A Brief History of Canada (Brief History) |
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A Brief History of Canada (Brief History)
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by Roger E. Riendeau
Sales Rank: 104277
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List Price: $45.00
$45.00
At Amazon
on 8-2-2008.
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Features
Cover Type: Hard Cover with 464 pages
Published by: Facts on File; 2 Revised edition June 22, 2007
Written in: English
ISBN 10 Number: 0816063354
ISBN 13 Number: 978-0816063352
Book Dimensions:
9.2 x 6.1 x 1.4 inches
Weighs: 1.9 pounds
From Library Journal
All too often Americans dismiss Canadians as a nondescript people living above the 49th parallel with a boring history. On the contrary, as Riendeau (Univ. of Toronto) demonstrates in his credible analysis of the Canadian past, Canada has a history as vibrant as any in the world. The book covers a wide range of topics--geographical features, the Norse discovery, the fall of New France, nationhood, and finally, the modern era. Riendeau has written a good text enriched by photos, maps, and a bibliography for further reading. This is a worthy addition for public and academic libraries.
-Larry R. Little, Penticton P.L., British Columbia
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to the
Hardcover
edition.
Card Catalog Description
"Canada's history has been a long, fascinating, and very independent evolution, in marked contrast to the violence that typifies the United States's story. Most Americans know embarrassingly little about their northern neighbor's unique history, from its first sighting by the Norse to its full confederation in 1922 to today's social democracy. Now, in the wake of NAFTA and the Quebec crisis, an understanding of the forces that have driven Canada's development over the last 400 years is more important than ever. A Brief History of Canada fills the gap with an authoritative narrative history that combines solid reference value with helpful analysis."--BOOK JACKET. "With more than twenty photographs and eight maps. A Brief History of Canada is an enlightening introduction to the nation and its people."--BOOK JACKET.
--This text refers to the
Hardcover
edition.
Reader Reviews
This review is from: A Brief History of Canada (Paperback)
What do you think of when you hear the word Canada? Do you think about hockey? Canadian bacon (which is neither Canadian nor technically bacon, by the way)? Eskimos? Whatever pops into our heads when we think about our neighbor to the north, it most likely has nothing to do with the historical Canada. Roger Riendeau aims to correct that ignorance with this one-volume history of the Great White North. Within a few pages of this excellent history primer it becomes apparent that Canada is much more than beer and Michael J. Fox. The book is divided into five parts: the first section is the shortest, entitled, "Exploring the Northern American Frontier." This deals with topics such as geography (Canada is massive in size and encompasses extremes in climate and topography), the native population and a quick overview of their lifestyles and languages, and the earliest voyages to Canada from Viking explorers up to Jacques Cartier in the 16th century. The impetus for European exploration is one we were all taught in grade school-an attempt to open up a northern passage to Asia in order to save money and time moving products between Europe and China. The second section, "The French Empire in Northern America, 1608-1760," deals with the attempts by the French to exploit their toehold in Canada through fur trading. Along the way, Riendeau gives a highly detailed exposition on life in New France, with an emphasis on governmental functions and exploration into the Great Lakes regions. The French would ultimately fail to expand their control into Canada due to unsuccessful attempts to integrate trade and a lack of support from the French government. The next section, "The British North American Colonies, 1760-1867," deals with the era of British control over Canada. Probably the most important aspect of this era is that Canada eventually gained its independence peacefully, without having to resort to a violent confrontation with England as the United States did in the 1770's and 1780's. It was also during this time that Canada saw an enormous influx of British and Scottish settlers move into Canada. It was the descendents of these settlers who ran the Canadian state during the darkest hours of the 19th and 20th centuries. The fourth section, "The Foundations of Canadian Nationhood, 1867-1931," sees Canada striking out on its own, while still maintaining important links to England. It is during this period that Canada begins to seriously confront the difficulties in creating a unified Canadian nation. An important event in this process occurred during the reign of the first Canadian leader, John A. Macdonald. Macdonald recognized the difficulties in bringing together regions with seemingly irreconcilable differences. It was his National Policy (a policy that included a protective tariff, a transcontinental railroad system, and a settlement policy for western Canada) that helped forge links that are still in place today. The final section, "Affluence and Anxiety in the Modern Era," is a dense examination of Canadian political turmoil beginning with the Canadian Great Depression of the 1930's (as bad as anything seen in the United States) to the early 1990's. Time and time again, the Canadian state dealt with the threat of disintegration, mainly from the French-Canadians in the province of Quebec. It is this section, more than any other, which shows us the miracle of Canada-a Canada that manages to stay unified despite numerous internal and external threats. One surprising aspect of the book is Canada's relationship with the United States. Americans don't recognize how hostile our country has been with the Canadians. As late as 1911, an American congressman said that he expected to see the American flag flying over the Canadian nation all the way to the Arctic Circle. The only sources mentioned in the book are a "suggestions for further reading" list towards the back of the book. One assumes Riendeau used primary sources (excerpts of important documents are included in sidebars in the text), but without footnotes, it is hard to tell. A lack of more detailed maps is troubling as well, especially when Canada is the second largest geographical expression in the world, making it absolutely necessary to include reams of maps. The title of the book should read, "A Brief Political and Economic History of Canada," as social history receives little coverage here. Relations between Europeans and Indian tribes of Canada is not really covered either. In these aspects, the book is not a comprehensive history of Canada. Other books should be consulted to get a fuller picture of this fascinating country.
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