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CM . . .
. Volume XIV Number 9 . . . .December 21, 2007
excerpt:
Real Canadian Pirates is an interesting account of a segment of history not given much, or any, attention in the usual survey histories. It has 15 chapters, most dealing with pirates who lived before Confederation in 1867. The pirates author Telfer chose are likely unknown to most readers, adults as well as children. They include Henry Mainwarring, a 17th century English privateer who, for a time, made his base at Harbour Grace, Newfoundland. They also include the fictional Gunpowder Gertie, a creation of British Columbia schoolteacher, Carolyn McTaggart who made up the story in order to interest her students in pirates. Gertie, therefore, becomes a superhero pirate, doing more than a real mortal could achieve. There is a chapter on Oak Island off the coast of Nova Scotia, reputed to be the location of considerable treasure, including the Holy Grail, and one chapter on more recent acts of piracy. Chapter Four, "Pirate Fact vs. Pirate Fiction," as the title suggests, tries to separate fact from fiction. It includes information on the kinds of ships used by pirates, the flags they flew and how they talked. Pirate-Speak, according to Telfer, owes much to the English actor, Robert Newton, who played the part of Long John Silver in the 1954 film adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson's, Treasure Island. The chapter, which also covers topics such as the weapons used by pirates and buried treasure, adds considerably to the book's appeal.
Highly Recommended. Thomas F. Chambers, a retired college teacher, lives in North Bay, ON.
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