Can anyone recommend one or two good books on Canadian history?

[Displaced Flames fan]

Today I watched a movie called Shattered City: The Halifax Explosion and I couldn't believe with the scope of this incident that I had never heard about it. I've always been interested in North American history, particularly during the time of westward expansion and exploration (I adore The Lewis and Clark Diaries for instance) and am familiar with some Canadian's of the time....like Simon Fraser and David Thompson. In any case, I would love to read a good book on Canadian history and one that hopefully covers everything from the earliest settlement (L'Anse aux Meadows) all the way to post WWII stuff.

If there is nothing that comprehensive I guess I would prefer something that covers the exploration of Western Canada and the expansion that followed.

A preemptive thanks to anyone who comes through!

[troutman]

I was fascinated by the Jesuit Diaries. These are the diaries of French missionaries and their first encounters with native Canadians. The movie Black Robe was based on these. I don't know if they are collected in one volume.

Something like this:

The Jesuit Relations And Allied Documents: Travels And Explorations Of The Jesuit Missionaries In New France, 1610-1791
http://www.amazon.ca/Jesuit-Relation...1099387&sr=8-4

[transplant99]

If there is nothing that comprehensive I guess I would prefer something that covers the exploration of Western Canada and the expansion that followed.

The Last Spike by Pierre Berton is a must read for anyone with an interest in Western Canadian expansion.

http://www.amazon.com/Last-Spike-Gre.../dp/0385658419

Actually...Berton wrote a lot of good Canadiana type stuff.

[Rathji]

To really understand anything in Canadian history, and I mean really understand it, you need to go back to the begining. Even starting at 1867 doesn't really scratch the surface.

I have my Text Book from my first year History class that covers all the topics you are probably going to be interested. I will see if I can find the title of it. I am sure you could pick a copy of it off amazon for 20 bucks

[troutman]

A History Of The Vikings (Jones), has a section on the movement west: Iceland, Greenland, America.

[octothorp]

I'll second the vote for the Last Spike. Also, Chester Brown's graphic novel on Louis Riel and the metis rebellion is excellent.

None of these are general overviews, and apart from getting a history textbook as Rathji suggests, I'm not sure what's out there as a great general overview.

Actually, you should go to your library and see if they can get in the CBC documentary, 'Canada: A People's History'. It's a really well-produced and comprehensive. I think there's 17 episodes in total.

[habernac]

Originally Posted by transplant99

The Last Spike by Pierre Berton is a must read for anyone with an interest in Western Canadian expansion.

http://www.amazon.com/Last-Spike-Gre.../dp/0385658419

Actually...Berton wrote a lot of good Canadiana type stuff.

Reading The National Dream right now, excellent stuff. Can't believe the blatant corruption in govt back then! Anything by Berton is gold, Dis.

[transplant99]

Can't beleive the blatant corruption in govt back then!

No kidding....just brutal actually. Yet Canada sits with the same 2 parties running things to this day.

And yet Candians see themselves as some harbinger for understanding and change!!

[Displaced Flames fan]

Originally Posted by octothorp

I'll second the vote for the Last Spike. Also, Chester Brown's graphic novel on Louis Riel and the metis rebellion is excellent.

None of these are general overviews, and apart from getting a history textbook as Rathji suggests, I'm not sure what's out there as a great general overview.

Actually, you should go to your library and see if they can get in the CBC documentary, 'Canada: A People's History'. It's a really well-produced and comprehensive. I think there's 17 episodes in total.

Thanks for that. I remember seeing this advertised during HNIC several times last year and thinking how much I wish we got CBC on cable so I could've watched it. I will look into that for sure.

[Displaced Flames fan]

Originally Posted by habernac

Reading The National Dream right now, excellent stuff. Can't beleive the blatant corruption in govt back then! Anything by Berton is gold, Dis.

Thanks guys.

One reason for the interest is that I'm obsessed with the history of Northwest Montana and have been reading everything I can get my hands on. Each book so far, the figures involved almost always have some connection to Canada whether it be business conducted or actually being from Canada.

It makes some sense given the geography, but so many times in reading these books anything outside of the US isn't touched on, which is fine.

Notoepick hooked me up with a great Montana book recently that I'm currently reading. I love local history. The specificty is so unique when dealing with such limited subject matter.

[flylock shox]

Barrow's Boys by Fergus Fleming is a very entertaining read, and learns you a lot about Canada's North.

[habernac]

Originally Posted by Displaced Flames fan

Thanks guys.

One reason for the interest is that I'm obsessed with the history of Northwest Montana and have been reading everything I can get my hands on. Each book so far, the figures involved almost always have some connection to Canada whether it be business conducted or actually being from Canada.

It makes some sense given the geography, but so many times in reading these books anything outside of the US isn't touched on, which is fine.

Notoepick hooked me up with a great Montana book recently that I'm currently reading. I love local history. The specificty is so unique when dealing with such limited subject matter.

the tales of the CP Rail survey through the mountains are unreal. I actually rode in a mountain bike race this summer that used part of the original Palliser trail (yes, the hotel in Calgary is named after him). And the nasty crap west of Lake Superior....ugh! Great, great reading.

[Ruttiger]

Carrying on the Pierre Berton theme, "Klondike - The Last Great Gold Rush" is not only one of the best history books I've read, but one of the best books I've ever read, period. I never realized what a huge story the gold rush was world-wide, and I have zero recollection of it ever being taught in our school system, which is a shame, considering how huge a role it played in the history of western Canada and the north. A fascinating read, and extremely detailed.

http://www.randomhouse.ca/catalog/di...=9780385658447

[NSFL]

If you're at all interested in our Prime Ministers, you might also want to try Right Honourable Men by Michael Bliss. It's a really good read. There were a lot of things that I never knew about how our politics worked until I read it. And my first year Canadian history textbooks were Origins: Canadian History to Confederation, by R. Douglas Francis, Richard Jones, and Donald B. Smith, and Destinies: Canadian History Since Confederation, by the same guys.

[icarus]

Dis, you would love the DVDs for Canada: A People's History. It is my favourite show to watch on reruns. There was also a complete companion book, so maybe you might want to get your hands on that.

Anything by Pierre Berton is gold.

I would also recommend The Veteran's Years by Barry Broadfoot, but mainly because my grandparents are on the cover.

[Resolute 14]

There are actually two volumes to the Canada: A People's History series. Good books. Also, Hockey: A People's History as well.

[Ford Prefect]

Originally Posted by Displaced Flames fan

If there is nothing that comprehensive I guess I would prefer something that covers the exploration of Western Canada and the expansion that followed.

Grant MacEwan has many great books on Western Canadian history. Here's a link to his bibliography.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grant_MacEwan#Bibliography

James G MacGregor is another who has many good Western Canadian history books. I particularly enjoyed his book on Anthony Henday's expedition titled Behold The Shining Mountains.

Both MacEwan and MacGregor have great books on Bob Edwards, the maverick Calgary Eye Opener publisher from the early 1900s.

[GGG]

Canada a people's History was amazing, It tells the Nation wide history by focusing on individuals. It follows an individual wether in be a prime minister or a solider and uses combinations of journals and diary entries as the naration. so instead of being a dry documentary it is really story and character driven while being very historically accurate. Some of the best work the CBC ever did.

[Bobblehead]

As echoed, Pierre Berton's stuff is really good. He actually use to get put down by critics because he would have a staff that would do a bunch of his research, but I don't see a problem with it - he wrote everything and if he had help gathering the material, so be it.

I've read a bunch of his stuff - The National Dream, The Last Spike, Vimy, The Arctic Grail, The Invasion of Canada:1812-1813, Flames Across the Border:1813-1814

I'd strongly recommend the last 2 - some amazing stories about some amazing heroes, and some not-so-amazing people, and it is a chapter of history all Canadians and Americans can learn from.

The Arctic Grail is very interesting, and is more of the history of the North Pole/Northwest Passage than very Canadian, while the ones about the building of the railway and Vimy are very "Canadian".

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/se...ierre%20Berton

[Arsenal14]

I'll add to the recommendations for Pierre Berton. By far the best history author I've ever read. For the time period you are looking at the best titles would be "The National Dream: The Great Railway 1871-1881", "The Last Spike: The Great Railway 1881-1885" and "The Promised Land: Setting the West 1896-1914". The first two cover the building of the CPR and the last one is about the settlement of the prairies. Personally I found the CPR ones to be more interesting.

I've also read his books "The Invasion of Canada", "Flames Across the Border", "Vimy", "Marching as to War" and "The Great Depression" all of which are good reads if you are interested in other parts of Canadian history.