West Coast Wrecks & Other Maritime Tales
by Rick James
Published by Harbour Publishing
www.harbourpublishing.com
128 pages, paperback
Men who go down to the sea in ships are a brave and adventurous lot. They live for the sea and the ships they sail on, fending off certain death tossed at them by the often murderous winds, waters and rocks off the West Coast.
All up and down the coast of British Columbia there are ships that have succumbed to the tortuous conditions on the Pacific Ocean.
Not for the timid are the ships that plied the waters bringing provisions to coastal communities and taking away the resources found in the remote and often isolated places along the coast.
No matter how large, well-constructed or swift these ships were, they were all at risk every time the winter storms howl and send the waves crashing into their hulls.
West Coast Wrecks & Other Maritime Tales is the newest contribution on maritime lore from author Rick James. He has done his homework well and provides the reader with accounts of the ships that floundered and often sank in the treacherous waters off British Columbia, as well as the long forgotten rescues and heroes who carried them out.
They are tales of bravery and bravado, sadness and fear. These stories fill in the history of working ships and the men who survived and those who perished. Well-researched and laid out, West Coast Wrecks is of interest to anyone with even a passing interest in our maritime lore. It portrays a vision of the coast from 140 years ago to more recent times. Many wrecks lay unnamed and unremembered until James took the time to float their stories to the surface.
Did you know that Wreck Beach off Vancouver is not named for the ships wrecked there in storms but for the ships scuttled to serve as a breakwater? The book gives one another look at the past history of the coast, far beyond the high-rises and condo developments into the working life of coastal communities. It’s what this place was and how economic opportunity presented itself to those brave enough to set sail.
Photos and newspaper accounts from the day flesh out the pages of this 128-page volume in the Raincoast Chronicles series.
A Field Guide to Edible Mushrooms of the Pacific Northwest
by Daniel Winkler
Published by Harbour Publishing
Eight-fold pamphlet
Colour photos
When people talk about a pocket guide, they usually mean a book. Author Daniel Winkler has produced a fold-out pamphlet which is the perfect reference companion for those who are out gathering edible mushrooms.
It is bendable, waterproof and compact and would easily pit into a jacket pocket. It isn’t heavy and it contains all the information one might need when searching the forests, lawns and roadsides for those gourmands who love wild mushrooms.
The author identifies 30 edible varieties and clearly separates the toxic toadstools from the flavourful fungi.
Discover the wonderful culinary delights of the boletes, chanterelles, matsutake and oyster mushrooms.
For more information on the titles carried by Harbour Publishing, go to: www.harbourpublishing.com