Never A Dull Moment (by George Plawski)
Price includes shipping in Canada (oversized, 450 pages)
***BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND***
As we enter the peak of the fire season in North America, one would think that books about aerial attack on forest fires would be cluttering bookshop shelves.
Though literature on this subject is surprisingly sparse, George Plawski’s book contains numerous revealing and exciting first-hand accounts of the formative years of this business.
In colourful language always spiked with humour, the author describes the first dozen of his 35 years of firebombing in Canada and California, from the time he left the Navy in 1964 where he flew Trackers off the carrier HMCS Bonaventure (also richly described in his book) until his retirement in 1999.
Aviation buffs will also enjoy his descriptions of hilarious events occurring in the flying circus which is the annual budworm spray program in New Brunswick.
In addition to flying, which was how he earned his living, Plawski describes in detail how, after completing post graduate studies in directing at UBC, his abiding interest in theatre resulted in his founding of City Stage Theatre in Vancouver.
Plawski also traces the fascinating history of his family which originates in Poland, his father’s naval career which starts out as a pilot in the Czarist navy during the First World War and culminates with his becoming the chief of staff of the Polish navy in exile during the Second World War.
It continues with Plawski’s sneaky departure in 1946 and, with his mother’s harrowing escape from communist Poland in 1947, their settling as political refugees in Duncan, British Columbia, in 1948, and the hardships involved in inventing their life from scratch in a beautiful and free, yet thoroughly challenging land.
The book’s final embellishment is his loving description of meeting a beautiful and cultured young lady from Paris named Rita, their unconventional romance, their extensive world travels and eventual marriage, which he describes as being doomed to continue until the end of this grand adventure.
Written in short digestible sections, this is a highly entertaining and compelling read.