The Illustrated history of Canada

Now in its fifth edition, this is the definitive history of Canada. The book is composed of six long chapters, arranged roughly chronologically, written by academic experts in the respective fields. While an academic work, the narrative is quite clear and smooth. It is easily accessible. The illustrations are many, and support the text well. There are many well-chosen maps, historic photographs, artworks, portraits and graphics among the illustrations, and the editor has done a great job of integrating them naturally so they are truly relevant. From native culture through the twentieth century, this is the fascinating history of Canada, a history only loosely similar to the United States. Canada was settled earlier and grew more slowly than its huge southern neighbor. It was settled initially by the French, and absorbed into the British Empire by force. Its economy remained exceptionally dependent on Great Britain well into the twentieth century. and its relationship with Great Britain has, understandably, been close. The French who stayed on after 1763 became entrenched and ferociously protective of their own culture, which makes Canada a unique county with politics not unlike little bilingual Belgium. The real feature here is the story itself. It's a story of colonial settlement and westward expansion far more tempered and deliberate than what we see in the United States. It's a fascinating country, and one with a rich history that few outside its borders appreciate. An important note about the text: The emphasis is on economic and political development, and less on cultural development. You won't find anything in here about Rush (the rock band), for example. The only shortcoming I can find is that the western provinces get the short end of the stick. The text has a tendency to jump from Toronto to Vancouver, with little treatment of the immense space in between. Alberta, Manitoba and Saskatchewan aren't TOTALLY absent from the text, but the authors tend to cover them quickly, in summary, and often in comparison to Ontario. This is certain to irritate westerners, people from a region that contributes enormously to the cultural and geographic diversity of the country.

I live on the US side of the Canadian border & have spent months of my life on the Canadian side...which has always engendered a huge curiosity about Canadians. Who are these people? What makes their politics tick? Why are their media and intelligentsia so anti-American? What is this Anglo-French thing & will it ever be solved? And who are all those people the streets in Toronto are named after, anyway? So I started by reading this book. It might more properly be called: Several Histories of Canada--because its various sections have been written by different historians of note. I enjoyed the slightly different viewpoints and styles, and can honestly say I learned a great deal...although the overall style of the book is textbook-like (in other words: dry history). But it was all in there, even the people who've got the streets named for them.... It's a big book--a bit of a door-stop--so I'd recommend it only to somebody who already likes to read history, has a burning interest in Canada, or as a general reference to keep on the shelf (the illustrations are great)along with your basics: Winston Churchill, Norman Davies and the like. I'd also recommend it to other Americans because, door-stop length or not, it might be the best single book to help us understand our neighbors North of the Border.

This is an excellent history of a fascinating country. The editor, Craig Brown, uses different chapter authors to bring a variety of perspectives to Canadian history while still editing the chapters into a cohesive whole with a consistent voice and detailed internal references. The ability to turn these diverse perspectives into a sensible history is a significant achievement, and this book deserves its status as a classic. In part, the need for cohesion does limit the ability to pull in some perspectives -- there is not a detailed analysis by an economic historian, for example, or an analysis of some particular component of history by someone from a clear Marxist tradition. Similarly, there are criticisms that can be leveled against each chapter for its breadth, depth or perspective, as with any history. But, for the intelligent reader, these short falls can produce fodder for further thought, and help build a framework for that thought. Best of all, this history has enough analysis and detail to satisfy an academic reader while being accessible enough for the casual reader - making it, in many ways, an ideal survey. While ultimately I would like a bit more detail in the footnotes and a bit of additional higher level analysis, there is far more in this book than you'll find in most historical surveys.

I have family roots from the 17th Century in Quebec and from the 19th Century in Ontario. I wanted to know more about their lives so I bought this book. Pretty broad spectrum of needs on my part and this book worked quite well. A description of the daily lives of the "habitants" is nestled in with the overall history of Canada. It's great. Using the index, I can easily skip around and read the pages relevant to my genealogy. Although I found no reference to any of my 500 plus ancestor-relatives, I do feel like I have a sense of who they were, why they came, and what they were doing in Canada. Even what they were wearing, from the illustrations. Yes, lots of illustrations. I appreciate the effort gone to to provide such classic ones of people, places, maps, and events. I found myself reading beyond my family history partly because of the illustrations, but also because this book is easy to read, despite the small print. Such an ambitious book. Thank you Craig Brown.

& #65279;In a single volume, this book presents a history of the Canada from 1534 to the 1980s in a readable, conversational style. The seven historians do an excellent job of intermixing facts with tidbits about everyday life and with insights into the minds of the times. Black-and-white illustrations help the reader see history and add a historical flavour to the book. I highly recommend this title to Canadians and Americans who want a better understanding of the Canadian mindset and to parents who want to accurately answer their children's questions about the past.