Happy Canada Day!

I'm back after a long and restful hiatus! For the umpteenth time I hope to start having regular posts on here. But failing that, I will post irregularly as usual. I unfortunately had to work this fine holiday but I did hear the fireworks and saw many people dressed in red.

We are 143 years young and words can't express how I feel about my country. When I'm away I always long to be home. And when I'm home I can't imagine living anywhere else.

For your viewing pleasure, here are three great videos pertaining to Canada. The last one never fails to make me cry.

"The Fall" - Opening Title Sequence

Set this to 720p HD quality and get ready to be amazed.

"Swift pictures of himself, apart, yet in himself, came to him - a blue desperate figure leading lurid charges with one knee forward and a broken blade high - a blue, determined figure standing before a crimson and steel assault, getting calmly killed on a high place before the eyes of all." - The Red Badge of Courage

Dear heaven I think I'm in love. What's worse is the man's been dead for over 100 years. That structure though, that description, makes me go a little weak in the knees.

Leave Me

I found this via Neatorama. It's both original and heartbreaking.

Leave Me from Daros Films on Vimeo.

William Tell Kazoo

Sometimes you just need a little William Tell Kazoo in your life to put a spring in your step. Please to enjoy!

Enemy in Sight - Alexander Kent

"Bolitho raised his head, his eyes moving swiftly above the crouched gunners, shutting the sounds of splintering timber from his ears, concentrating his full being on the ships ahead of him. No wonder the enemy had waited so patiently and confidently. Instead of receiving a controlled line of ships across their rear they were now faced with something approaching chaos."

Richard is now captain of his own ship but juggling several issues. His wife is expecting their first child but he won't be present for the birth, his commanding officer is an incompetent blowhard, his ship is undermanned, his crew untrained and mutinous and his traitorous brother's son has just enlisted as a midshipman under his command. On their own these problems would no doubt be an inconvenience but Bolitho also happens to be sitting on a blockade to keep the French in harbour, a thankless and frankly, very boring job.

As always, Kent manages to provide an interesting story. England is currently at war with Revolutionary France and Bolitho commands one of many ships running blockade duty on the French fleet to keep them in harbour. There are also some interesting characters including Bolitho's commanding officer, Commodore Mathias Pelham-Martin, an antagonistic fool.

There's also some beautifully evocative descriptions peppered throughout the book that lend themselves to creating images of 18th century naval life, from sea battles to military drills. For example:


The sky was hidden by a film of pale cloud which distorted the afternoon sunlight into an angry glare and painted the irregular wavecrests with a harsh bronze hue."
Overall this was an enjoyable read with Bolitho traveling all over and having to deal with his nephew. I would recommend it to any fans of historical naval fiction.

Follow Richard in his next naval adventure in To Glory we Steer.

Rating: 3.5/5

Darth Vader GPS

Heh, heh 'roundabound'.