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 Métis 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.