The distinguished historian Mark Zuehlke discusses his first book, published in 1994 and now reissued, Scoundrels, Dreamers and Second Sons: British Remittance Men in the Canadian West (Harbour Publishing, 2016), with Joseph Planta.

Scoundrels, Dreamers and Second Sons: British Remittance Men in the Canadian West by Mark Zuehlke (Harbour Publishing, 2016). Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: Scoundrels, Dreamers and Second Sons

Text of introduction by Joseph Planta:

I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, at TheCommentary.ca.

When I knew Mark Zuehlke would be on the program again, I pulled the file I have on him in the cabinets where I keep all my interview notes, and I noticed scrawled on the folder was the date and time of our first interview. It was ten years ago this fall, November 2006, and Mr. Zuehlke has always been a welcome guest ever since. We will talk now about his first book, which has just been reissued. Published in 1994, it was the book that launched a prolific career that has established him as one of the country’s finest historians. Scoundrels, Dreamers and Second Sons: British Remittance Men in the Canadian West recounts the men who came here, their circumstances, their sometimes rollicking behaviour, and the impact they had on the places here in the west where they sought to build lives for themselves. And as the break of the World War calls them home to duty, we learn of their leave-taking. It’s a great book, and such a delight to read. I hadn’t read this book heretofore, so it was fresh for me. Mark tells their stories, recounts the myths and legends, and talks about this place and their impact on it so well, that you see why this journalist and writer went on to publish many more books on our history. www.zuehlke.ca is the website for more. This reissued book is from Harbour Publishing. Please welcome back to the Planta: On the Line program, in Victoria today, Mark Zuehlke; Mr. Zuehlke, good morning.

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