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Doug Taylor
AUTHOR OF “THE VILLAGES WITHIN,” NOMINATED FOR THE TORONTO HERITAGE AWARDS
Even when I was a young boy, I was captivated by history. It contained romance, adventure, murder, and travel. As I became older, my interest never waned. Choosing teaching as a career, at both the elementary and secondary school levels, I shared my fascination with the students. The ancient Romans and Greeks likely never recovered from my treatment of their noble history.
When I became a member of the faculty of the Lakeshore Teachers’ College (York University) and the Ontario Teacher Education College, I had the opportunity to share my love of history with promising young teachers-to-be. Today, I hope that they have forgiven me for the sin of believing that history, especially Toronto’s, is a fascinating subject.
During my years in teacher education, I conducted walking tours of Toronto’s historic districts for university students, during the days when such tours were rare. I also lead tours of Chinatown, the Kensington Market, and the Necropolis Cemetery. At the latter site, we “dug up” many interesting facts about the city’s early years.
Now retired, I live in downtown Toronto, within walking distance of Toronto’s historic neighbourhoods. Since retiring, I have written seven books, all of which employ the history of my native city as either the subject or the background for the stories. Thus, I continue to promote the history of a city that I love.
Four of my books about Toronto are available on Amazon.com and at Chapters/Indigo sites: All books are available in electronic and paperback editions.
There Never Was a Better Time – A humorous story of young immigrant brothers and their mischievous grandfather in Toronto during the 1920s. The young men arrive in the city during one of the most dynamic decades in its history. They explores the sinful entertainment venues that confront them daily, much to the chagrin of the prim and proper mother.
To learn more about this book:
https://tayloronhistory.wordpress.com/there-never-was-a-better-time/
To order this book:
http://bookstore.iuniverse.com/Products/SKU-000056586/THERE-NEVER-WAS-A-BETTER-TIME.aspx
The Villages Within – An irreverent history of Toronto and studies of The King’s West District, the Kensington Market, Queen Street West, and the historic St. Andrew’s Market. This non-fiction book was short-listed for the 2011 Toronto Heritage Awards.
To learn more about this book:
https://tayloronhistory.wordpress.com/the-villages-within/
To order this book:
http://bookstore.iuniverse.com/Products/SKU-000175211/The-Villages-Within.aspx
Arse Over Teakettle – Toronto Trilogy- Book One – A mischievous tale of a family coping with the horrors of the Second World War, while their son, Tom Hudson, struggles to learn the secrets of “the big boys.” It is a hilarious tale of a boy coming-of-age in Toronto during the 1940s. To learn more about this book:
https://tayloronhistory.wordpress.com/arse-over-teakettle/
To order this book:
http://bookstore.iuniverse.com/Products/SKU-000132634/Arse-Over-Teakettle.aspx
The Reluctant Virgin – Toronto Trilogy- Book Two – A Chilling Toronto murder mystery, where a serial killer haunts the streets and dark laneways of 1950s Toronto. The police discover that the blood has been drained from the victims. The book is available at Chapters/Indigo at Richmond and John Streets, and also electronically from the Chapters/Indigo and Amazon.com web sites.
It may be ordered now directly from the publisher at the following link:
http://bookstore.iuniverse.com/Products/SKU-000188306/The-Reluctant-Virgin.aspx
Virgins No More – Toronto Trilogy – Book Three
The third volume in the trilogy will not be available until next year.
Doug Taylor can be contacted at: tayloronhistory@gmail.com
