Early Reviews for Oceans of Fate
“This is historical writing at its finest.”–Victor Suthren, author and former Director General Canadian War Museum.
“This book will be a great addition to the maritime story of Canada and the World Wars.”–Robert D. Turner, author and Curator Emeritus, Royal BC Museum
“Oceans of Fate is a richly and highly immersive account of those who served in and travelled aboard–through war and peace and war again–one of Canada’s great luxury steamships. Its brisk and compelling narrative takes readers on a riveting adventure story spanning some of the most tumultuous decades of the 20th century.”–author Brian Jeffrey Street
“Oceans of Fate is a thrilling and uplifting history of the first half of the 20th century revealed through the 30-year life of one of the great Canadian ocean-liners of the period. It is for all those who love the sea, witnessed war and cherished freedom.”–author Peter Johnson
“With impeccable research and the eye of a screenwriter, Dan Black breathes life back into the Empress of Asia during her 30-year voyage through a gilded and tumultuous era bookended by her service in two world wars. Oceans of Fate profiles a cast of characters who sailed her across the Pacific as crew and passengers, and it reveals the “upstairs, downstairs” hierarchy on board…. Most dramatic of all is Black’s telling of the ship’s harrowing end, when it is set on fire and sunk by Japanese dive bombers while transporting troops into besieged Singapore–his narrative of the attack and the plight of survivors is worthy of a movie. The author has once again brilliantly illuminated a lesser-known piece of Canadian history.”–Roger Smith, former foreign correspondent and political reporter, CTV News
“Dan Black’s Oceans of Fate is beautifully written. It transforms the steel and wood of a hull and deck into flesh and bone, weaving together the legacy of a ship that was not simply sailing the oceans carrying passengers and cargo but experiencing the tensions of wars and ultimate savagery of warfare. We are fortunate to have such a gifted writer in our midst.”–A. Blake Seward, M.S.M., Lest We Forget Project Founder
“Oceans of Fate is a masterly portrait of the ship, its crew, and passengers. Black’s skillful writing makes thousands of people who passed through the Empress during its thirty-year existence come alive, and the narrative is enhanced by maps and period photographs.”–Colonel John Boileau (ret’d), author of Samuel Cunard: Nova Scotia’s Master of the North Atlantic, and The Lucky and the Lost: The Lives of Titanic’s Children.