"This absorbing, well-crafted tale…is a haunting description of the tragedy and irony of war…In this vivid narrative, the awful cacophony of war comes to life…the skilled author succeeds without moralistic preaching in highlighting the harsh reality, the utter misery, and the heartbreak of war in this intricate but fascinating book." VOYASet during the Battle of Stalingrad, three participants-one Russian soldier, one German soldier and a boy caught in the middle-struggle to survive the largest battle in human history. None of them know how their fates will be intertwined as the cataclysm engulfs them."Four Steps to Death is a thoroughly anti-war novel…Wilson shows just how miserable and futile the practice of war is for those who must fight." Quill & Quire"The action-filled text flows easily from steppe to city battle scenes…Wilson takes an overlooked moment or perspective in history and makes it come alive." Albany Public Library, NYThe Caught in Conflict Collection is an imprint of fast-paced, historically accurate, morally-complex quick reads for Adults and Teens.
New York Public Library SelectionStellar Book Award honour bookWhite pine Award honour book"A compelling, fascinating, and ultimately disturbing book that is not to be missed." East Central Regional Library , Cambridge, MNIt's August, 1914 and Jim Hay thinks war is a glorious adventure. He can barely wait for his turn to fight, but as his father marches off to battle Jim must be content to record his thoughts and dreams in his journal. Amidst the war fever, Jim's home life suddenly becomes tragically complex and, when he does at last join up, it is as much to find a refuge as it is to seek glory. What Jim discovers in the trenches of France is enough to dispel any romantic view of the war. Soon his longing for adventure is replaced by a basic need to survive, and the final tragic outcome, as Kitchener's New Army goes into battle on July 1, 1916, is one he never could have imagined."Wilson brilliantly captures the thoughts, feelings, and naivete' of a young man caught up in a conflict he does not fully understand and is ill prepared to face. The format effectively draws readers into the narrative, and characterization is solid throughout. Historical anecdotes lend even more somber realism to the story. Jim's growth as a human being, his increasing self-awareness, and, especially, his shocking fate are not soon forgotten. A compelling, fascinating, and ultimately disturbing book that is not to be missed." Robert Gray, East Central Regional Library, Cambridge, MN"Although this novel focuses on World War I, it's a timely reflection on the realities of war that presents a powerful, timeless anti-war argument…the diary form lends immediacy and intimacy to the gripping story, which Wilson has based on actual diaries kept by members of the Highland Light Infantry." Connie FletcherThe Caught in Conflict Collection is an imprint of fast-paced, historically accurate, morally-complex quick reads for Adults and Teens. In each of the titles the main character(s) (a Roman Legionary; a civilian in the Indian Mutiny; volunteers on both sides of the American Civil War; a Scottish soldier in WWI; a holidaymaker in Spain when the civil war breaks out there; and German and Russian soldiers in WWII), become enmeshed in conflicts immensely more complex than they anticipated and are faced with moral dilemmas that they never even imagined. The historical background to each of the dramas is extensively researched and the moral dilemmas are common to all human conflict.
"The tension and action of the battle and the intense danger of the escape from the massacre will keep readers turning these pages." Quill & QuireTo Jack O'Hara, recently arrived from Canada to live with his aunt in Cawnpore, India is an exotic place of wonder and mystery, but war and horror are bubbling just below the surface. When the violence explodes, Jack and a thousand soldiers, women and children must fight for their lives, trapped in an inadequate entrenchment under the brutal summer sun. As the survivors watch the bodies pile up around them, there is little they can do except pray that a relief column can reach them before starvation and massacre end the tragedy."This is an absolutely terrific book…Never lagging with a credible hero and an exotic setting…The pacing is flawless." Geoffrey Bilson Award for Historical Fiction Jury CitationThe Caught in Conflict Collection is an imprint of fast-paced, historically accurate, morally-complex quick reads for Adults and Teens. In each of the titles the main character(s) (a Roman Legionary; a civilian in the Indian Mutiny; volunteers on both sides of the American Civil War; a Scottish soldier in WWI; a holidaymaker in Spain when the civil war breaks out there; and German and Russian soldiers in WWII), become enmeshed in conflicts immensely more complex than they anticipated and are faced with moral dilemmas that they never even imagined. The historical background to each of the dramas is extensively researched and the moral dilemmas are common to all human conflict.
"Wilson offers a unique perspective on this fascinating era…even minor characters are brought to life." Library JournalTed Ryan and his parents have a chance to escape the drudgery of the Depression in Canada for a holiday in Europe. Unfortunately, it is the summer of 1936 and Spain, where Ted longs to see a bullfight, is exploding in civil war. Swept up in the chaos, Ted finds himself alone and searching for his missing father. The only person who can help him is Dolores, a beautiful Spanish revolutionary who can explain what is going on, but who is in just as much danger as Ted as they travel across the war-torn countryside."…replete with the constant menace of danger and death…Recommended." Canadian Book Review Annual"…moves along at a breakneck pace." CCLThe Caught in Conflict Collection is an imprint of fast-paced, historically accurate, morally-complex quick reads for Teens and Adults.
"Wilson does not shy away from the horrors of war. His writing makes the sounds, smells and choking dust seem all too real. He brings to light lesser-known wartime issues such as Southerners who opposed slavery and Northerners who resented freed slaves-thus showing that the Civil War wasn't a simple case of North versus South, but a war that tore families and the country apart."-CCBNThe sequel to The Flags of War, continues the adventures of two cousins, Walt and Nate McGregor, and of Sunday, the former slave on Nate's father's plantation. They have survived the carnage at Shiloh. But the Civil War rages on. Nate returns to the family plantation to find it in ruins. In despair he turns back to the only life he knows-the army. Meanwhile, Walt and Sunday re-enlist to fight for their beliefs, no matter how great the danger. The three young men meet again at the notorious Libby prison in Virginia: Nate as a guard, Sunday as a slave and Walt as a prisoner. Their grim reunion at Libby-where prison walls divide them-highlights the complexity of a war that tore a nation apart. Can the three battle-scarred soldiers hope for anything more than survival?"Readable and exciting."-Booklist"…this book looks at the Civil War from the eyes of soldiers who come to realize that their enemies are just men like themselves."-South Carolina State Library.The Caught in Conflict Collection is an imprint of fast-paced, historically accurate, morally-complex quick reads for Teens and Adults.
"…a brave book, an unsettling book, and one that is very much needed at this time."-The Globe and Mail"…an astonishingly nuanced and masterfully told story…"-Quill & QuireNot all the Crusades were fought on the far edges of Christendom. In the thirteenth century, a bloody Holy War was fought against a sect of heretical Christians, the Cathars, who lived in Languedoc around the modern city of Toulouse. The war lasted decades and tens of thousands were murdered, mutilated or thrown on vast bonfires. A powerful culture of poets and troubadours, with its own distinct language, was destroyed and modern France created. The crusade spawned the Dominicans and the formal Inquisition, and the bitterness it created lasted 200 years into the brutal religious wars that devastated Europe in the Reformation.When the armoured knights of Pope Innocent III swept south in 1209, most thought they would be gone by summer's end but, led by the fanatical Arnaud Aumery and the ambitious Simon de Montfort, they stayed for three fiery decades. Caught up in the horror are two childhood friends. Peter-an assistant to the shadowy, enigmatic priest who leads the crusade-is convinced that the war against the Cathars is God's will, a mission that will lead him to the highest ranks of power in Rome itself. John-who finds himself drawn to the strange ideas of the heretics-simply seeks the peace to learn and understand through reading the forbidden books hidden in remote castles across the land. As the crusading knights destroy city after city and the flames of the Inquisition spread, Peter and John find themselves on opposite sides of a search for an ancient secret that may have the power to change the world. The Heretic's Secret (Single Volume Edition) comprises the complete Heretic's Secret Trilogy (Heretic, Quest, and Rebirth).
"This riveting look at the Civil War's horrifying Andersonville prison through the eyes of an 18-year-old inmate has the power to shock and to compel…a tension-filled story packed with appalling events that really happened...This engrossing novel leaves an enduring impression." (Kirkus Reviews)After the older brother he worshipped is killed in battle, Jake Clay joins the Union Army in the spring of 1864, determined to do his bit and honor his brother's death. His dreams of glory vanish, however, when he is wounded and taken prisoner in his first battle at Cold Harbor, Virginia, and confined to the Confederate prison camp at Andersonville, where 30,000 soldiers face violence, disease and starvation. Frightened and disillusioned, Jake takes up with Billy Sharp, an unscrupulous opportunist who shows him how to survive, no matter what the cost. By the war's end Jake's sleep is haunted by the ghosts of those who have died so he could live. When the camp is liberated, Jake and Billy head north on the Mississippi riverboat Sultana, overcrowded far beyond its capacity. Unknown to Jake, the fateful journey up river will come closer to killing him than Andersonville did, but it will also provide him with his one chance at redemption."…this is a thoughtful, provocative work." (Booklist 2009-10-15)"[Wilson] has captured the struggles of young soldiers faced with making impossible choices in order to survive in war…Wilson's gripping descriptions of bloody battles, abominable prison conditions, and man's inhumanity to man will capture the imagination of readers." (Resource Links)"Wilson paints an engrossing picture of the brutal life of these soldiers" (Quill & Quire)"This book does a great job of depicting the horrors of war…The accuracy of the story is amazing, the characters are well-developed, and the plot is engaging. Readers who like historical fiction, war stories, and survival books will all enjoy reading Death on the River." (TeensReadToo.com)"A well-written book that will provide the reader with an understanding [and] insight into the perils of war...Recommended." (Tri State YA Book Review Committee)"Illustrates very well that under circumstances like these, there are no easy, "good" choices, and it avoids casting "good" and "bad" around North/South lines...The depiction of the harsh life of a prison camp is accurate and worth a read." (CCYAB Book Notes)The Caught in Conflict Collection is an imprint of fast-paced, historically accurate, morally-complex quick reads for Adults and Teens. In each of the titles the main character(s) (a Roman Legionary; a civilian in the Indian Mutiny; volunteers on both sides of the American Civil War; a Scottish soldier in WWI; a holidaymaker in Spain when the civil war breaks out there; and German and Russian soldiers in WWII), become enmeshed in conflicts immensely more complex than they anticipated and are faced with moral dilemmas that they never even imagined. The historical background to each of the dramas is extensively researched and the moral dilemmas are common to all human conflict.
The thrilling Prequel to the best-selling 7Series book, Lost Cause"Wilson successfully creates a series of layered mysteries each more compelling than the last...The Missing Skull is a great, fast-paced read...Recommended."¿CM MagazineFive years before the settings of Lost Cause and Broken Arrow, the history- and mystery-loving Steve's grandfather takes him on a trip up to a remote lake in northern Ontario. Steve's not thrilled, after all, his twin brother DJ was given an exotic adventure holiday to Central America. Matters start to look up when his grandfather tells Steve about the mysterious death of the artist Tom Thomson and sets him the task of finding Thomson's missing skull. Steve loves mysteries, but when odd things begin happening and strange people start threatening him, Steve wonders whether this is part of his grandfather's plan. Is this still a simple puzzle, or is something far more sinister going on?"Mystery buffs will enjoy the mysterious tale of Thomson's death and the trail of clues set up by Grandpa, even when Steve misinterprets the clues and mayhem ensues. The remote northern Ontario landscape, complete with cold lake, rocks and bush along with the cabin lacking electricity and water highlights the real camping experience unfamiliar to so many urban students. Dialogue is modern and up to date with Steve's friend Sam's computer googling and their cell phone chats grounding the story in the present day."¿Resource Links
"This is a fun book and dinosaur-mad youngsters will have fun reading it and imagining themselves in the shoes of Eric and Rose. Recommended." (CM Magazine )This compelling sequel continues the time-travel adventures of Eric, Rose and Sally in the world of dinosaurs sixty-six-million-years ago. Weet, enlightened by what his time-travelling friends have taught him, feels a longing to discover what mysteries about his people lie beyond the terrifying Fire Mountain. Legends have it that Weet's ancestors were driven out of a coastal paradise by invading hordes of terrifying predators. The three friends set off on an adventurous quest to uncover the truth. With the invaluable help of his friends from the distant future, Weet finds an ancient colony of ancestral beings oddly different from himself. A true hero, Weet uncovers his people's history and plots a course for a bright new future."Children 8 to 10 years will be fascinated with this world of scary creatures, near-death adventures, erupting volcanoes and hostile pre-humans." (Comox Valley Echo )
"…action-filled, tightly written prose. Realistic battle scenes illustrate the senselessness of war…the story offers a fresh take on the conflict - the idea of Canada as refuge for fugitive slaves and the irony of how it was nearly drawn into the war on the side of the South."- Albany Public Library, NYNate MacGregor knows he must fight for his Southern homeland in the coming Civil War, but for his cousin Walt in Canada West it's not so simple. Walt knows slavery's wrong but, as the tensions increase and war breaks out, the danger of Britain, and Canada, being sucked into the conflict on the side of the Confederacy increases. The two cousins are linked by Sunday, an escaped slave who is using the Underground Railroad to escape from Nate's plantation and get to Canada. As the war gathers momentum, Walt, Nate and Sunday are drawn farther and farther in, until they arrive at a shattering conclusion during the battle of Shiloh.Wilson "…makes sure that each character is well-rounded, with interesting sides to tell in the story…Easy to read, yet based on historical facts, this book takes the Civil War period in history from a dry read based on statistics, to a real situation being played out on both sides of the 49th Parallel. The impassioned beliefs and actions of people on both sides of the conflict captures the interest and makes the horrors of war real.It was so well-written that I was drawn in immediately, and I usually avoid anything to do with war…History can be interesting." Resource Links"Wilson takes a hard look at war and its consequences through the eyes of young protagonists…(he) provides his usual challenge to black-and-white thinking, prodding readers to think critically. Heroes are hard to come by in this historical fiction, and ethical choices are as difficult to determine as they are to make."-Quill & QuireThe Caught in Conflict Collection is an imprint of fast-paced, historically accurate, morally-complex quick reads for Teens and Adults.
A perfect, illustrated, easy-to-read novel for eager young dinosaur fanatics."As a great adventure story and scientific tour of the Cretaceous world, Weet keeps the reader enthralled to the end." The Log.Somewhere in the badlands of southern Alberta lies the gateway to an alien world of adventure. Welcome to Weet's world-a world of 66 million years ago when dinosaurs ruled. A world that Eric has only dreamed of. A world into which the twelve-year-old dinosaur expert, his seven-year-old sister, Rose, and their dog, Sally, are suddenly and mysteriously transported.Eric soon finds out that fossilized dinosaur bones don't tell the whole story-dinosaurs have developed intelligence! One of them, Weet, befriends the time travellers as they find themselves embroiled in a series of distinctly prehistoric adventures. Will Eric, Rose and Sally ever be able to return to their own world before the disaster that Eric knows is looming over Weet's world strikes?The Dinosaur Chronicles are updated reworkings of the bestselling Weet Trilogy originally published in the '90s."John Wilson has created an entirely believable world, complete with lush vegetation…and the exotic animal life we expect the time of the dinosaurs. The twist he throws in with Weet and his intelligent family makes the book a true page-turner. Wilson writes in clear, complex sentences with…vocabulary that does not condescend to young readers; the story is so compelling that there is danger they won't continue reading. Highly Recommended." (Canadian Book Review Annual )"The ideas and issues of the story are strong, as is the writing. An informative and exciting story for children." Recommended." (CM Magazine )
"…the story is…exciting, and the relationships between the humanoid dinosaurs and the young humans are believable and noteworthy. Eric struggles with his dilemma of whether or not to tell Weet that his species is ultimately doomed…What is particularly refreshing …is that there are no easy answers in in the story. Recommended." Canadian Book Review Annual.In the final book of The Dinosaur Chronicles trilogy, the mysterious meteor showers are been increasing in frequency and violence. Eric has the unenviable task of telling his friend that the world he has grown up in is destined to be destroyed by a gigantic meteorite, wiping out much of the life on earth. Little does Eric know that the catastrophe is just around the corner and that he, Rose, Sally, Weet, his friend Saar and pet Sinor must try to survive the destruction. In the desolate world after the impact, Weet and Saar must find the strength to rebuild their lives and lead their people in a world that has changed forever."Wilson provides a poignant…portrayal of Weet and his companion Saar as they face the end of their species with courage and determination…He carefully develops Eric's adolescent feelings of not belonging anywhere, as well as Eric and Rose's sibling bond." Resource Links
"The dialogue is witty and sharp…The Spanish setting oozes charm, beauty and history. Readers will feel as if they are scootering with Steve and Laia along narrow roads and through timeless tiny villages steeped in the memory of a bloody civil war."¿Resource LinksSteve thinks a trip to Europe is out of the question this summer¿until he attends his grandfather David's will reading and is given an envelope containing an old key, an address, a plane ticket to Barcelona and a request to solve the mystery of what his grandfather was doing in Spain seventy-five years before. At the address, Steve meets a girl named Laia whose family seems to have some connection with Steve's grandfather. Together they find an old suitcase containing a diary that David kept when he fought with the International Brigades in the Spanish Civil War. Steve and Laia decide to retrace the young soldier's footsteps and, as they do so, read the diary. A they move towards the conclusion of their journey, they begin to understand what drove the young David to go and fight in a doomed cause, how his experiences there haunted him for the rest of his life and what he had to leave behind to escape."The descriptions of the war¿and the emotional reactions of Steve and his grandfather at two different points in history¿are rich and poignant…Some of the most compelling parts are the grandfather's journal entries which give amazing insights into the strategy and struggle of war. These, paired with the stories of the current day Spanish people, paint a complete picture of the war and its enduring effects…Highly Recommended."¿CM Magazine"Posthumous messages and tantalizing clues send a teenager from Canada to Barcelona in search of a hidden chapter from his beloved grandfather's past. Steve slowly gains insight into how it felt to believe passionately in a cause-even, in this case, a doomed one-and then to lose that innocent certainty in the blood and shock of war." ¿ Kirkus Reviews"I had to force myself to take a break for food or sleep once in a while." ¿ YALSA YA Galley Teen Review
The Thrilling Sequel to the best-selling Lost Cause"This thrill-a-minute series will hook reluctant readers as well as fans of James Bond and Jason Bourne."¿School Library JournalSteve thinks he made the right choice turning down a snowy week with his cousins at a cabin in northern Ontario in favor of a relaxing (and perhaps romantic) time under the Spanish sun with his friend, Laia. But when an email from his brother DJ arrives, implicating their grandfather in some shadowy international plots involving nuclear bombs, Steve and Laia immediately put aside all thoughts of a lazy, sun-drenched vacation. In a desperate attempt to find out if Steve's grandfather was a Cold War-era spy, they crack mysterious codes, confront violent Russian mobsters, dodge spies, unearth a bomb and avoid nudists. But the more they uncover, the more Steve wonders: whose side was Grandpa really on?"With only a forged passport and a coded message as clues, Steve will need all the help he can get to figure out whether his grandfather was a well-traveled businessman or a double agent…Steve's quest is part-Cold War mystery and part-Spanish history lesson...The puzzles are satisfyingly difficult...the information about a little-known chapter in history is interesting and the setting is beautiful."¿Kirkus Reviews"With its absorbing beginning, unpredictable ending, and series of heart-stopping encounters in between, Broken Arrow is a great bet! Highly Recommended." ¿ CM"The warm, dusty atmosphere of rural Spain and the busy city of Barcelona with its loving traditions bring this story to life…this compelling mystery…effortlessly teaches history as it entertains with panache." ¿ Resource Links
"…a fast-paced western adventure that ropes in subjects of prejudice, race, and death…a captivating and engrossing read." (Quill and Quire)Set in the harsh desert world of the Arizona Territory and northern Mexico during the 1870s, Written in Blood, the first installment of the Desert Legends Trilogy, follows young Jim Doolen as he attempts to find some trace of the father who abandoned his family ten years earlier. As he travels through a scorched landscape very different from the lush West Coast forests of his home, Jim crosses paths with an assortment of intriguing characters, including an Apache warrior, a cave-dwelling mystic, an old Mexican revolutionary and a mysterious cowboy. And with each encounter he learns something more of the strange world he has entered and adds one more link in a chain that leads back to his father-and a dark, violent past. Jim comes to realize that his father's life was much more complex than he had imagined, and that, in discovering his past, he has opened the way to his future.That future is told in Ghost Moon, where Jim meets Billy the Kid who draws him into a violent range war and its bloody conclusion on the streets of Lincoln.The Trilogy concludes with Victorio's War. Jim becomes a scout for the Buffalo Soldiers of the 10th Cavalry and finds himself in the middle of a brutal war to force Victorio's Apaches onto a reservation far from their traditional lands. As he begins to understand the plight of the doomed Apaches, he finds his loyalties divided, and seems destined to share their fate. "Told in a terse, present-tense narrative, Jim's adventures will thrill all fans of traditional pulp-style oaters." (Booklist) "Has all the markers of a classic Western...Wilson's writing is vivid." (CM Magazine) "The story is very well written and…is full of tension and adventure…Recommended." (Tri State YA Book Review Committee)
An old man sits by the dying embers of a fire in London of 1669. The ghosts of the past surround him and a decades old guilt weighs him down. As a young man, Robert Bylot did it all: journeyed to the magical Spice Islands on a quest for the alchemist John Dee, communicated with angels through Crystallomancy, and searched for the fabled Northwest Passage with Henry Hudson. He has survived plague, mutiny and fire, and found happiness with an extraordinary woman, but nothing has assuage the ancient guilt that tortures him-unless the old, stained book on his lap contains the answer. The book might be his salvation, or his damnation. Through Bylot's memories and the words written in the book he holds, The Final Alchemy recreates a world at the tipping point between the mysticism of the Middle Ages and the rationality of the Renaissance. The possibilities for glory and profit appear limitless, but the risks are horrifying. At the centre of this world stand two men: Dr. John Dee, alchemist, magus, mathematician, advisor to kings and queens, and believer that England is destined to recreate an empire descended from ancient Troy; and Thomas Smythe, founder of the East India Company, and believer that future empires must be based solely on commerce. Both base their murky plans on fragments of an ancient map, a portolan, that seems to show the unknown parts of the globe in stunning and impossible detail. The conflicting machinations of these two men and the promise of the portolan ensnare Hudson and Bylot in a complex web of intrigue, ambition and betrayal that offers fame or destruction.
"…a highly readable and interesting book…Through personal stories and anecdotes, all giving vivid pictures of social history, the writer guides us through historical events that changed the world. Some of it is sad, but much of it is amusing, all full of colour…I would highly recommend it." Anna GraysonOnce upon a time, a shy kid from Skye almost drowned in nostalgia as he sat in the corner of a high-ceilinged room listening to fabulous tales of earthquakes, rebellion and crocodile hunting in a magical lost world. He grew up and survived his troubled teenage years in gang-ridden Paisley, field work in war-torn Rhodesia, near-death helicopter experiences in northern Canada and several encounters with bears. A mid-life crisis encouraged him to realize the importance of that childhood nostalgia and, using a life-long passion for history and his real-life adventures, he became a successful storyteller and author of more than fifty historical novels and non-fiction books for kids, teens and adults. He is still searching for that lost world, but this is the tale so far. "…a consummate storyteller…in John Wilson's hands the pitfalls of playing with truth are avoided and the dilemmas and paradoxes are fairly portrayed."-Ormsby Review
New edition with the original maps, illustrations and sidebars that were omitted in the eBook."…a fascinating read for anyone interested in the planet on which we live and how it came to be as it is." Geoscience CanadaThis book is more than the story of how a continent formed over 4 billion years. Told in readable, entertaining prose and filled with personal and geological anecdotes, Ghost Mountains and Vanished Oceans tells the story of our world, and in doing so, it tells our story. As the author says: "An understanding of the geology of the Earth is essential to truly understanding our place on it. To put it the other way round, we cannot understand life and our place in it without understanding the ball of rock on which, and out of which, it evolved. We are not just passengers on a dead piece of cosmic debris whirling through space; we are an integral part of an exceptional, dynamic system that produced both ourselves and our Earth. In a very real sense, geology made us.""…this book is a true, well-crafted page-turner…If you've ever wondered how the continents and the particular slab of rock you live on came about, you will love this book. Even if you don't, you'll still love it. Highly recommended." Amazon Reviewer
"…impressive…fast-paced…The high calibre of writing, together with the thoroughly researched historical detail, make The Alchemist's Dream a compelling read." Quill & QuireIn the fall of 1669, the Nonsuch returns to London with a load of fur from Hudson Bay. It brings something else, too-the lost journal from Henry Hudson's tragic search for a passage to Cathay in 1611. In the hands of a greedy sailor, the journal is merely an object to sell. But for Robert Bylot-a once-great maritime explorer-the book is a painful reminder of a past he'd rather forget. As Bylot relives his memories of a plague-ridden city, of the mysterious alchemist John Dee, and of mutiny in the frozen wastes of Hudson Bay, an age-old mystery is both revealed and solved. A finalist for the 2007 Governor General's Literary Award, the jury said, "In this engrossing historical adventure, John Wilson paints a vivid picture of a bygone era involving Henry Hudson's fateful search for the elusive Northwest Passage, an alchemist, mysterious passengers, and enigmatic maps. The Alchemist's Dream fascinates from start to finish. Set against the thrilling backdrop of the quest for the Northwest Passage, The Alchemist's Dream is a riveting tale of exploration, ambition, and betrayal."
"…an astonishingly nuanced and masterfully told story…"-Quill & QuireThe Heretic's Secret Trilogy is a rollicking historical adventure set during the bloody 13th century wars against the Cathar Heretics of Languedoc. When the armoured knights of Pope Innocent III swept south in 1209, most thought they would be gone by summer's end but, led by the fanatical Arnaud Aumery and the ambitious Simon de Montfort, they stayed for three fiery decades. In that time they slaughtered thousands of Cathars, burned countless towns and castles, destroyed a thriving country that rivaled France in power and culture, and created the foundations for the shape of western Europe we recognize. Simon de Montfort's land grab has angered King Pedro of Aragon and he is marching north with a vast army intent on destroying the crusade. The armies meet on a hillside outside Muret and the result will determine the history of Languedoc. The battle also draws in Adso, Peter and John. Adso must fulfill his oath to kill Oddo, Peter must discover the path that God has chosen for him and John discovers a valuable, but extremely dangerous, piece of information that could finally stop Aumery. In the end, the Crusade and Adso, Peter and John's involvement in it will change the future, but in ways that none of them imagined in their wildest dreams."…a brave book, an unsettling book, and one that is very much needed at this time."-The Globe and Mail
"…a richly re-imagined fable which goes far beyond anything the historical record alone might suggest." Russell A. Potter, Arctic Book ReviewPerhaps, on a barren Arctic shore in the summer of 1849, knowing he was dying, a British Naval officer wrapped his journal in sailcloth and buried it beneath a lonely pile of frost-shattered stones. He was the last of the 129 doomed men of Sir John Franklin's lost Arctic expedition. His name was James Fitzjames and for four years he had carefully recorded the expedition's achievements, hopes and, as things began to go horribly wrong, the descent into madness and eventual death of his closest friends. This is his journal."A suspenseful and enjoyable read." Booklist"Wilson has managed to make his invented journal seem authentic and his account of the ill-fated adventurers seem plausible…one reads on, fascinated, to the bitter end." The Globe and Mail
butterfly on a leafsips dew abovemy father's grave Over three decades as an author, John Wilson has often come up with ideas, thoughts and ephemera that either wouldn't fit into a novel or demanded to be expressed as a poem. Some saw the light of day in small literary magazines, some won awards and some simply waited patiently in a drawer. A few even thought that they would like to be accompanied by a sketch. They deal with history, both personal and general, and express everything from powerful emotions to nonsense. Here they are, collected in one place.
"…a brave book, an unsettling book, and one that is very much needed at this time."-The Globe and Mail The Heretic's Secret Trilogy is a rollicking historical adventure set during the bloody 13th century wars against the Cathar Heretics of Languedoc. When the armoured knights of Pope Innocent III swept south in 1209, most thought they would be gone by summer's end but, led by the fanatical Arnaud Aumery and the ambitious Simon de Montfort, they stayed for three fiery decades. In that time they slaughtered thousands of Cathars, burned countless towns and castles, destroyed a thriving country that rivaled France in power and culture, and created the foundations for the shape of western Europe we recognize. Quest follows the stories of Adso, the soldier who helped John escape from Beziers, John and Peter, as they struggle to come to terms with the increasingly bloody war that is engulfing their homeland. Adso determines to fight a guerilla war against the invaders, and in particular, the mercenary Oddo and his Falcons. John and Isabella flee to Al-Andalus to seek peace and the lost knowledge preserved in libraries of the Moors. Increasingly troubled by mysterious voices, and teetering on the edge of insanity, Peter embarks on a quest to find the relic that will announce Christ's coming and the End of Days. Nothing turns out as the characters expect, but each finds a piece of a puzzle that might hold the key to the future. "…an astonishingly nuanced and masterfully told story…"-Quill & Quire
"…astonishingly nuanced and masterfully told…"-Quill & QuireIn the style of Bernard Cornwell, The Heretic's Secret Trilogy is a rollicking historical adventure set during the bloody 13th century wars against the Cathar Heretics of Languedoc. When the armoured knights of Pope Innocent III swept south in 1209, most thought they would be gone by summer's end but, led by the fanatical Arnaud Aumery and the ambitious Simon de Montfort, they stayed for three fiery decades. In that time they slaughtered thousands of Cathars, burned countless towns and castles, destroyed a thriving country that rivaled France in power and culture, and created the foundations for the shape of western Europe we recognize today.John and Peter enjoy arguing about their differing views of the world. Peter sees the Church and an unquestioning acceptance of God's word as the way to salvation. John sees developing an understanding of the wonder of the world around him as a way of becoming closer to God. As the chaos of war erupts around them, the friendly differences of childhood demand that they take sides.Troubled by mysterious visions, Peter seeks refuge in the Church and becomes an assistant to the militant Aumery. Repelled by the horror he sees around him, John finds himself drawing closer to the persecuted Cathar heretics. As the brutal holy war expands and the flames of the Inquisition spread, Peter and John find themselves on opposite sides of a dangerous search for a secret that may have the power to change the world."…in Wilson's hands, the subject entertains as it horrifies. Wilson never lectures readers, but allows his characters to participate in history…he neither glorifies war nor softens the raw violence of the Inquisition…it is a brave book, an unsettling book, and one that is very much needed at this time." Mark D. Dunn, The Globe and Mail
"Dark Terror is part adventure and part history, with just a touch of romance. It's a fast-moving, gripping take on a little-explored side of the [First World] war effort." CBRIn June 1915, young Alex Shorecross is trapped by a cave-in at a copper mine in Newfoundland. Facing possible death for a mere 13 cents an hour, Alec swears that if he survives he will find a different direction in his life. Unfortunately, options are limited and he is swept up in the naive enthusiasm for the possibilities of adventure in the First World War. In an ironic twist, his mining background lands him in a tunnelling company, working deep below the fighting in France. As his comrades push tunnels out beneath the enemy trenches and pack underground rooms full of explosives, it is Alec's job to listen for enemy activity that might bury them all forever under the Flanders' battlefields."Wilson ably evokes the claustrophobic, dark terror of the underground wand the coming of age of young men amid the battles…A fascinating war tale that will have…readers digging in for a captivating read." Kirkus Review
"High adventure, terrifying danger, close friendship, family troubles faced and resolved, and a dash of the mystical or supernatural: this novel for teens has it all." Canada Book Review Annual.Fed by his grandfather's stories, Dave Young dreams of one day visiting the Canadian Arctic. It's a childish fascination, until the dreams become so vivid that Dave has difficulty telling them from reality. By day he is a small-town boy living in Humboldt, Saskatchewan, struggling with arguing parents and difficulties at school, but by night he is David Young, a cabin boy on HMS Erebus, one of Sir John Franklin's doomed exploration ships. When his dreams intensify, the line between Dave in Humboldt and David on the Erebus gradually disappears. As sailors fall sick, threaten mutiny and become lost in the wilderness, Dave/David and his only friend George must summon all their courage to survive the threats of starvation and exposure in a race against time and the elements. With both boys lost in a blizzard the truest test of their friendship is at hand. Will they be able to find each other in time-and will Dave be able to find his way back to his own time?"…the facts of the Franklin voyage are made visceral and real for a new generation of armchair historians/explorers."-Susan Perrin-Globe and Mail"As both lives reel toward the dream's conclusion, the desperation is palpable. The denouement, in both worlds, is an eternity of tension-filled terror that is over in a heartbeat. John Wilson's use of dream travel to explore and examine creatively the Franklin Expedition keeps the reader turning the pages right to the last." Prairie Fire"Time travel with a twist-a fascinating glimpse into the ill-fated Franklin Expedition." Julie Lawson"…meticulously researched, cleverly-crafted and imaginatively too, absorbing for history lovers of all ages." Marion Woodson-04-2Honour Book, 1998 Sheila A. Egoff Award for Children's Literature and Finalist for the Geoffrey Bilson Award for Historical Fiction for Young People.
"…the best life of Franklin yet produced…(a) wonderfully engaging book." Arctic Book ReviewSir John Franklin was many things in his life: an officer in the great naval battles of Copenhagen and Trafalgar; governor of Van Diemen's land; an explorer from Australia to the Arctic, but it is for his mysterious death and the deaths of his 128 crew that he is remembered today. The mystery of the disappearance of the Franklin Expedition to the Northwest Passage has captivated thousands in the 174 years since his men buried Franklin in an unknown grave in the frozen land that kept calling him back. For most of that time only a handful of graves, scattered bones, fragments of debris and Inuit stories have fuelled the speculation as to what killed them all. Now, the wrecks of both of Franklin's ships have been found, preserved in the frigid waters off King William Island, and may contain answers that have been sought for generations. This is the story of the man whose name will forever be associated with the greatest tragedy in Arctic exploration history.An "…excellent overview, the reader is left with an appreciation of the enormous task early exploration of the Arctic represented…a first rate story. Highly Recommended." CM Magazine
"This riveting, haunting tale will leave readers clamoring for more." Best BooksIt's A.D. 79 on the slopes of Vesuvius. With no warning the mountain has erupted into violent, terrifying life. Those who can, flee, but one old man, Lucius Quintus Claudianus, sits in an abandoned villa in Herculaneum, struggling to finish a story only he can tell. Seventy years before, Lucius was the sole survivor of three Roman legions, ambushed and slaughtered in the wilds of Germania.Lucius's tale is of dark forests, evil swamps and horrific pagan sacrifices, but it is also the story of his friendship with Freya, a Cherusci warrior. As soldiers caught up in treachery and war, they must choose between their culture and their friendship. And it's a choice they have to get right because the consequences of being wrong could mean death."…a complicated storyline which contains rich historical detail reminiscent of the great Rosemary Sutcliffe, as well as universals about war and cultural identity." The Star Phoenix"…this richly detailed and well-narrated Roman-era historical novel…is a hugely rewarding novel that has much more than its exciting and bloody battle scenes to appeal to…readers. Highly Recommended." Canadian Materials.The Caught in Conflict Collection is an imprint of fast-paced, historically accurate, morally-complex quick reads for Adults and Teens. In each of the titles the main character(s) (a Roman Legionary; a civilian in the Indian Mutiny; volunteers on both sides of the American Civil War; a Scottish soldier in WWI; a holidaymaker in Spain when the civil war breaks out there; and German and Russian soldiers in WWII), become enmeshed in conflicts immensely more complex than they anticipated and are faced with moral dilemmas that they never even imagined. The historical background to each of the dramas is extensively researched and the moral dilemmas are common to all human conflict.
"…fast-paced and gripping" CCBC MagazineIt is 1913 and Edward Simpson is enthralled by his German uncle, Horst, who designs and builds simple-and extremely dangerous-planes in his barn. Fascinated by flight and dreaming of a life in the air, Edward helps his uncle whenever he can. In return, Horst teaches his nephew the rudiments of flight and, one magical day, lets him take his latest barn-built creation up for a spin. Edward is hooked, he will be a pilot and escape the dull, boring world suffered by those whose feet are stuck to the ground. But it is 1914 and events in far-off Europe are dragging the world into a catastrophe that even a farm boy in Saskatchewan cannot avoid.Edward sails for England where he joins the Royal Flying Corps and is sent over to join the battles in the skies over France. He is soon fighting for his life in aircraft even more uncertain than the ones Horst built, against an enemy who is better trained and who fly better armed and more maneuverable planes than he does. As he struggles to survive and watches his friends shot down one by one, he finds his beliefs tested in ways he could never have imagined. Exhausted and bitter, he fights to simply stay alive as the horrors of the Battle of the Somme unfold beneath him."Wilson writes eloquently about one boy's love of flight and his dream of flying…[and] Edward's narrative is thoroughly engaging. A fine, old-fashioned-feeling… tale set in the World War I skies." Kirkus Reviews"Eddie's emotional and psychological development moves us…What makes Wings of War especially engaging, though, is Wilson's artful weaving of Eddie's story with the technical details of early flight: airplane construction and handling, and the specialized techniques required for successful aeronautic battle." Resource Links
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