Albert Norman of Gran-tham's Landing always liked aircraft, even as a young boy. His ability to construct model planes in intricate detail won him the junior Canadian aviation championship in 1936 and '37. It was no surprise that he later went to work at Boeing Aircraft when the company had a plant in Vancouver during World War II.
He so impressed his boss with his engineering abilities that he was promoted to working on the PBY (Patrol, Bomber, Consolidated) or as it was better known, the flying boat.
The newly-minted author has at last had an opportunity to write about the planes he loves in his first novel, Operation Condor.
The soft cover fiction (Trafford Publishing) speculates on an enduring question: Did Adolph Hitler really burn in that bunker, or did he escape to South America and elude his enemies?
"I was never convinced that Hitler was killed," Norman said. "He was too cagey to be caught in the bunker."
In Operation Condor, Hitler and Eva Braun realize they need the skills of Lufthansa pilot Al Wirth and his flying ace wife Frieda to smuggle them out of the country on one of the long distance transport planes disguised as a Red Cross plane. Wirth had secretly established a refuelling depot in Africa to help him become rich after the war, but even this insurance plan cannot prevent the Wirths from being caught up in Hitler's dangerous scheme. They must outwit the Fuhrer in his dash for freedom or be killed as witnesses.
The book is an interesting blend of fact and fiction. A number of German women were, indeed, trained as skilled pilots during the war, just like Frieda Wirth, although little is known about them. The Nazis as well as the Allies required fuel depots in Africa to service their planes and allow trans-Atlantic flights. Hitler owned a long distance plane, the Focke Wulf Condor of the book's title. So much is fact. But could such an escape plan have worked? And what would happen years later when war criminal hunters tracked Hitler to South America? This book is well plotted; the improbable becomes believable.
Later, Norman joined the navy as an engineer and moved to Grantham's in 1980. This is his first published book. Operation Condor is available for $16.95 through Trafford at www.trafford.com or by contacting the author at his home at 604-886-8556.
***
Gibsons author and elementary school teacher Audrey Owen has produced an ABC book with a difference. Amazing British Columbia: A Natural History from A to Z is written at a Grade 3 reading level, but it is thoroughly entertaining for adults - and it is complemented by an informative website.
Each letter of the alphabet stands for one amazing fact about British Columbia. Did you know, for example, that scientists found a unique slug on Haida Gwaii? Or that the town of Whistler is named after the marmot's warning sound? The text is accompanied by striking full colour photos from various photographers such as Duane Sept, a local naturalist who has previously written about B.C. berries, mushrooms and tidal life. The book has been packaged in an attractive manner by local designer Wendy Crumpler.
Owen is on the vanguard of smart self-publishers. Surely this is the future of books. For those who will never give up a hard copy that they can read in the bathtub, this dandy volume fills the bill. And for those who prefer digital information, they can search the book's partner website, www.AmazingBritishColumbia.com for more about each alphabetical item. So you want to know more about yew trees? What creatures eat yew? How does it help fight cancer? Check out the website to find research material including links to articles. As Owen puts it, the book will always stay between two covers, but the website can grow.
Amazing British Columbia is available for $19.95 at Coast Princess Books, Talewind Books, GreatKids and Bluewaters Books.
