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Don't Never Tell Nobody Nothin' No How - by Rick James (Hardcover)
About this item
Highlights
- At the stroke of one minute past midnight, January 17, 1920, the National Prohibition Act was officially declared in effect in the United States.
- Author(s): Rick James
- 320 Pages
- History, Canada
Description
About the Book
Maritime historian Rick James separates fact from fiction in this authoritative look into BC's rum-running past.
Book Synopsis
At the stroke of one minute past midnight, January 17, 1920, the National Prohibition Act was officially declared in effect in the United States. From 1920 to 1933 the manufacture, sale, importation and transportation of alcohol and, of course, the imbibing of such products, was illegal. Prohibition was already a bust in Canada and it wasn't long before fleets of vessels, from weather-beaten old fish boats to large ocean-going steamers, began filling their holds with liquor to deliver their much-valued cargo to their thirsty neighbours to the south.
Contrary to popular perception, rum-running along the Pacific coast was usually carried out in a relatively civilized manner, with an oh-so-Canadian politeness on the British Columbian side. Most operated within the law. But there were indeed shootouts, hijackings and even a particularly gruesome murder associated with the business. Using first-hand accounts of old-time rum-runners, extensive research using primary and secondary documentation, and the often-sensational newspaper coverage of the day, Don't Never Tell Nobody Nothin' No How sets out to explain what really went down along the West Coast during the American "Noble Experiment."
Review Quotes
"It's high time that a meticulously researched book on rum running was written and Rick James has skilfully created the definitive work which both entertains and acts as a solid historical reference ... [It is] a delight to read."
-- "John MacFarlane, director, The Nauticapedia Project""Rick James is a master storyteller ... He has written a book many thought could never be written. In doing so, he brings a colourful 'wet' bit of maritime history to life."
-- "James P. Delgado, author and former executive director, Vancouver Maritime Museum""Writer, shipwreck researcher and historian Rick James opens a new chapter in maritime history with this insider's view of the men and ships that spurred BC into a lead role as booze supplier to thirsty prohibition-bound Americans. James follows the trail of rum and money from the boardrooms of Vancouver's shipping companies to the floating islands of liquor anchored off Oregon and California. Along the way, fortunes are made and governments topple. A stirring adventure, start to finish."
-- "David Rahn, publisher, Western Mariner: The Magazine of the Coast"