A small island in Halifax's beautiful Northwest Arm was the site for a British military prison from 1794 to 1816. More than 10,000 French, Spanish and American seamen, privateers and soldiers passed through the prison during its 22-year existence. Of these, 270 died on Melville Island from 1803 to 1815 and were buried in unmarked graves on the adjoining Deadman's Island, now designated a national historic site. This book tells this little known story for the first time. Author Brian Cuthbertson focuses on the experiences of the American prisoners. Their treatment will be of particular interest to readers familiar with the recent experiences of prisoners in US military prisons.About the AuthorBrian Cuthbertson is a leading historian of Nova Scotia. He has worked as an archivist for the Public Archives of Nova Scotia, is the former publisher and editor of the Nova Scotia Historical Review and is the former Head of Heritage for Nova Scotia.

"From the grisly cover photo of a reproduction gibbet to ghostly folk tales, the topic never fails to thrill. Dan Conlin's Pirates of the Atlantic is a brief but lively account of a popular subject" -Telegraph Journal Pirates have scoured the Atlantic coast from the 15th century to the present day. Separating the myth from reality, author Dan Conlin explains how piracy came to Atlantic Canada from rival European empires who sought to conquer and settle North America. Through the "Golden Age" of piracy, bands of raiders included Peter Easton, the "King of Pirates," the notorious Bartholomew Roberts and the vicious Ned Low, who raided the rich fishing grounds and secure harbours of Newfoundland for their ample supplies, manpower and ships. After a period of time in the 17th century when piracy was rare and defences were weakened, pockets of piracy sprung up in China and the Caribbean, as well as from shipboard mutinies. Rich trade routes, poverty, political strife, corrupt governments and weak navies allowed for pirates to declare war on the world. Their violence blossomed again in the late 20th century and still continues even today.This book is the story of true pirate lives and their echoes in folklore and popular culture. It exposes their surprisingly democratic codes, lavish dress and extensive collections of weapons which are illustrated by full-colour photographs of rare museum and privately-owned artefacts.About the AuthorDan Conlin created a popular exhibit on pirates for the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic and he has incorporated much of the research for that exhibit in this book.

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"Elson has done an excellent job in bringing Hallowell's story to a wider audience, a story that might never have been told without his dedicated efforts. Meticulously researched and well written, Nelson's Yankee Captain is an informative, intelligent and entertaining biography." - The Chronicle Herald Sir Benjamin Hallowell, one of Admiral Horatio Nelson's famous "Band of Brothers," served a lifetime in the navy of Great Britain through the American and French Revolutions between 1775 and 1815. His drama-filled life was profoundly shaped by the currents of history, with strong connections with Canada and the United States through his Boston-bred, staunchly Loyalist family. Bryan Elson's thoroughly researched biography illuminates Hallowell's career and his personal life during these history-shaping events. Through Hallowell's eyes, readers will witness key events in British imperial history during this dramatic period when Britain was able to gain ascendancy over its arch-rival France to"rule the waves." About the AuthorBryan Elson is a former officer of the Royal Canadian Navy, and the current director of the Canadian Naval Memorial Trust in Halifax, Nova Scotia. He lives in Halifax. This is his first book.

This book offers a fresh, close-up look at the First World War as it was experienced by ordinary Canadian soldiers. Over 67,000 Canadians lost their lives in WWI and 173,000 were wounded. Their sacrifice was driven by a sense of duty to the ‘Mother Country’. This is the war as it was experienced by the tens of thousands of young Canadians. Reading their accounts offers a no-holds-barred picture of fighting, life in the trenches, the human cost in lives lost, and the physical and emotional aftermath for survivors. About the AuthorCynthia Faryon is an internationally published author and freelance writer residing in Victoria, B.C. Canadian born, she focuses her writing on Canadian content, covering topics such as travel, family issues, biography and history.

Ben Mandelkern was only 23 when the Nazis invaded his native Poland in September 1939. From then until the end of the war his one concern was survival.Like other Polish Jews, Ben and his young wife, Helena, came face to face with the evil of Nazism as their families and friends were murdered by the SS. Ben himself was captured, but in an incredible display of clear-headedness and courage he managed to escape from the train transporting him to Treblinka. Separated from Helena, he stayed one step ahead of their persecutors, participating in the Warsaw Ghetto uprising before finally being liberated by the Russians in 1945. Free at last, he struggled desperately to reunite with his beloved wife.Escape from the Nazis is Mandelkern's remarkable saga, a tale of terror and remarkable heroism, and a love story like no other.About the AuthorBenjamin Mandlekern was born in 1916. He came to Canada in 1950 and lived in Montreal until 1968, when he moved to Toronto. He wrote Escape from the Nazis to satisfy the curiosity of his children and grandchildren about his life story.

This is a story drawn from the early days of the Canadian Navy, an account of four young Canadian seamen who were the Navy's first casualties at the beginning of the First World War. Ironically, many consider them victims of incompetent seamanship by a British naval officer. The four were among the 21 young men who made up the first class of the Royal Navy College of Canada, set up in 1911 shortly after the Canadian Navy itself was established in 1910. All four sailors were from Canada's Maritime provinces. After their training at the College, they were posted to the British Navy for further experience at sea. William Palmer, first in his graduating class, and Arthur Silver, senior Cadet Captain, both from Halifax, were personally chosen by Rear-Admiral Christopher Cradock to go to war on the large and powerful British vessel Good Hope. Their comrades John Hatheway of Fredericton, and Malcolm Cann of Yarmouth, were also selected, to the disappointment of the remaining men. Within six weeks, these four much-envied comrades were dead as the British warship Good Hope went down with no survivors, sunk by the German navy. First to Die depicts the early history of Canada's navy and the reality of war at sea, experienced through the eyes of the four young midshipmen eager for adventure. The book is extensively illustrated with photographs drawn from key archival and private collections. About the AuthorBryan Nelson is a former officer of the Royal Canadian Navy, and the current director of the Canadian Naval Memorial Trust in Halifax, Nova Scotia. He lives in Halifax.