The North Star

Praise

“A thrill. . . . In Sher’s telling, we get memorable details . . . and rich characterization. . . . [The North Star] is an important corrective to the history Canadians have clung to for far too long.” —Montreal Review of Books

“Fascinating. . . . A riveting  . . . read that makes one think about how the Civil War affected the nation and its lingering role in the South’s development . . . . [The North Star] will remind readers why knowing and remembering our past is essential.” —Seattle Book Review

“A fascinating read. . . . [The North Star] shines a light on Canada’s little known and troublesome role in the American Civil War. . . .  Sher’s timely exploration of this unpalatable slice of Canadian history not only inches us closer to what really happened in those far-off days but teaches us the need to know, however unpalatable.” —Oakville News

“The North Star is a valuable and welcome addition to our understanding of the many roles played by Canada and Canadians in the Civil War before, during and after that tragic conflict. Meticulously researched and enlivened with intriguing characters and bold tales, Sher writes with the deft touch of a skilled storyteller.”  —John Boyko, author of Blood and Daring: How Canada Fought the American Civil War and Forged a Nation

“I love a mystery. I love a mystery that deals with history. But I especially love a mystery that deals with our history, and The North Star delivers on all counts. Julian Sher does what he always does: an amazing job of digging deep, in this case uncovering the Canadian origins of a 150-year-old story that still haunts this continent.” —Peter Mansbridge, broadcaster and author of Off the Record and Extraordinary Canadians

“The North Star is a significant addition to the corpus of Civil War literature. One of the major voids in the history of that tragic event is the role Canada played in providing a sanctuary to elements of the Confederate Secret Service, without whom John Wilkes Booth could never have assembled his team of conspirators or made his escape following his assassination of Abraham Lincoln. Sher’s impressive research and highly readable writing provide a detailed account that is long overdue.” —Edward Steers, Jr., author of Blood on the Moon and Getting Right with Lincoln

“In The North Star, Julian Sher brilliantly illuminates the many ways Canada was involved in the American Civil War, revealing aspects of history that have been overlooked or not understood until now.” —William P. Binzel, Vice President of the Civil War Round Table of the District of Columbia

“In The North Star, Julian Sher offers a robust and comprehensive view of Canada and the American Civil War, bringing to light a great many unknown stories. The prose is elegant, the analysis concise, the narration masterful, and there are also delightful surprises along the way.” —Afua Cooper, historian, author of The Hanging of Angélique and co-author of Black Matters
 
“In this engagingly written book, Julian Sher explores how Confederates in Canada were involved in plots of spycraft, theft, arson, germ warfare and even assassination. Through his expert research, Sher lifts the veil on a long-shrouded portion of Civil War history.” —Dave Taylor, historian and author of LincolnConspirators.com