l’histoire, Dorica Lucaci propose un petit livre intelligent lève le voile sur une foule d’aspects méconnus de la vie des grands décideurs du monde.

  • Author:
    Lucaci, Dorica
    Summary:

    Aimés ou détestés, craints ou adorés, liés à la sorcellerie, à la magie, aux forces du mal, victimes de rituels sordides, les chats ont marqué l’Histoire. De l’Égypte des pharaons à la France de Richelieu, de Napoléon à de Gaulle, en passant par les cathares et les plus prestigieuses cours royales européennes, les chats « historiques » sont omniprésents ! Faites connaissance avec Muschi et Moffi, les félins bagarreurs d’Anne Frank ; Gris-gris, le chat du général de Gaulle ; Nelson, le compagnon quadrupède de Winston Churchill et Acoustic Kitty, l’espion miauleur de la CIA. Témoins des révolutions ou amis de grands penseurs, les fameux minous répertoriés dans ce livre ont vraiment de quoi surprendre !

  • Author:
    Forster, Merna
    Summary:

    100 Canadian Heroines profiles some remarkable women; from the adventurous Gudridur the Viking to murdered Mi'kmaq activist Anna Mae Aquash. You'll meet heroines in science, sport, preaching and teaching, politics, war and peace, arts and entertainment, etc. The book is full of amazing facts and fascinating trivia about intriguing figures like mountaineer Phyllis Munday, activist Hide Shimizu, Arctic guide Tookoolito, unionist Lea Roback, sexy movie mogul Mary Pickford and singer Portia White. Great quotes and photos are featured in this inspiring collection. As we celebrate the 75th Anniversary of the Persons Case on October 18, 2004, discover some of the many heroines Canada can be proud of. Find out how we're remembering them. Or not!

  • Author:
    Hughes, Aaron W.
    Summary:

    Revisiting ten notable days from recent history, Aaron W. Hughes invites readers to think about the tensions, events, and personalities that make Canada distinct. These indelible dates interweave to offer an account of the political, social, cultural, and demographic forces that have shaped the modern nation. The diverse episodes include the enactment of the War Measures Act, hockey's Summit Series, the patriation of the Constitution, the Multiculturalism Act, the École Polytechnique Massacre, victories for gay rights, Quebec's second referendum on secession, The Tragically Hip's farewell concert, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, and ongoing Black equality struggles. Each day represents a window on contemporary Canada, jumpstarting reflection and conversation about who we are as a nation and how we got here. Ten Days That Shaped Modern Canada is the perfect guide for all those curious about the forces that shape our country and about how we understand our place in the world.

  • Author:
    Greenside, Mark
    Summary:

    Despite the two decades that have passed since Mark Greenside's snap decision to buy a house in Brittany and begin a bi-continental life, the quirks of French living still manage to confound him. This book details Greenside's daily adventures in his adopted French home, where the simplest tasks are never straightforward, but always end in a great story.

  • Author:
    Newbold, L. Iris, Newbold, K. Bruce, Walters, Evelyn A., Walters, Mark G.
    Summary:

    Private James Herbert (Herb) Gibson was 26 years old when he volunteered for service in the Canadian Expeditionary Force in the First World War. Born near Perth, Ontario and descended from Scottish settlers, Gibson enlisted against his father's wishes because he viewed the war as justified and felt he needed to do his part. "Without fear and with a manly heart" collects his personal letters and diaries as well as those sent to him by family and friends. They reveal his beliefs, hopes, realizations, and tragedies through an account of his contribution to the war. The letters trace Gibson's wartime service from 1916 to 1919 from his enlistment and training with the 130th (Lanark and Renfrew) Battalion to his service on the Western Front with the 75th Battalion. Gibson was wounded twice, first near Vimy during the Gas Raid of March 1917 and again more seriously during a night patrol in July 1918 which ended his war. He also had to deal with tragedy on the home front from afar. Gibson's religious beliefs significantly influenced and sustained him through his darkest hours. He felt himself a gentle man caught up "on an errand the full consequences of which we did not realize."

  • Author:
    Lash, Don
    Summary:

    In this groundbreaking look at the history and politics of the US child welfare system, "When the Welfare People Come" exposes the system in its totality, from child protective investigation to foster care and mandated services, arguing that it constitutes a mechanism of control exerted over poor and working class parents and children. Applying the Marxist framework of social reproduction theory to the child welfare system, the author reveals the system's role in the regulation of family life under capitalism. Don Lash is an attorney who has practiced in the areas of disability rights, education, and child welfare for more than twenty years.

  • Author:
    Kellogg, Paul
    Summary:

    Following the 1917 Russian Revolution, the arctic settlement of Vorkuta was the site of a notorious Gulag that held former Trotsky followers and members of the Left Opposition. This coal-mining town was a witness, first to the last stand of the Russian oppositional socialists, and second to a strike wave that sounded the death knell for the Stalinist forced labour system, overturned in 1991. Kellogg uses the backdrop of Vorkuta to argue for a return to the work of Iulii Martov--a contemporary of Lenin--and his analysis of a temporary class of peasants-in-uniform produced by the Great War. Coming from the trenches, Kellogg demonstrates that this class, led by Lenin and the Bolshevik Party, often relied on undemocratic and substitutionist policies to advance the revolutionary project. Ultimately, their actions thwarted the efforts made to establish an alternative to capitalism in the USSR and explain why democratic governance failed to become integrated into the Bolsheviks' theoretical perspectives and political practice.

  • Author:
    Lawlor, Allison
    Summary:

    On May 13, 1939, the eve of the Second World War, the MS St. Louis left port in Hamburg, Germany, headed for Havana, Cuba. Among the ship's passengers were more than six hundred Jews attempting to escape Nazi rule. But most of the visas the passengers had purchased turned out to be fake and after several days in limbo in Havana's harbour, the ship's captain turned back for Europe. Canadian and American activists petitioned their governments to accept the refugees on humanitarian grounds, but to no avail. On its return, the ship would distribute its passengers among European countries, and over the course of the war, an estimated 250 would die in the Nazi-run concentration camps.The latest in the Stories of our Past series is illustrated with photos and sidebar features on the voyage, glimpses into the lives of passengers, a look at Canada's postwar refugee policy, and memorials dedicated to preserving the story of this tragic event in Canadian immigration history.

  • Author:
    Huber, Florian
    Summary:

    By the end of April 1945 in Germany, the Third Reich had fallen and invasion was underway. As the Red Army advanced, horrifying stories spread about the depravity of its soldiers. For many German people, there seemed to be nothing left but disgrace and despair. For tens of thousands of them, the only option was to choose death, for themselves and for their children.

  • Author:
    Goodwin, James
    Summary:

    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. Unfortunately, he was also naive and too trusting. One night in January 1941, he committed a very foolish indiscretion. He would spend the rest of his tragically short life making amends for this mistake.

  • Author:
    Menuhin, Moshe
    Summary:

    With a new introduction by Adi Ophir: An early and fierce critique of Zionism from a Jewish child of Palestine who argued against nationalism and injustice. Born in 1893, Moshe Menuhin was part of the inaugural class to attend the first Zionist high school in Palestine, the Herzliya gymnasium in Tel Aviv. He had grown up in a Hasidic home, but eventually rejected orthodoxy while remaining dedicated to Judaism. As a witness to the evolution of Israel, Menuhin grew disaffected with what he saw as a betrayal of the Jews' spiritual principles. This memoir, written in 1965, is considered the first revisionist history of Zionism. A groundbreaking document, it discusses the treatment of the Palestinians, the effects of the Holocaust, the exploitation of the Mizrahi Jewish immigrants, and the use of propaganda to win over public opinion in America and among American Jews. In a postscript added after the Six-Day War, Menuhin also addresses the question of occupation. This new edition is updated with an introduction by Israeli philosopher Adi Ophir, putting Menuhin's work into a contemporary historical context. Passionate and sometimes inflammatory in its prose, and met with controversy and anger upon its original publication under the title The Decadence of Judaism in Our Time, Menuhin's polemic remains both a thought-provoking reassessment of Zionist history and a fascinating look at one observer's experience of this embattled corner of the world over the course of several tumultuous decades.

  • Author:
    Starita, Joe
    Summary:

    In 1877, Ponca Indians were forcibly relocated from Nebraska to Oklahoma. "I Am a Man" chronicles what happened when Standing Bear began a six-hundred-mile walk to return the body of his son to their traditional burial ground.

  • Author:
    Madden, Thomas F.
    Summary:

    In this course, Saint Louis University professor Thomas F. Madden discusses the history of the Crusades as well as their legacy.

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