Scoundrels and Scallywags: Characters from Alberta's Past - Softcover

Brennan, Brian

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1548954713 ISBN 13: 9781548954710

Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2017

Synopsis

Adventurers, criminals, eccentrics, rogue politicians and other scandalous types all come to life in the pages of Scoundrels and Scallywags. Meet Bill Peyto (pictured on the cover), the legendary mountain man who once let a lynx loose in a saloon to see how quickly the drunks could escape. Or Calgary’s notorious prostitute Pearl Miller, who left such an impression with Canadian soldiers in the Second World War that they responded to the American sign “Remember Pearl Harbor” with “To hell with Pearl Harbour, remember Pearl Miller.” Or Elizabeth “Sweaty Betty” Abbott, an Edmonton slum landlord known for punching out abusive husbands and taking care of their battered wives. Or the reluctant Lord, Fred Perceval, who inherited the title Earl of Egmont but decided after living in his English castle for a few years that he really wanted to be a rancher after all. They come from all corners of the province and they’re a wild and unruly bunch, but Alberta couldn’t be prouder of them. Scoundrels and Scallywags is a salute to those who have lived within Alberta’s borders – but outside the boundaries of convention. “A collection of riveting tales about the adventurers, eccentrics and outlaws who dared to be different, and who definitely would not tolerate being ignored.” –Western Living magazine “Here is Alberta history in bite-sized, easily digested portions, a lively and entertaining romp through the years.” –Calgary Herald

About this title

Book Description

Short-listed for the Grant MacEwan Literary Award

About the Author

I am the author of sixteen best-selling books, most about the social history and colourful personalities of Canada's past.
Born, raised, and educated in Dublin, Ireland, I have called Canada home for the past fifty years. Since 1974, I have lived and worked in Calgary, where I spent twenty-five years as a staff columnist and features writer with the Calgary Herald. Before that, I toured Canada as a professional musician and worked as a radio announcer in Prince George, British Columbia.
I have won numerous awards for my journalism, including two Western Magazine Gold Awards, the national Hollobon Award for medical reporting, and the Professional Writers Association of Canada Features Writing Award for a profile of Calgary mayor Naheed Nenshi. 
I have also won awards for my books, including the first Dave Greber Freelance Writers Award for Romancing the Rockies, and the Petroleum History Society's Lifetime Achievement Award "for making numerous contributions to the body of literature concerning the Canadian petroleum industry, including many focused on its colourful personalities and significant events."
My interest in Canadian history was sparked in 1992 when I was assigned by the Calgary Herald to write a daily feature column about the lives of extraordinary individuals who had recently died. When I left the Herald in 1999, I revisited several of those columns to incorporate the stories into my books.
One of my most constantly sought-after books is Scoundrels and Scallywags, which sold more than ten thousand copies and topped the regional best-seller charts for more than eighteen months. A sale of five thousand copies, according to generally-accepted industry standards, qualifies as a best-seller in Canada. 
When not writing books and delivering speaking engagements, I play the piano, mostly for fun and sometimes for profit.

Edition details

• Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
• Publication date: 2017
• ISBN 10: 1548954713
• ISBN 13: 9781548954710
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 224