6463 The Miller's Tale - Events: November 8, 2007

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November 8, 2007

Doug Hunter

gods%20mercies.jpg Doug Hunter is part of our Doug & Doug Evening.
join both Dougs for Books n Beer #7
November 8 - 7:30 pm
as lawyas, in the back room of the Ironworks Pub

God's Mercies: Rivalry, Betrayal, and the Dream of Discovery

From acclaimed author Douglas Hunter, a searing historical work about death, deceit and dishonour, and the rivalry between Samuel de Champlain and Henry Hudson-two of the greatest explorers of the seventeenth century.

Samuel de Champlain of France and Englishman Henry Hudson were rival explorers in a race to describe and exploit the northern half of North America and, not least, to find a profitable passage to the Orient. The English had been trying to find a way through the Arctic since the 1570s. For Hudson, the dream of discovery proved fatal. A mutiny in the summer of 1611 saw Hudson, his teenage son John, and seven other crew members cast adrift in James Bay in an open boat. They were never heard from again.

In May 1613, Samuel de Champlain left the site of present-day Montreal on a journey up the Ottawa River into uncharted territory. Champlain had undertaken the expedition because of extraordinary testimony from a young informant, Nicolas de Vignau, who had spent 1611-12 with the Algonquin and returned to France with an incredible story: He had visited the Northern Sea. What's more, he had seen an English youth, the sole survivor of a shipwreck, held captive by the Nebicerini people as a gift for Champlain. To rescue both the English youth and his own career, Champlain set out to collect him.

God's Mercies has all the elements of a great adventure mystery: a mutiny, a massacre, a murder trial, signed confessions, and intrigue at the highest levels of state. Truths would be revealed as lies, and lies would turn out to be half-truths.

Author Bio
Douglas Hunter has written widely on business, history, and sport. His previous books include War Games, Molson: The Birth of a Business Empire and The Bubble and the Bear: How Nortel Burst the Canadian Dream, which won the National Business Book Award.

Posted by Chris at 1:17 PM |

Doug Clark

roaring.jpg Doug Clark is part of our Doug & Doug Evening at Books n Beer!
Thursday, november 8th - 7:30 pm
as always, at The Ironworks Pub

In The Roaring Game: A Sweeping Saga of Curling, bestselling journalist and amateur curler Doug Clark takes the reader on a fascinating behind-the-scenes journey all the way from the sports humble beginnings in sixteenth-century Scotland, to the first international bonspiel played in Buffalo, New York, in 1865 (a match between Canadian won), to where the sport is today. It is estimated there are more than 1.2 million curlers worldwide. While as many as 90 per cent are registered in Canada with its 1,100 clubs, the United States boasts as many as 13,000 curlers in 135 clubs-including a club in sun-drenched Arizona! Hurry! Hard! is even shouted in Cameroon. The fact is, anyone with a pulse can curl. From age nine to ninety, male or female, tall or short, players of all races and abilities enjoy the infections camaraderie of the sport. But its not all about the socializing. Curling is a complex and maddeningly difficult game to perfect, and the competition can be ruthless. Its not surprising that competitive curling attracts larger and larger crowds every year. Curling became a full-medal Olympic sport in the 1998 Games in Nagano, Japan, where the Canadian mens team won silver and the womens team took home gold. Curling has officially entered the realm of elite sport, making heroes of its stars, like Mike Harris, Sandra Schmirler, George Karrys, Colleen Jones, Brad Gushue, and Glenn Howard. Curling has come a long way. Just ask Clarence Shorty Jenkins, a.k.a. The King of Swing. It was his innovations that helped revolutionize the game. In his words, A curling rock is smarter than a human being.

Posted by Chris at 12:43 PM |

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