WHO TO CALL:

Community Editor Entertainment Editor
_ Andrew McCredie Layne Christensen

985-2131 (118)

EER ARE

_ PIERRE BERTON and Peter C. Newman have struggled for
" decades to convince us we aren’t a dull bunch, that Canadian
history i is as exciting as anything from below the 49th.

“A small but thriving industry of
author/historians has proved them
right in recent years with fascinat-
ing books airing some of Canada’s
more colorful laundry. Here are
some Christmas suggestions:

THE WILD McCLEANS, by
Mel Rothenburger (Orca Books.
$14.95),

B.C.’s most famous outlaws, |

- Allen, Charlie, Archie and their
friend Alex Hare went on a murder
spree in the Kamloops area in
1879, eventually killing Const.
John Ussher in a bloody gunfight

“in the snow and surrendering only
after a massive siege of their

Douglas Lake hideout. ‘They went to the gallows at New Westminster even
though Hare and Archie were both only 15-years-old, Kamloops newspa-
per.editor and McClean descendant Mel Rothenburger chronicles three
* generations of the family's often violent history in'a book that reads like a
_ Breat Western novel.

PASS THE BOTTLE: RUM TALES OF THE WEST COAST, by Eric
Newsome (Orca Books. $15.95).

- Several books on the rum smuggling trade on ‘this coast ‘during the
American Prohibition period have been interesting but Jess than thrilling.

_ Eric Newsome has caught the excitement of the dark nights in'secret coves,

» the fast boats and fast money, the’ hijackings and murders. There’s a mavie
_ Script in here somewhere, Eric.

: THE SECRET LIVES OF SGT. JOR! N-WILSON, by Lois simmie
_ Greystone Books. $26.95). 9°.

If you're a fan of the non-fiction crime genre dominated by writers like
‘Ann Rule and Vincent Bugliosi, you'll love this grim iale of a Mountie
gone bad who ruined the lives of two womien in the early decades of this
century. John Wilson left Scotland under a cloud to make a new start in
- Canada, ostensibly to send for his wife and two children later. Instead, hav-
ing joined the RCMP. he became involved with a young woman wko

* nursed him through a bout of TB, and when his wife came looking for him
the knot of lies he'd tied around himself began to ravel itself into a noose.
A fascinating portrait of an almost split personality, a weak man who hid
«behind the red serge until a few dedicated men of the force found him out.

‘FATAL PRESCRIPTION: A DOCTOR WITHOUT REMORSE. by
~ John Griffiths (Hancock House. $22. 95)...

No less grisly, but a lot more recent is this full-length treatment of the
Sian Simmonds’ murder case. Simmonds was killed by a drug-crazed hit-
man on the instructions of her Vancouver doctor, Josephakis

” Charalambous, to prevent her from testifying at a hearing into his improper
- conduct ‘with female patients: Charalambous is a man who could convince
anyone that life evolved from primordial slime not that long ago. Former
“Province reporter John Griffiths writes like a former Province reporter.

' THE JADE PEONY, by Wayson Choy (Douglas & Mcintyre. $18.95).

The Jade Peony offers an intimate fictional look into the complex fami-.
ok life of Vancouver's Chinatown during WWH; the older generation of |
“ bachelor men‘and domineering grandmothers who struggle to maintain

their village ties and culture in an alien land, tut-tutting over the attempts of
~ the younger generation to become \ wesiernized; the young people growing

‘RA GS H" &
7 STOP THE PRESSES |
The P Park Royal Hotel

is introducing a new gourmet Onn buffet in its cosy |

fireside pub Monday to Friday.
Impress your clients or indulge with your friends,

‘you've earned it!!! Outstanding selections of the hotel sf

- best frora its four star kitchen. -

Wecnesday, November 29, 1995.~ North fn Shore News - 17

STORIES

up on tough streets and going to school with
Japanese kids while Japan and China are at war and
global conflict looms. Not plot-driven, but Choy
defily combines a series of smaller plots with
excellent writing to produce a fine novel.

BARRETT: A PASSIONATE POLITICAL
LIFE, by Dave Barrett & William Miller.(Dougias
& Mcintyre. $27.95).

The timing of this book release could hardly
have been worse, coming as it does on the heels of
the Bingo-gate scandal that has toppled the current
NDP Premier and in which Barrett crony Dave
Stupich appears to have been a key player.

On the other hand, Barrett's holier-than-thou
rhetoric and chapter titles like “They Gave
Hypocrisy a Bad Name” take on a whole new fris-
son of postinadem irony under
the circumstances. A sense of
humor and a sense of context are
Tequired.

SURSUM. CORDA! THE
COLLECTED LETTERS OF
MALCOLM LOWRY. VOL 1.
edited by:Sherril E. Grace -;

(University of ‘Foronto Press:
$49,95)2 oS

At over 600 pages, (und this .
is just volume one) this has to
make vou wonder what master- :
pieces Cowry might have. pro-
duced if he hadn’t ha: t6 rely‘on
the post office to communicate,

E-mail could have freed him up
to write another Unde» The
Volcano (or five, u

. or six). If he

had, of course
we wouldn't
have the letters,
which reveal
Lowry’s hyper-
active wide- .
ranging mind
and shed light
on the often tor-
(uous creative _
process that pro-'
duced one of the
greatest novels
of this century.
The ultimate fit-
erary Christmas

present. .

CRITICS’... MPAA
AVERAGE RATING :

2. Crimson Tide oe ; . Much ©”... Lots

Mery TH}

Batman For SES thet ee za a a? Mid 2255

Easel hehd Fe UG

Purchase one luncheon at the regular $117 value and |.

| receive the second luncheon FREE with this ad until
December 15/95. ‘

+ Join us on the banks of the beautiful Capilano, River i in |

West Van.

SEE YOU YOU SOON! SOON!
“PS. Call Christine @ 926 @ 926-5511 to reserve the best
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