Bush Runner: The Adventures of Pierre-Esprit Radisson

(Paperback)

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Description

Will appeal to history buffs and fans of quality biography. Race and culture historical issues play a role in the book and make for a very interesting angle, as does the founding of the Hudson's Bay Company, one of the lasting influences on Canada and the Northern US.

If youre one of the many people who think that Canadian history is boring, this book may change your mind. Barb Minett, The Bookshelf (Guelph, ON)

Reviews

Praise for Bush Runner

A dark adventure story that sweeps the reader through a world filled with surprises. The book is compelling, authoritative, not a little disturbing and a significant contribution to the history of 17th-century North America. Ken McGoogan, The Globe and Mail

Mark Bourrie beautifully describes Radisson as the 'Forrest Gump of his time'...well-written...compelling. Washington Times

Highly entertaining reading...fascinating...an engaging achievement. The Winnipeg Free Press

"It is the theme of survival that dominates Radissons life and is the beating heart of Mark Bourries biography, Bush Runner: The Adventures of Pierre-Esprit Radisson A journalist and historian, Bourrie recognizes a good story when he sees one In his hands, the life of Radisson plays out like some kind of early Canadian tragi-comedy Masterful."Ontario History

Bourries writing is grounded in a strong sense of place, partly because of his own extensive knowledge of the land and partly because of Radissons descriptive storytelling abilities...offering a valuable and rare glimpse into 17th-century North America. Canadian Geographic

The writing is lively, the descriptions of 17th century Indigenous life are cinematic and, despite Radissons many personal flaws, it is easy to admire his chutzpah. ARTSFILE

Truly a rollicking good read. Belleville Intelligencer

Some readers may already have had an introduction to Pierre-Esprit Radisson and his partner, the much older Medard Chouart de Groseilliers (radishes and gooseberries). This book places both in context with their time and ambitions. Find your own copy and fill in your knowledge of one of Canadas greatest explorers. Owen Sound Sun Times

Praise for Mark Bourrie

Rather than employing clash-of-civilizations rhetoric, Bourrie shows himself a curious and eclectic writer unafraid to raise difficult questions about propaganda, war porn, and the still-evolving nature of a wired world. His historical overview of the waves of urban violence afflicting North America and Europe in the past 150 years undermines the idea that ours is an age without precedent. Quill and Quire review of The Killing Game

People are either going to love this book or hate it. Me, I loved it. Stephen Harper may not like it quite so much but he would do well to heed it. Sometimes the more people know about what youre doing and how youre spending their money can make them like you more. Or not. Thats the gamble you take in the free world. A lot has been happening in Ottawa for years now, but because the killing of the messenger has been so quiet, insidious and effective, few of us even know about it. Toronto Star review of Kill the Messengers

As the first journalist with unfettered access to Canadas press censor files, author Mark Bourrie tells what Canadians knew and did not know during the Second World War and reveals the unpleasant political realities of a war so often portrayed as a unanimous moral crusade against evil. National Post review of The Fog of War

Author Bio

Mark Bourrie is an Ottawa-based author, lawyer, and former journalist. He holds a masters in Journalism from Carleton University and a PhD in History from the University of Ottawa. In 2017, he was awarded a Juris Doctor degree and was called to the Bar in 2018. He has won numerous awards for his journalism, including a National Magazine Award, and received the RBC Charles Taylor Prize in 2020 for his book Bush Runner: The Adventures of Pierre Radisson.