The Illustrated History of Canada [Paperback]

Craig Brown (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 28, 2007 | ISBN-10: 1552639207 | ISBN-13: 978-1552639207 | Edition: 5th

The first comprehensive, single-volume account of Canada’s history, this bestselling guide is a must-have reference for anyone curious about the country’s fascinating past. Hundreds of engravings, lithographs, cartoons, maps, posters, and photographs complement the text, creating a sweeping chronicle of the country from its earliest times to the present day.

Product Details

• Paperback: 648 pages
• Publisher: Key Porter Books; 5th edition (July 28, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1552639207
• ISBN-13: 978-1552639207
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.9 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #997,692 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Exceptionally well done, March 5, 2009

By 

Jon L. Albee "Faulkner Wannabe" (Houston, TX) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Illustrated History of Canada (Paperback)

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.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Know Thy Neighbor, September 20, 2008

By 

Rabid Reader (Near Niagara Falls, NY) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: The Illustrated History of Canada (Paperback)

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.