History
Fred Anderson Crucible of War: The Seven Years' War and the Fate of the British Empire in British North America, 1754-1766 (Faber & Faber). Lucid and extraordinarily well-researched account of this crucial period in the development of North America. At 800-odd pages, it's perhaps a little too detailed for many tastes, but it's a fascinating read. Included is the story of the fall of Fort William Henry, as celebrated in the film, The Last of the Mohicans . Owen Beattie and John Geiger The Fate of the Franklin Expedition 1845-48 (Bloomsbury/NAL-Dutton, o/p). An account both of the doomed expedition to find the Northwest Passage and the discovery of artefacts and bodies still frozen in the northern ice; worth buying for the extraordinary photos. Carl Benn The Iroquois in the War of 1812 (University of Toronto Press). In 1812 the United States, at war with Canada, invaded and briefly occupied York (Toronto). The role played by the Five Nations and Iroquois peoples in the war was pivotal in Canada's survival, and the ramifications of the War of 1812 affected the aboriginal people of Ontario for years to come. Pierre Berton Klondike: the Last Great Goldrush 1896-1899 (McClelland & Stewart, US). Exceptionally readable account from one of Canada's finest writers of the characters and epic episodes of the Yukon gold rush. Other Berton titles include The Arctic Grail (Viking, o/p/Penguin), describing the quest for the North Pole and the Northwest Passage from 1818 to 1919; The Last Spike (Penguin, US), an account of the history and building of the transcontinental railway; The Mysterious North: Encounters with the Canadian Frontier 1947-1954 (McClelland & Stewart, Canada); Flames across the Frontier (Penguin, US), episodes from the often uneasy relationship between Canada and the US; and Vimy (McClelland and Stewart), an account of the World War I battle fought mainly by Canadians which Berton sees as a turning point in the nation's history. Gerald Friesen The Canadian Prairies: a History (University of Toronto Press). Stunningly well-researched and detailed account of the development of Central Canada. A surprisingly entertaining book that's particularly good on the culture of the Metis and Plains Indians. Harold Innis The Fur Trade in Canada: An Introduction to Canadian Economic History (University of Toronto). The words "dramatic, sweeping and engaging" are not usually associated with books on economic history, but in this case they fit the bill. Innis's study is invaluable for the insight it gives to pre-European Canada, and its trading customs with Ontario's native peoples. Kenneth McNaught The Penguin History of Canada (Penguin). Recently revised and concise analysis of the country's economic, social and political history. Peter Neary and Patrick O'Flaherty Part of the Main: an Illustrated History of Newfoundland and Labrador (Breakwater, Canada). Lively text and excellent illustrations make this the best account of the province's history, though it's short of contemporary information. Peter C. Newman Caesars of the Wilderness (Penguin, o/p). Highly acclaimed and readable account of the rise and fall of the Hudson's Bay Company. George Woodcock A Social History of Canada (Penguin, o/p). Erudite and incisive book about the peoples of Canada and the country's development. Woodcock is the most perceptive of Canada's historians and his work has the added advantage of being very readable. Also by the author is The Canadians (Harvard University Press, US, o/p), a lavishly illustrated and brilliantly lucid attempt to summarize the Canadian experience.
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