Gold, Oil and Ice, A fact-based historical novel by M. “Cal” Calvache, Jr.
In 1847, 16-year-old Thomas Chatfield runs away from home and the drudgery of cotton mill employment to Newburgh, N.Y. On the way he defends his savings from a would-be thief, boards a schooner to Albany and then works his way to Boston on a merchant ship. In Cotuit, a small town on Cape Cod, one retired Captain Seth Nickerson points him toward a career at sea. Chatfield, after a less than satisfactory effort in the California Gold Rush, embarks on a series of worldwide adventure-filled, 3-year long whaling voyages aboard the Massachusetts. After three voyages, his performance earns a promotion to Captain and a larger share of next voyage earnings, thus enabling his retirement at age 28, a wealthy man.
Bethuel Handy, the second main character, and Chatfield lead parallel lives until they meet, court and marry each other’s sisters. The book traces their early character challenges from seaport temptations involving women, gambling and drink to the vigilante justice of the California Gold Rush. Whaling promises a more lucrative career path where the double brothers-in-law narrowly escape death from storms at sea, Arctic ice floes and counterattacks from angered prey. Episodes of Victorian era courting, both in person and by Clipper Ship delivered mail, provide serious and humorous romantic situations.
Handy, after promotion to Captain of the whaleship Phoenix, loses his rudder and goes aground in an October 1858 Siberian coastal storm. He leads his crew through a frigid, snow-covered wilderness to a native fishing village where Russian soldiers discover them. Chatfield and the whale fleet rescue the marooned men after they spent a winter in a military settlement.
Inherited personal journals and a preserved 1860 San Francisco newspaper article provided the basis for this 100,000-word work that effectively blends fictional romantic details with true adventures to paint a portrait of Victorian family life, California mining camp culture and worldwide whale hunting challenges.
For descendents of three large families from Cape Cod and the Hudson River Valley, the Nickersons, Chatfields and Handys, GOLD, OIL and ICE provides a special treat and accurate 19th Century genealogy. Bethuel Gifford Handy was the author’s Great, Great Grandfather.
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Stan Gale's new book The Prayer of Jehoshaphat was just released - available at P&R Publishing.
Stan is scheduled for a book signing at the Chester County Book Company on Saturday, Sept. 29th at 11 a.m. |
Member Robert T. Brown has had an extensive (5000 words) critique of
The Forgotten War, America in Korea, by Clay Blair, published in the
Airborne Quarterly, an unofficial journal of military affairs devoted
primarily, but not exclusively to airborne operations. Bob has found
that the book by Blair, widely considered to be the definitive history
of the American Army in Korea, with 1136 pages and 2826 references, to
be loaded with errors of omission snd commission. The analysis is
presented from the perspective of someone who was there at the lowest
level, in a rifle company, in a position to have witnessed or
experienced from this level most of the events that Blair covers. The
editor of the Airborne Quarterly enthusiasticly supports Bob's
critique, as he was also there, as a company commander in the same
regiment in which Bob was a corporal.
Bob Brown has also just had published, in the Chester County Press, a
guest column titled "Who's on Red, What's on Blue," concerning the
very recent and mysterious switching of colors used as shorthand to
describe political orientation. Bob points out, with many examples,
that seemingly from time immemorial, red has been the color of the
left, not the right. So what's going on here?
Another one of our own, Stanley Gale, just published a book titled Warfare Witness: Contending With Spiritual Opposition in Everyday Evangelism. The book, Stanley says, deals with the "neglected and abused subject of spiritual warfare in evangelism from a biblical balanced and grounded position to alert, equip and involve God’s people." It's published by Christian Focus Publications, and available from www.cepbookstore.com or www.christianbook.com. Congratulations, Stan!
Bruce E. Mowday, Chester County business owner, author, and founding member of BVWG, had an article published in the latest issue of Professional Speaker, the magazine of the National Speakers Association, about the development of his media relations business, The Mowday Group, Inc.
"I was honored to be asked to contribute to the national magazine's It's a Business column," Mowday said. "The National Speakers Association is a prestigious organization."
The National Speakers Association is the leading organization for professional speakers. NSA's thousands of members include experts in a variety of industries and disciplines, who reach audiences as trainers, educators, humorists, motivators, consultants, authors and more. Since 1973, NSA has provided resources and education designed to advance the skills, integrity and value of its members and speaking profession.
Mowday, former managing editor of the Daily Local News of West Chester, Pennsylvania, founded his media relations company nine years ago and now has clients in the financial, legal, health care, political, non-profit and other industries. Mowday also has authored eight books, is chair of the Chester County Historical Society, and speaks to a number of groups each year on business and history topics. He averages 50 speaking and book signing engagements a year.
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