Graeme Menzies – författare

Archibald Menzies (1754–1842) is recognized as an accomplished botanist but, as author Graeme Menzies has discovered, that is only a part of his story. In this compelling new biography, the author reveals that Archibald Menzies was a remarkable product of the Scottish Enlightenment: a boy raised in the shadows of ancient Neolithic standing stones who was sponsored by his clan chief to study in Edinburgh and through talent, curiosity, perseverance, and circumstance became one of the top medical doctors and social raconteurs of Victorian London.  Along the way readers learn of Archibald’s experience as a Royal Navy surgeon in the epic Caribbean Battle of The Saintes, his encounters with the Indigenous people of Pacific Northwest Coast and the islands of Hawaii, his near court-martial by Captain Vancouver, his life-threatening and little-known experiments in the nascent field of virology, and his post-navy life in London. The result of this work is not just a full accounting of the subject’s career but a work which also provides insights into his character and personality. His attitude toward issues such as slavery, human rights, religion, and the opportunities and dangers of European contact with Indigenous peoples are explored and show a man of intelligence, compassion, and wisdom.His personal relationships are also explored revealing new insights into the background of his wife Janet and their friendships with Linnean Society founder James Edward Smith and his wife Pleasance. His relationships with ‘the father of naval medical science’ Sir Gilbert Blaine, the renowned and influential Sir Joseph Banks, encounters with the ‘half-mad Lord’ Thomas Pitt, friendships with Hawaiian King Kamehameha and Nuu-cha-nulth Chief Maquinna, the influences of his early mentor, the King’s botanist in Scotland John Hope, and his professors are also revealed including many other characters whose work, ideas, and fates shaped much of the nineteenth century.

Authors Dave Doroghy and Graeme Menzies take you to find the cool, the quirky, and the unusual places hidden in Victoria amidst the unique architecture and glorious outdoor scenery.Visit the place where author Rudyard Kipling slept. Explore Canada’s largest ant farm. Answer the call of nature in a pub’s haunted loo. Or take a date to a secluded, waterfront fish-and-chips shop. See the world's tallest freestanding totem pole.If it’s history you’re after, consider that James Cook was the first non-indigenous person to set foot near here in 1778. Later, the Hudson’s Bay Company established the spot as a trading post, naming it Fort Victoria after the reigning British queen. Vestiges of the old British Empire can still be spotted in the majestic colonial buildings in the inner harbour, the red double decker buses on its busy streets and the occasional old fashioned British telephone booths. God Save the King!

Often referred to as Canada's 'Evergreen Playground' Vancouver is a unique and breathtakingly beautiful city nestled between the ocean, mountains and forests. Its pristine fresh surroundings and mild laid back climate has always attracted artists, writers, thinkers and tinkers, and dreamers of every variety; over time they have left their indelible creative mark on this relatively young city. The outcome is a treasure trove of hidden sculptures, secret tree forts, quirky coffee shops, undiscovered galleries, eclectic stores, totem poles and bike lanes that wind around floatplanes and houseboats. From the glistening new glass and chrome towers of Downtown, to the worn cobblestone streets of Gastown, and the red pagodas of Chinatown, each neighbourhood in the city contributes to a rich cultural mosaic. Diversity is not only celebrated in Vancouver, but it's as widespread as the city's frequent rain showers. Just as the seawall, which winds its way around Vancouver's iconic Stanley Park presents a new and fresh attraction around every corner, 111 Places Vancouver puts you on a path to discover new insights and perspectives on Canada's beloved west coast gem.