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My Country: The Remarkable Past
322pp. The adventure of three men crossing the Canadian wilderness in 1982. A truly great adventure.
340 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1976
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
June 3, 2023
I’ve read a few books by the Canadian popular historian Pierre Berton, and he is always entertaining. This one consists of a series of stories from Canada’s past - little snippets of history.
As always with these collections I liked some of the tales better than others. One, about a champion oarsman called Ned Hanlan, struck me as too hagiographic. Some of the others had the opposite problem in that the protagonists seemed to be unattractive personalities, such as the sailor Joshua Slocum, and the pirate/rebel Bill Johnston (though credit to Berton for not trying to hide their faults). One chapter featured a man called Edward Arthur Wilson, who started a cult on Vancouver Island in which he took the title of “The Brother XII”, and persuaded some quite wealthy people to hand over all their money and possessions to him. His supposed “wisdom” was the purest gibberish, but one can only assume that cult leaders are individuals able to exercise psychological dominance over others. “The Brother XII” wasn’t the first and sadly won’t be the last.
On the other hand, there were several of these that I loved reading. The collection opens with the “Cross-Canada Hike” of 1921. Initially it was started by two unemployed Nova Scotia men who planned to walk to Vancouver to look for work. The press picked up on it and the publicity led to four other people joining in, one father-son partnership and one husband and wife team. The story of the resulting “race” is told very well. Incidentally in 1921 there was no trans-Canada highway and the hikers walked along railway tracks. No health and safety rules in those days!
To my own surprise I loved the chapter about Robert Service, the so-called “Bard of the Yukon” who wrote corny poems and sentimental novels set in the Yukon gold rush, that were immensely popular in their day. In real life Service didn’t arrive in Dawson City until a decade after the gold rush and he worked as a bank teller. People who met him often expected a grizzled old prospector and were astonished to encounter a mild-faced bank clerk. In writing “The Cremation of Sam McGee”, Service chose the protagonist’s name from a list of those who had accounts at the bank where he worked. Berton goes on to say:
“ For the rest of his life, until he died in 1940 in Beisker, Alberta, scarcely a day passed without the wretched McGee encountering somebody who asked ‘Is it warm enough for you?’ As a result of the poem, McGee’s obituary made the New York Times…”
Service doesn’t seem to have a been a bad sort though. Whenever critics accused him of writing doggerel, he readily agreed and always refused to accept the appellation of “poet”, describing himself as a “rhymer”. Judging from his life story he seems to have been a lively character, but mainly in a good way.
I enjoyed the chapter about Samuel Hearne. I’ve read his account of his Arctic journeys, but Berton’s account made me realise how much I had forgotten. The chapter on Blondin, the famous tightrope walker, was another unexpected surprise.
Some of the chapters were well-written and interesting but covered more serious subjects. One was on “Vancouver’s Bloody Sunday” in 1934, when Police brutally attacked a protest made up of unemployed workers. Another featured Gun-an-Noot, a First Nations man from British Columbia who was accused of murder on minimal (bordering on non-existent) evidence and who fled into the wilderness for 13 years as he justifiably suspected he would not receive a fair trial. Another chapter deals with the tragic story of the Beothuck Indians of Newfoundland.
But this isn’t really a book to read for historical analysis. It’s one to read partly for entertainment and partly to pick up some knowledge. As always, Berton delivers on both.
As always with these collections I liked some of the tales better than others. One, about a champion oarsman called Ned Hanlan, struck me as too hagiographic. Some of the others had the opposite problem in that the protagonists seemed to be unattractive personalities, such as the sailor Joshua Slocum, and the pirate/rebel Bill Johnston (though credit to Berton for not trying to hide their faults). One chapter featured a man called Edward Arthur Wilson, who started a cult on Vancouver Island in which he took the title of “The Brother XII”, and persuaded some quite wealthy people to hand over all their money and possessions to him. His supposed “wisdom” was the purest gibberish, but one can only assume that cult leaders are individuals able to exercise psychological dominance over others. “The Brother XII” wasn’t the first and sadly won’t be the last.
On the other hand, there were several of these that I loved reading. The collection opens with the “Cross-Canada Hike” of 1921. Initially it was started by two unemployed Nova Scotia men who planned to walk to Vancouver to look for work. The press picked up on it and the publicity led to four other people joining in, one father-son partnership and one husband and wife team. The story of the resulting “race” is told very well. Incidentally in 1921 there was no trans-Canada highway and the hikers walked along railway tracks. No health and safety rules in those days!
To my own surprise I loved the chapter about Robert Service, the so-called “Bard of the Yukon” who wrote corny poems and sentimental novels set in the Yukon gold rush, that were immensely popular in their day. In real life Service didn’t arrive in Dawson City until a decade after the gold rush and he worked as a bank teller. People who met him often expected a grizzled old prospector and were astonished to encounter a mild-faced bank clerk. In writing “The Cremation of Sam McGee”, Service chose the protagonist’s name from a list of those who had accounts at the bank where he worked. Berton goes on to say:
“ For the rest of his life, until he died in 1940 in Beisker, Alberta, scarcely a day passed without the wretched McGee encountering somebody who asked ‘Is it warm enough for you?’ As a result of the poem, McGee’s obituary made the New York Times…”
Service doesn’t seem to have a been a bad sort though. Whenever critics accused him of writing doggerel, he readily agreed and always refused to accept the appellation of “poet”, describing himself as a “rhymer”. Judging from his life story he seems to have been a lively character, but mainly in a good way.
I enjoyed the chapter about Samuel Hearne. I’ve read his account of his Arctic journeys, but Berton’s account made me realise how much I had forgotten. The chapter on Blondin, the famous tightrope walker, was another unexpected surprise.
Some of the chapters were well-written and interesting but covered more serious subjects. One was on “Vancouver’s Bloody Sunday” in 1934, when Police brutally attacked a protest made up of unemployed workers. Another featured Gun-an-Noot, a First Nations man from British Columbia who was accused of murder on minimal (bordering on non-existent) evidence and who fled into the wilderness for 13 years as he justifiably suspected he would not receive a fair trial. Another chapter deals with the tragic story of the Beothuck Indians of Newfoundland.
But this isn’t really a book to read for historical analysis. It’s one to read partly for entertainment and partly to pick up some knowledge. As always, Berton delivers on both.
April 27, 2019
I can see myself using this as a family read-aloud when the boys are teenagers.
November 8, 2021
Until I came across this book, I thought I'd already read everything Pierre Berton had written. So this gem was an unexpected joy. With each chapter being a distinct story, it made for an easy and enticing after supper read. The diversity of tales from bravery to scam artists to near lunacy also made engaging reading - from laughs to tears to anger and sadness. Canadians perhaps more than other citizens tend to undervalue their own heritage, so this book is as important today as ever.
[It is perhaps even more valuable now with the growing naive and misguided beliefs that all in the past should be judged, tried, and convicted using 21st century woke mob values.]
[It is perhaps even more valuable now with the growing naive and misguided beliefs that all in the past should be judged, tried, and convicted using 21st century woke mob values.]
July 23, 2022
Any history buff - not just Canadians! - would revel in this collection of essay-stories about fascinating episodes in the life of the northland. Berton was a great popular historian.
August 11, 2011
Loved,loved,loved this book. Loved the obscure stories about our history. Canada has a much richer history then we are led to believe!
December 26, 2023
It's a shame as Canadians we don't celebrate our history as much as we do. In this book by Pierre Berton, I have learned a lot by reading these simple tales. Chock full of Canadiana they give you an insight of how our pass is filled with interesting characters and stories that should be remembered but have all been mostly forgotten. Berton should be on the reading list of all who crave to know about this great country that is Canada.
Next hardcover: The Little Liar by Mitch Albom (2023)
Next hardcover: The Little Liar by Mitch Albom (2023)
November 11, 2018
A much underrated book by Pierre Berton. Stories of Canada that sometimes get swept under the rug. Since Pierre Berton seems sadly forgotten in Canada this book is even more valuable. Berton was Canada's greatest popular historian ever. Here he brings the past to life in his usual engaging and provocative style.
October 30, 2020
Stories about Canada we need more of these!
Pierre Burton is a Canadian treasure! I hope to read all of his books and learn more about this amazing, strong, and beautiful country I am lucky enough to call home!
Pierre Burton is a Canadian treasure! I hope to read all of his books and learn more about this amazing, strong, and beautiful country I am lucky enough to call home!
July 16, 2017
Great book of short stories on the Canadian history. The people who made Canada. Some are well known most I knew nothing much about. A good book that most Canadian should read.
July 1, 2018
Entirely digestible stories of Canada's lesser-known characters.
Perfect reading material for a Canada Day long weekend.
Perfect reading material for a Canada Day long weekend.
January 31, 2021
Enjoyable romp.
Some of the stories I was familiar with but even those were given new depth.
Worth reading.
Some of the stories I was familiar with but even those were given new depth.
Worth reading.
March 13, 2022
A book of 18 Canadian historical vignettes of little-known events or people. Each proved to be interesting in its own way. I enjoyed this book tremendously.
November 25, 2010
Pierre Berton's virtues are well known - he's accessible; he tells a good story in decent prose. He's a good popularizer. To someone whose profession is in primary historical documents, the lack of notes and sources can be an irritant: there's no indulgence of the "I want to read more" impulse. But I enjoyed this set of shortish historical tales from Canadian history(based on a TV series) very much as one would enjoy a collection of short fiction, each section upon its own merits, with its own set of characters and settings. Since I'm now going to pass the book on to others, here's a reminder of its contents for myself: 1. The Great Cross-Canada Hike; 1921, 5 people crossing Canada for publicity/prize reasons. 2. The Pirate of the St. Lawrence; 1812 to (chiefly) 1837-8 rebellion, Bill Johnston. 3. Sailing alone around the world; 1893-1896; Joshua Slocum. 4. Samuel Hearne's epic trek; 1770-1772 (5000 miles in the country west of Hudson's Bay up to the Arctic). 5. Billy Bishop - the Lone Hawk; World War I flying ace. 6. The Strange Case of The Brother, XII - fraudulent cult/camp, Edward Arthur Wilson, east coast of Vancouver Island, 1920s. 7. The Last of the Red Indians. Beothuk Indians of Newfoundland. Late 18th and 19th century contact with and hunting of, including Shawnadithit, last survivor, d. 1829. 8. The Zeal of Charles Chiniquy. Famous Roman Catholic priest and then Protestant minister, temperance fighter, orator, 1830s to 1890s. 9. The Franklin mystery. Sir John Franklin's last expedition in search of the North West Passage, and efforts to locate him. 1845-1859. 10. Bloody Sunday in Vancouver. Steve Brodie, labour leader; June 19, 1938. 11. Ned Hanlan and the Golden Age of Sculling. ca. 1874-1884. 12. The First Commando Raid. Pierre, Chevalier de Troyes, attacks on 3 English forts on James Bay, 1686. 13. The mysterious safari of Charles Bedaux. Peace River country, interior of British Columbia, summer 1934, exceedingly rich man testing tractor vehicles, making movie. 14. The Man Who Invented Dan McGrew. Biographical sketch of Robert W. Service, chiefly first half of the twentieth century, including Berton's personal reminiscences from 1958. 15. The Search for Gun-an-Noot. Story of a native of the Carrier Nation who eluded capture and supported a family for many years (early twentieth century) in the interior of B.C., on murder charges of which he was eventually declared innocent; Berton reveals, however, that in 1977, Gun-an-Noot's son told him that his deceased father had actually committed the murders in question. 16. Blondin walks Niagara's Gorge. 1859-1860. Sketch also mentions the Farini family. 17. The Overlanders. Thomas McMicking, Eustace Pattison, and other travellers from Ontario to rumoured gold strike in Cariboo country, B.C., in 1862. 18. The Ordeal of Francis Xavier Prieur. French-Canadian transported to Australia after the Rebellion of 1837-38 (in his case in Lower Canada). Descriptions of the penal colony and his eventual return to Lower Canada, where he eventually (1875) became superintendent of all Canadian prisons.
October 30, 2012
This book is a series of short stories about little known parts of Canadian history. Another excellent book by Pierre Berton.
October 29, 2014
Fairly bland collection of stories about Canada and Canadians. Interesting but nothing to write home about.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews