The West Beyond the West: A History of British Columbia

Up until I read this book I did not understand BC politics or Native issues. The early workings of the political parties are uncovered along with their philosophies. Barman graphically describes British Columbia over the century capturing the spirit of what it means to be a British Columbian.

I would just add a few more points to the review that was already written on this book. Most books that attempt to portray a history of British Columbia will undoubtedly be contrasted against Margaret Ormsby's 1958 "B.C.: A History". Barman's book is no different. I agree that it does provide an excellent regional history of this province (thus making it a staple textbook for many university classes), yet it can also be viewed in the context of the changing historiography of British Columbia. Barman has chosen to focus on the many social aspects of B.C.'s history that may have been neglected in past works. The previously mentioned work by Ormsby would be a case in point - "B.C.: A History" spent a disproportionate ammount of time on BC's pre-confederation, colonial past. Where Ormsby's emphasis was put on individual accomplishment - usually by white men - to the detriment of other facets of society (such as Natives, Women, Immigrants, etc. . . ), Barman, and the new generation of historians since the 1950s, have sought to write a more inculsive history. And this is what "The West Beyond The West" is. Unfortunately, I believe it has gone to far.This is a similar point that has been made by Robin Fischer (another BC historian) on a variety of other occasions; that the emphasis on "social" history in this province has come at the expense of a greater understanding of "political" history. If you are thus going to be reading "The West Beyond The West" to try and find a deeper understanding of BC's political tradition you are going to be hard pressed to find it in this book.

This is one of the best regional histories that this reviewer has ever read. The book imparts a real flavor of the overall history of the Province of British Columbia. British Columbia, Canada's most western province, is part of the Pacific rim with Chile, Peru, California, Oregon, Washington, Alaska, Japan, China, South East Asia and Indonesia. As such, British Columbia tends to share with more history with those areas that it does with the more easterly parts of Canada and the United States. Until recently the western regions of the United States and Canada have suffered from a lack of adequate regional histories. Barman's book neatly fills this void in regards to British Columbia and brings the reader right up to the present with the resignation of Michael Harcourt as the premier of the New Democratic Party government in 1996. The charts in the Appendix of the book add a great deal to the historian's appreciation of this book.