Cuba: A Concise History for Travellers

Travel

Twigg, Alan

Caribbean

Penguin??Books

For the 840,000 registered soccer players in Canada and the millions of soccer fans, here at last is a book about Canadians who play the world’s most popular sport — and about how a team of grey-haired underdogs in their fifties and sixties (and one player aged seventy) set off to challenge former European professionals in Spain. In soccer, “full-time” refers to the end of play. In Alan Twigg’s memoir, “full-time” refers to playing to the end. He quotes Sir Stanley Matthews, the venerable English winger and philosopher, who said: “You don’t give up playing football because you get old. You get old because you give up playing football.” Every week, throughout the year in B.C., several hundred men over the age of fifty get together to play competitive soccer. Fisticuffs are not uncommon. Many of their wives can be excused for thinking they are like small boys. In Alan’s case, ever since he had a brain tumour removed a few years ago, he tells his wife Tara that he doesn’t head the ball, and she pretends to believe him. Chemotherapy treatments for cancer only temporarily halted two of his teammates prior to testing their mettle in Granada, beneath the walls of the Alhambra, with CANADA on their chests. This quixotic quest for glory will appeal to every sports fan as the team prepares for its own version of the World Cup (“the whole world may not be watching, but our wives will be”), playing against a much younger team called the Granada Veterans in a converted bullring. All for the love of the game — and the love of not growing old.

Full-Time: A Soccer Story

Douglas Gibson Books

For openers: Conversations with 24 Canadian writers

Harbour Pub.

Reactions to Alan Twigg's first book of interviews with Canadian authors, For Openers: "For Openers is much the best thing of its kind I've ever read, and much more difficult to achieve than the casual reader would guess. " -Hugh MacLennan "One can appreciate the zest, the engaging lack of stuffiness, with which Twigg confronts his authors." -Ken Adachi, Toronto Star "For Openers is probably the best popular introduction to Canadian Literature that one could own." -Charles Campbell, The Ubyssey

Strong Voices: Conversations with 50 Canadian Authors

Biographies & Memoirs

Arts & Literature

Harbour Publishing

Twigg's directory of 1001 BC writers

Crown Publications

Tiny, island-dotted Belize, perched on the Caribbean, south of Mexico and east of Guatemala, is a fascinating blend of Creole, Mestizo, Maya, Garifuna, English, East Indian, Mennonite, Lebanese and Chinese cultures. With its colonial background (English remains the official language) and a history of fending off its Latin neighbours, Belize has emerged as a relatively stable democracy that is as much Caribbean as it is Central American. In Understanding Belize, Alan Twigg tells the story of the country, from its bizarre early days as a haven for pirates, through its colonial period as British Honduras, to its new status as an ecotourism mecca and a hotspot for Mayan archaeology. This lively history includes original photos, a comprehensive timeline and a feature on nation founder George Price, the longest serving democratically elected leader in history. Understanding Belize is an eye-opening alternative to the glossy tourist brochures. Lobster-and-orchid-rich Belize looks great from a hammock on Ambergris Caye, the place that inspired Madonna's song "La Isla Bonita," but don't go buying that seaside lot until you learn more about this beautiful--but problematic--paradise from the author of Cuba: A Concise History for Travellers.

Understanding Belize: A Historical Guide

History

Americas

 For his third volume about BC literary history, Alan Twigg traces the writings of David Thompson, Alexander Mackenzie, Simon Fraser and thirty of their peers, mainly Scotsmen, who founded and managed more than fifty forts west of the Rockies prior to 1850. After the failure of Alexander Mackenzie and Simon Fraser to find a navigable route to the Pacific Ocean, it was the remarkable mapmaker, David Thompson, who was instrumental in creating the "highway" for commerce that connected both sides of the North American continent. Thompson’s exploration and mapping enabled George Simpson, the "Little Emperor" of the Hudson’s Bay Company, and James Douglas, the founding father of the province, finally to bring viability to the corporate fur trade on the so-called Western Slope.&quot: Since the deaths of W. Kaye Lamb, William Ireland, Margaret Ormsby, and Charles Lillard, Twigg has been the main voice for what I call the British Columbia narrative.&quot: &#151Barry Gough, Papers of The Bibliographical Society of Canada

Thompson's Highway; British Columbia's Fur Trade, 1800-1850

Ronsdale Press

Alan Twigg has here recovered the amazing story of how George and Ingeborg while travelling in northern India in 1961 encountered many of the Tibetan refugees who had fled over the mountain passes. Appalled by the condition of the children huddled together with inadequate bedding, surviving on a diet of thin soup and momos, steamed dumplings of mixed wheat and corn flour they expressed their desire to help. “You must absolutely come and see uncle,” said a young girl. This was Khando Yapshi, the Dalai Lamas niece. Among the first Westerners to meet with the Dalai Lama, the Woodcocks vowed to provide humanitarian assistance. This was was the genesis for the Tibetan Refugee Aid Society (TRAS), one of two remarkable non-profit charities spearheaded by the Woodcocks. Since 1962, TRAS has raised over $500,000 and has undertaken 300 projects. Both of the Woodcocks volunteer-based low-overhead organizations are still going strong today.

Tibetans in Exile

Community & Culture

Cigars, mojitos, beaches, baseball and Hemingway haunts are all very well. But for those who want to pack along 500 years of history with their sunscreen, here is a lively and unbiased primer on Cuba that reflects the island's remarkable history. Covering Cuba's history from the first tourist--Christopher Columbus--to the latest of the CIA's 40 assassination attempts against President Fidel Castro, Cuba: A Concise History for Travellers covers Cuba from the off-limits birthplace of El Presidente to the country's most sacred site, the Virgin of Copper church. Accompanied by more than 30 black and white photos, Cuba contains a one-of-a-kind Dictatorship Index, a CIA Hit (&amp; Miss) List and information on: * How and why Che Guevara died * Fidel Castro's family tree and love life * Bay of Pigs, Cuban Missile Crisis * The Mafia, gambling, prostitution For tourists and armchair travellers alike, Cuba provides a thoughtful and fascinating look into the Caribbean's largest and most controversial country.

Bluefield Books

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Books by Twigg, Alan