BC Books Online was created for anyone interested in BC-published books, and with librarians especially in mind. We'd like to make it easy for library staff to learn about books from BC publishers - both new releases and backlist titles - so you can inform your patrons and keep your collections up to date.
Our site features print books and ebooks - both new releases and backlist titles - all of which are available to order through regular trade channels. Browse our subject categories to find books of interest or create and export lists by category to cross-reference with your library's current collection.
A quick tip: When reviewing the "Browse by Category" listings, please note that these are based on standardized BISAC Subject Codes supplied by the books' publishers. You will find additional selections, grouped by theme or region, in our "BC Reading Lists."
This compelling biography of Doug Hepburn, the weightlifter who won gold for Canada in Stockholm in 1953 and at the British Empire Games in Vancouver in 1954, delivers fascinating, first-hand information about an unusual Vancouver athlete and the sporting world of the 1950s and 1960s. In this plain-spoken and moving biography of a strength legend, Tom Thurston captures the story of a Canadian who may have been the strongest man in history. The book traces Doug's rise to prominence, his temporary fall from grace as he battled alcoholism, and his re-emergence as an advocate for drug-free sport. The author also includes Doug's unique training schedule for increasing strength without the use of drugs.
“A poet, storyteller, inventor, singer, philosopher, and the world’s strongest man, Doug Hepburn was a unique and genuine Canadian hero. Strongman sensitively chronicles the life of a man who was unheralded in his own country but revered around the world.”—Paul Bjarnason, Canadian Weightlifting Champion, 1966, 1970
“Doug Hepburn, world champion, deep thinker, writer, singer and giver. He was an inspiration to lifters world-wide and is missed greatly by all.”—Stan Gibson, Canadian Record Holder, 1954 BEG