"If history were taught in the form of stories it would never be forgotten." Rudyard Kipling.
Books
"Readers with an interest in Canadian history, a taste for adventure and a love of books set in the great outdoors, will find Gallaher's series a delightful way to encounter the epic elements of our past." Prairie Fire Review of Books
Reviews
The Promise
As Sophia Cameron, also known as “the Beauty of Barkerville,” lay dying in 1862, she begged her husband to take her home to Eastern Canada, and John “Cariboo” Cameron made that promise. This is the story of a great love, the richest gold strike on Williams Creek and the epic struggle to take Sophia’s body from BC’s frozen goldfields to a tree-shaded cemetery near Cornwall, Ontario.
"(a)...dramatic tale of gold fever, love and derring-do. ...an elegiac and unforgettable depiction of Canadian history." BC History Magazine.
The Journey
Gold and a better life were the aims of the Overlanders who left their wives and families behind temporarily as they set out toward a brighter future. As well as facing natural dangers on their astonishing journey, the travellers were torn by religious arguments and personal rivalries, which threatened the cohesion of the group.
“A captivating account of memorable heroic characters… a polished historical reconstruction…” Kamloops Daily News
A Man Called Moses
The “Black Barber of Barkerville,” Wellington Delaney Moses was one of the first blacks to arrive in British Columbia, hoping for a new life of freedom from the horrors of racism.
“…moving as well as compelling… filled with accurate first-hand historical accounts of some of the most persistent and pressing issues that faced educated and upwardly mobile black people at the end of the nineteenth century. Leaves the reader with a profound sense of the humility of the man.” Canadian Literature.
"...is of a quality to place its author among the first rank of B.C. Writers." BC Historical Review
Deadly Innocent
Three brothers leave London, Canada West for the Cariboo gold fields in 1862, and little realize that their quest will turn into one of the most gripping and heroic stories in the annals of western Canada. They cross the prairies and continue into the mountains after which nothing goes according to plan.
“When I first acquired a copy of Deadly Innocent late one evening I decided to read just a couple of pages before sleeping. At 2:00 AM I was still sitting bolt upright, biting my fingernails as the book drew me toward its shocking, twist ending.” B.C. History Magazine
The Frog Lake Massacre
The first in a trilogy of stories that follow one man's life from the Riel Rebellion of 1885 to the Boxcar Rebellion of the Great Depression. In the spring of 1884, an adventurous young man packs his bags in Victoria, BC, and heads for the prairies, looking for a new life and hoping to get involved in the trouble brewing with the Indians there.
"A very well researched... good historical novel. ...a strong fictional character." St. Albert Gazette
**Longlisted for both the BC and national ReLit Awards
***Also available as an Amazon Audible Book
The Luck of the Horseman
A tale of friendship, and war, and of love lost and love found, The Luck of the Horseman is the second part of the Jack Strong trilogy which finds Jack involved in a cattle drive over the Chilkat Pass to Dawson City and a harrowing experience in South Africa's Anglo-Boer War.
"Packed with frontier adventure, moving at a brisk pace...a slightly old fashioned, rip-snorting yarn...." Prairie Fire Review
The Horseman's Last Call
The Horseman’s Last Call presents the closing chapters in the life of Wild Jack Strong. The story opens with Jack content on the ranch he had always dreamed of, with a loving wife and an adopted son. His good friend Jim Spencer and Jim’s family live just down the road, so life couldn’t be better. However, things take an unwanted turn when war breaks out in Europe and Jack once more feels the need to heed his country’s call. But the war changes his life in unexpected ways as he discovers that not only does loyalty sometimes go unrewarded, it can also be one-sided.
High Rider
A fact-based fictionalized account of John Ware who was born a slave on a South Carolina plantation and through sheer force of his will and skill at the cowboy trade became one of southern Alberta's most successful independent ranchers.
"This story is historical writing at its best, with details of everyday life in the West, the heartfelt troubles John faced throughout his travels, and interactions that provide depth and life to every character." Historical Novel Society
A Canada's History bestseller, High Rider has won a Bronze Medal for Best Canadian Fiction Canada West!
Searchers
Searchers is a collection of true stories spanning two centuries, of people in search of escape, fame, wealth, glory, self-fulfillment, retribution, redemption, or just plain adventure. There are tales of white slaves, a would-be explorer and the woman who fulfilled his dreams, an old-time bandit, gold seekers, a swindle, a war that wasn't a war, the Mountie who was instrumental in the peaceful settling of the Canadian West, outlaws who terrorized British Columbia's Nicola Valley, a 22-year-old who flew a bomber deep into the heart of Germany during WWII to blow up a dam, the search for a missing aircraft in the Arctic, and more.
Heart of the Cariboo-Chilcotin
This is the second volume of stories from British Columbia's Cariboo-Chilcotin region provided by such authors as Bill Gallaher, Paul St. Pierre, Robin Skelton, Richmond Hobson, Mark Wade and many others.
To Order My Books
There are several ways to order my books:
Your local bookstore—it will greatly appreciate your support!
Amazon
Chapters/Indigo.ca
Touchwood Editions
CDs and Songbook
The Last Battle
The Last Battle; Augustus & Catherine; Shadow Boats; 1914 (The Grand Illusion); Male Bonding Song; Newfoundland Sealers; The Hold Up; Mary and the Seal; Travellers’ Song; The West In Her Eyes; Canadian BBQ; Three Dollar Dreams; The Chilkoot Pass; The Ballad of Ginger Goodwin.
“Excellent… Songs worthy of Tom Paxton and Ewan MacColl.” Sing Out! Bethlehem, PA
“Without a doubt, the best CD I have ever heard.” folknik San Francisco, CA
“Strong, uplifting melodies and compelling stories.” Dirty Linen, Baltimore, MD
"This wonderful CD is an essential purchase for any fan of Canadian folk Music." Northern Journey, Toronto, ON
Across the Divide
The Wild McLeans; The Good Guys Wore White Hats; We Danced; Fishing With John; A Song For Angela; The Promise (Narration); The Promise (Song); The Rock; I Will Be The One; Lunenburg Town; Gift of the Sea; Sufferin’; The Newfoundland Sealers; The Company Man; First And Last Of Your Kind
"A gorgeous collection of songs that is guaranteed to have you singing along from the first chorus." Times-Colonist Victoria, BC
“Bill Gallaher deserves to stand alongside the best of the current crop of singer/songwriters.…(He) compares favourably to Eric Bogle, Dougie MacLean and the late Stan Rogers.” Kitchener-Waterloo Record