In 1901, captain John Voss started off on an amazing journey to claim the world record for smallest vessel to travel the globe. In 2019, by expertly combining well-researched Canadian history and historical facts, Qualicum Beach’s John M. MacFarlane and Courtenay’s Lynn J. Salmon have released an engaging book about Voss and his journey. Around the World in a Dugout Canoe manages to entice its readers in an engrossing and vivid depiction of Voss’ epic around-the-world-and-back-again voyage.
We need history books about strong, heroic people to help entice our young ones to learn about our country’s magnificent history, and, in turn, keep world history and its figures and events alive. This book is an engaging read and a strong depiction of one of the great figures in Canadian history. What makes this book stand out is the writers’ depiction of Voss and the merry crew of the Tilikum.
Using accounts pulled straight from the archives of the Maritime Museum of British Columbia, located right here in Victoria—the very place that Voss started off his heroic voyage—MacFarlane and Salmon show the marvellous journey of the Tilikum. They do this by depicting both the Tilikum’s journey and Voss and his crewmates’ long and very full life stories. The book is well researched and puts Voss at the forefront of the tale in a convincing way by letting the readers decide on how heroic he was.
I would recommend this book to historians, teachers, and adult readers who like to be challenged. Historians like their books to be real and grounded in pure historical fact, which is what this book is all about. Teachers will love this book because it calls to the need to keep history alive, which is the goal of teaching history to young minds. And it’s good for readers who like to be challenged because of its engaging nature and its strong devotion to depicting accurate historical events with ease, providing the reader with a very stimulating experience.
Around the World in a Dugout Canoe is a fully engaging book that uses Canadian history effectively to tell the story of one of Canada’s most beloved sailors and his marvellous ship.
I quite enjoyed the book and I look forward to reading what the authors are writing next.