Canadian Yachting October 2016 - 64

New Recent Reads Book Reviews Reviewed by: R. John Garside, AP Parting the Desert Author: Zachary Karabell Pages: 310 Published: 2003 Publisher: Alfred a. Knopf ISBN: 0-375-40883-5 Once Upon a Flock Author: Lauren Scheuer Pages: 243 Published: 2013 Publisher: Atria Books ISBN: 978-1-4516-9870-1 Most of you will have read at least one of Patrick O'Brian's Jack Aubrey novels or at least seen the movie "Master and Commander". The sweeping sagas of O'Brian's and the movie are all based on the world conflict that France and England engaged in from 1793 to 1815. At the heart of this conflict was the war at sea. France was anxious to bring England down and England was trying to contain the French emperor's ambitions. This struggle resulted in some of the most fascinating naval strategies and battles, and took place all over the world. The story of the men and ships involved in this struggle are the focus of this book. The author paints a very detailed picture of life at sea not only for the privileged officer class but also of the common seaman. There is also a detailed description of the evolution of tactics and how the two countries tried to gain every advantage over the other. Though a large book I found it a wonderful read and very well laid out. The details the author brings to light are very well presented and at the end of the book you really feel you have learned something. As a small child I was fascinated with maps and one of the areas that always attracted me was the Middle East. Whether it was that the atlases that I viewed were very old or the news of the day seemed to be centred on this region, but this area was most interesting, not only for all of the wonderful sounding names like "The Red Sea" but also because of the famous Suez Canal. My great grandfather sailed through this passage in the late 1800s and as a small child I remember him speaking about the heat and the sand, and how exotic it was. So I was delighted to find a recent publication that does justice to the topic. The author carefully maps out not only all the difficulties related to this endeavour from the engineering point of view but also delves into the politics surrounding the canal and the very unusual financial arrangements that had to be made to undertake this massive project. Today the canal is still there and still in the news! The book is very well written and has lots of interesting photographs of the people involved and the actual construction. So if you know anyone interested in canals and Middle East history this would make a very good present. One of the benefits of leaving the big city of Toronto for the small town of Picton is having the opportunity to try some very new things. For myself it was chickens. Not the grocery store kind but the laying hen kind. For the last three years, each summer I have teamed up with my friend Peter who has 25 acres of land nearby and invested in eight laying hens. The eggs are wonderful but the entertainment they offer is even better! Hence when I saw this slim volume I just had to buy it. The author too has a quest for hens and ends up with just four. But that is only the beginning of her woes as four hens can get into a great deal of mischief and over time you become very attached to your flock no matter how large or small. The book is based on her real experience with her four hens as the rest of the family watches at first, but are slowly brought into the fray as well. The book is full of small interesting episodes. Even if you are not a chicken owner or know of someone who owns a chicken this book will certainly keep you entertained and provide you with lots of smiles and even some real chicken knowledge. THE PORT HOLE The Line Upon a Wind Author: Noel Mostert Pages: 773 Published: 2007 Publisher: The Random House Group ISBN: 978-0-224-06922-9 64 Canadian Yachting October 2016

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Canadian Yachting October 2016