The journal of two Englishmen … who crossed western Canada in 1863 is the basis for this fictionalized account ["West with the White Chiefs"] of a perilous trip through little-known, difficult land….

Comic relief is supplied by a roguish Irishman, a ridiculous, helpless freeloader who intrudes into the party and makes the journey with the explorers. He quotes Latin aphorisms, is generally unavailable for any work, always makes outrageous demands on the others. He is a wonderful creation, a delightful contrast to the hard-working, serious Indians and Englishmen, but he loses some of his appeal as the author overworks his helplessness and, in the end, makes a completely unsympathetic character of him. (p. 22)

Benjamin Capps, in The New York Times Book Review (© 1965 by The New York Times Company; reprinted by permission), April 4, 1965.