****An important note about the novel I’ll be discussing here. Published in 1905, it takes place during the Boer War of 1899-1902 and was written by a veteran of that war who was by then a career British officer and who came of age during the height of the British Empire. As such, his perspectives … Continue reading Supplemental Reading: The Defence of Duffer’s Drift
8-Bill the Pirate…._sigh_
True to his style thus far, Douglas Bland begins this next chapter with a run-on sentence which manages to be both clumsy and offensive: Will Boucanier looked out the small window as the Air Creebec Dash 8 made its long, slow approach into Chisasibi, an unattractive Cree Village of some 3,000 souls on the La … Continue reading 8-Bill the Pirate…._sigh_
Comment Policy!
So a couple of new people have started following this blog (Hello! Welcome!) which means I'm no longer just writing for a handful of friends that I see on a regular basis, but other people who are (for now at least) complete strangers. So I figure now's a good time to get out a first … Continue reading Comment Policy!
7-al-Queda Style!
Okay enough talk about offices and ID cards. It’s time for the big meeting! "The room was arranged as usual for morning prayers. Name cards ranked in a never-changing order sat with parade-ground precision down each side of the long, dark, rectangular table. This odd habit always amused Ian-these people know each other, he thought. … Continue reading 7-al-Queda Style!
6-We’re having the adventure _where_?
In the novel’s first chapter, Alex Gabriel’s raid on Petawawa is broken up by several other scenes. One of these is the raid on CFB Halifax where Fred McTavish is tragically killed, but several other cuts take us to NDHQ where a CF staff officer gradually becomes aware of the growing crisis. In the interest … Continue reading 6-We’re having the adventure _where_?
Sir Galahad’s still there…
I spent this past Easter Monday wandering around downtown Ottawa, getting a few pictures for next Monday’s deconstruction post. Like I mentioned before, I’m a huge history geek. I love poking around historical buildings and monuments and Ottawa’s been blessed with quite a few good ones within a fairly small area (I’ll introduce a few … Continue reading Sir Galahad’s still there…
5-Respect Mah Authoratah!
According to Douglas Bland, Alex Gabriel is a leader. Not just a leader, a manly, heroic leader. A natural. Only he can lead the native uprising, and he knows this because The Elders told him so, while he listened in rapt silence without raising a single question or concern. Bland is quick to assure us … Continue reading 5-Respect Mah Authoratah!
Short Term Plans & More Details
So this is a bit of an update about how I'm planning to proceed with this blog, as well as some further details about where this whole project came from. Right now I'm trying to get myself into a schedule where I'm publishing a section of the Uprising Deconstruction every Monday morning. In addition to … Continue reading Short Term Plans & More Details
4-How bad can you be?
One of the first things that happens as the raid goes down is the arrival of an MP (Military Policeman) carrying out a routine patrol. Luckily, the oddly-named Steve Christmas is on the ball! “A hiss from Christmas’s radio broke the silence. “Headlights approaching,” whispered Villeneuve. “How many…what speed?” “Looks like a single, a … Continue reading 4-How bad can you be?
3-Meet Alexander Gabriel pt 2
So now we know that Capt Alex Gabriel is a full-blooded (?) Algonquin and rising star in the CF who got the mystical blessings from ‘The Elders’ telling him that he would one day lead an Indigenous rebellion. This didn’t lead him to immediately quit the army and start training this as yet unseen Native … Continue reading 3-Meet Alexander Gabriel pt 2
Putting Down Uprising 