Doug Taylor
CANADIAN AUTHOR
Since retiring, I have written twelve books, all of them employing the history of my native city as either the subject or for the background of the story. In that way, I continue to promote the history of a city that I love.
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.
The Villages Within
An irreverent history of Toronto that no school student should be allowed to read. On a more serious vein, the book contains detailed studies of The Kings West District, the Kensington Market, Queen Street West, and the historic St. Andrew’s Market. This non-fiction book was nominated for the 2011 Toronto Heritage Awards.
Arse Over Teakettle
A heart-warming story of coming-of-age during the 1940s in Toronto. Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn found adventure on the banks of the mighty Mississippi. Tom Hudson and his friend Shorty discovered it in the secluded laneways and avenues of a deceptively quiet Toronto neighbourhood.
The Reluctant Virgin
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 convoluted plot leads to a surprise ending that most readers will not expect.
When the Trumpet Sounds
An emotionally powerful story of an immigrant family, their struggles to survive in their new life in Canada, and their attempts to understand why God did not prevent the sinking of the Empress of Ireland.
Toronto Theatres and the Golden Age of the Silver Screen
T
he story of the old movie houses of the city, from the early days of the nickelodeons to the grand movie palaces that followed them. With over 80 photographs, both archival and modern, depicting the facades and the interiors of these theatres, relive the days of these wonderful theatres, through anecdotes from those who attended them.
Toronto’s Local Movie Theatres of Yesteryear
Fully entitled “Toronto’s Local Movie Theatres of Yesteryear—Brought Back to Thrill You Again” with over 125 archival photographs and interesting anecdotes about these grand old theatres and their fascinating histories.
Lost Toronto
This richly illustrated book brings some of Toronto’s most remarkable buildings and much-loved venues back to life, covering more than 150 years of the city’s built heritage to reveal a Toronto that once was.
Toronto Then and Now
This book explores 75 of the city’s historic sites, using archival images to portray the way they were in past decades and modern photos to show how they appear now. A concise text tells the story of each site and its relevancy in the modern era.