Book Review

Bush Runner by Mark Bourrie

Reviewed by Ian Lloyd

This is a biography of the adventures of Pierre-Esprit Radisson, written by Mark Bourrie and published May 2019 by Biblioasis with the support of the Canada Council for the Arts.

Many Canadians are familiar with Radisson’s name, there is a hotel chain, and a Coast Guard ship named after him, however his remarkable life story is not widely known. He was neither a surveyor, a colonist nor an explorer in the likes of Alexander Mackenzie, David Thompson or Simon Fraser. The author describes Radisson as “an eager hustler with no known scruples” and his fur trading ventures led to the formation of the Hudson’s Bay Company. Interestingly Radisson spoke half a dozen languages and was a writer and kept journals. His journals were not published by Radisson as they contained knowledge of the river systems, trade networks and extensive First Nations contacts and customs, his journals were his commercial advantage. Some of his writings were recently discovered in the library of Windsor Castle.

Radisson was born in 1636 in France, and as a child sent to relatives in

Trois Rivieres in New France. As a teenager, while out hunting, he was kidnapped and subsequently adopted by the Iroquois. He became fluent in Iroquois and his first hand insight into their culture is fascinating reading. Radisson escaped from the Mohawks to the Dutch settlement of Manhattan, then on to France and England. The book follows Radisson’s journeys through the French and British Royal Courts as he sought backing for his fur trading ventures into the Upper Great Lakes and Hudson’s Bay where he traded and lived with the Huron and the Sioux. Some highlights of his adventures include being captured and marooned by Spanish pirates and being shipwrecked off the coast of Venezuela. It provides a fascinating glimpse into 17th century European power, politics and religion, as well as life as a fur trader.

The author has done a tremendous job of researching the life of Pierre-Esprit Radisson and The Bush Runner is a book that will appeal to those with a sense of adventure and an interest in history. ✥

Pierre-Esprit Radisson, French-Canadian fur trader Mark Bourrie wins prestigious RBC Taylor Prize for Bush Runner

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