# Looking for a history of Canada that makes for a compelling read **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 5, 2013, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-history-of-canada-that-makes-for-a-compelling-read/675531 "2013-12-05T01:09:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![davidmich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e56c9b/32.png) [@davidmich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidmich)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2013, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-history-of-canada-that-makes-for-a-compelling-read/675531/1 "2013-12-05T01:09:22Z")
Hi I’m looking for a history of Canada that makes for a compelling read. I’m looking for something along the lines of William Manchester’s “The Glory and the Dream” incorporating political, economic, historical., social and literary Canada. I really don’t know of any books on Canada like that. I look forward to your feedback davidmich ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2013, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-history-of-canada-that-makes-for-a-compelling-read/675531/2 "2013-12-05T02:15:36Z")
You might check Pierre Berton. He was a popular Canadian historian. I don’t think he ever wrote a general history of Canada but he wrote books on several subjects in Canadian history. ---
**Author:** ![KarlGauss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/karlgauss/32/3713_2.png) [@KarlGauss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGauss)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2013, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-history-of-canada-that-makes-for-a-compelling-read/675531/3 "2013-12-05T02:22:35Z")
I came to mention Pierre Berton but was scooped. If you go through [the titles he wrote](http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=pierre+berton&rh=n%3A283155%2Ck%3Apierre+berton&tag=donations09-20) (regarding Canada and its history), I bet you’ll find something helpful and enjoyable. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2013, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-history-of-canada-that-makes-for-a-compelling-read/675531/4 "2013-12-05T02:43:08Z")
> [@davidmich](#): > > Looking for a history of Canada that makes for a compelling read Dear God, I know I’m not a good person, but I’m trying to be better, so why dost thou test me so? I’m already counting my additional days in Purgatory for my Air Canada crack in the Polio/AIDS thread and laying a straight line like that at my feet is not fair. Best regards, **dropzone** ---
**Author:** ![davidmich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e56c9b/32.png) [@davidmich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidmich)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2013, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-history-of-canada-that-makes-for-a-compelling-read/675531/5 "2013-12-05T04:45:40Z")
Thanks for the feedback. I was thinking more along these lines… > **[So, You Want to Be Canadian: All About the Most Fascinating People in the World...](https://www.amazon.com/So-You-Want-Canadian-Fascinating/dp/0811845354)** > > So, You Want to Be Canadian: All About the Most Fascinating People in the World and the Magical Place They Call Home \[Kerry Colburn, Rob Sorensen\] on Amazon.com. \*FREE\* shipping on qualifying offers. So, You Want to Be Canadian: All About the Most... > **[A Short History of Canada: Sixth Edition: Morton, Desmond: 9780771064807:...](https://www.amazon.com/Short-History-Canada-Sixth/dp/0771064802)** > > A Short History of Canada: Sixth Edition \[Morton, Desmond\] on Amazon.com. \*FREE\* shipping on qualifying offers. A Short History of Canada: Sixth Edition > **[Amazon.com: A Concise History of Canada (Cambridge Concise Histories):...](https://www.amazon.com/Concise-History-Canada-Cambridge-Histories/dp/0521744431)** > > Amazon.com: A Concise History of Canada (Cambridge Concise Histories): 9780521744430: Conrad, Margaret: Books davidmich ---
**Author:** ![Beelzebubba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Beelzebubba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beelzebubba)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2013, 8:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-history-of-canada-that-makes-for-a-compelling-read/675531/6 "2013-12-05T08:42:25Z")
Here’s a hilarious clip that I think of every time someone mentions Canada- [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/IloIoGj5Mj0/hqdefault.jpg "Kids In The Hall - Message from Queen of England To Canada") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IloIoGj5Mj0) ENJOY! ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2013, 11:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-history-of-canada-that-makes-for-a-compelling-read/675531/7 "2013-12-05T11:03:04Z")
> [@davidmich](#): > > Thanks for the feedback. > > I was thinking more along these lines… > > … > > [Amazon.com](http://www.amazon.com/Short-History-Canada-Sixth-Edition/dp/0771064802/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_y) > > … I’ve read Morton’s _A Short History of Canada_. It’s good, and will give you a good overview of our country’s history. It is a broad overview though–not as broad as _Canadian History for Dummies_, but broad nonetheless. However, as I recall, it has plenty of notes and sources, so if something strikes you as something you’d like to further explore, you can do so. ---
**Author:** ![davidmich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e56c9b/32.png) [@davidmich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidmich)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2013, 11:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-history-of-canada-that-makes-for-a-compelling-read/675531/8 "2013-12-05T11:37:37Z")
Thanks for the tip Spoons. I wasn’t sure about Canada For Dummies at first. But I’ll order that one too. davidmich ---
**Author:** ![md2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/73ab20/32.png) [@md2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md2000)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2013, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-history-of-canada-that-makes-for-a-compelling-read/675531/9 "2013-12-05T13:22:55Z")
I’m going to recommend Pierre Berton’s books. Most specifically, _The National Dream_ and _The Last Spike._ These concentrate on the building of the CPR, the Canadian-Pacific Railway. Canada was put together right after the US civil war, and the fear was that if they did not establish dominion over the vast unsettled areas, they would suffer a repeat of what happened to Texas, not to mention the risk of a rebellion like Louis Riel in Manitoba succeeding next time. The challenge of running through 2000 miles of rugged forest north of superior, across the prairies, and the massive Rockies. The amazing thing was that the government project succeeded where “free enterprise” failed miserably. If you want an interesting view of nature, get Farley Mowat’s _Sea of Slaughter_. He discusses the abundance of wildlife in the Gulf of St. Lawrence and Canada generally, and how the settlers basically destroyed the ecology of the country bit by bit - from the codfish six feet long in schools so thick you could almost walk on them, the carrier pigeons and curlews flocks that darkened the skies, the great herds of buffalo - all gone now. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2013, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-history-of-canada-that-makes-for-a-compelling-read/675531/10 "2013-12-05T14:21:03Z")
> [@davidmich](#): > > I’m looking for a history of Canada that makes for a compelling read. Harry Turtledove might have written something… 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Gulo\_gulo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bcef8e/32.png) [@Gulo\_gulo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gulo_gulo)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2013, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-history-of-canada-that-makes-for-a-compelling-read/675531/11 "2013-12-05T15:03:37Z")
Yes, yes, yes on Pierre Berton. The Will Ferguson book looks intriguing as well - I enjoyed his “Beauty Tips From Moose Jaw”. And I basically logged in to brag that I played trivia with Pierre Berton (and the Front Page Challenge team) in a Duncan pub when I was a teenager. They kicked ass. ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2013, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-history-of-canada-that-makes-for-a-compelling-read/675531/12 "2013-12-05T15:25:34Z")
I know zip about Canadian history, but enjoyed this: [Louis Riel: A Comic-Strip Biography](http://www.amazon.com/Louis-Riel-A-Comic-Strip-Biography/dp/1894937899/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1386256810&sr=8-5&keywords=chester+brown) ---
**Author:** ![davidmich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e56c9b/32.png) [@davidmich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidmich)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2013, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-history-of-canada-that-makes-for-a-compelling-read/675531/13 "2013-12-05T16:43:33Z")
Ok. Pierre Berton too. Thanks everybody. Very helpful davidmich. ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2013, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-history-of-canada-that-makes-for-a-compelling-read/675531/14 "2013-12-05T22:15:11Z")
An oxymoron. ---
**Author:** ![hibernicus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hibernicus/32/2802_2.png) [@hibernicus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hibernicus)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2013, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-history-of-canada-that-makes-for-a-compelling-read/675531/15 "2013-12-05T22:33:29Z")
I have read and recommend “[Canada - A People’s History](http://books.google.ie/books?id=PPdMoARR46wC&pg=PA1&redir_esc=y)”. It’s a set of two large-format hardback books to accompany a TV series, but it’s very readable and interesting, and beautifully illustrated. The first volume was more interesting to me - it covers the period from early inhabitants through French and British colonisation to about the time of Confederation. If that’s the period you’re more interested in, you may choose to buy only the first volume. ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2013, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-history-of-canada-that-makes-for-a-compelling-read/675531/16 "2013-12-06T02:57:47Z")
> [@Hari\_Seldon](#): > > An oxymoron. Yeah, I was kind of thinking that looking for a compelling history of Canada is sort of like looking for really spicy tapioca pudding… Just kidding, Canadians! My daughter is in the process of becoming one of you, and I have immensely enjoyed my visits to your lovely country! ---
**Author:** ![Sparky812](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eb9ed0/32.png) [@Sparky812](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sparky812)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2013, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-history-of-canada-that-makes-for-a-compelling-read/675531/17 "2013-12-06T03:31:46Z")
My friend Phil Jenkins is a musician, historian and writer, I found his books quite intriguing with an unique outlook. An Acre in Time - explores the history of the Lebreton Flats in Ottawa Riversong - explores the St. Lawrence River’s geography and history. Beneath my Feet - biography of George Dawson. ---
**Author:** ![Beelzebubba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Beelzebubba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beelzebubba)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2013, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-history-of-canada-that-makes-for-a-compelling-read/675531/18 "2013-12-06T04:18:41Z")
> [@BrotherCadfael](#): > > Just kidding, Canadians! My daughter is in the process of becoming one of you, and I have immensely enjoyed my visits to your lovely country! Canada has given us some wonderful gifts- Maple Syrup and Anne Murray alone are reason enough to love them!!! 😛 Seriously though, every time I visit Toronto, I always start thinking about what a great place it would be to live! Especially when I’ve spent any time in Chicago (or God forbid, Detroit), the Toronto area seems like Heaven on Earth! So much less crime and poverty and it’s so clean! The Canucks that I’ve encountered have also been such genuinely kind and friendly people…the difference compared to large Northern U.S. cities is pretty sad… And I’ll admit it, I am a 39-year old man and I really do love Anne Murray’s music! Blame my mom! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2013, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-history-of-canada-that-makes-for-a-compelling-read/675531/19 "2013-12-06T04:28:57Z")
When I visited Vancouver many years ago I recall seeing a Canadian history textbook in which the chapters alternated between Canadian and US history. The US bits were mainly about how the various attempts by their friendly neighbor to the south to take over their country (or large chunks of it) were thwarted.🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2013, 6:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-history-of-canada-that-makes-for-a-compelling-read/675531/20 "2013-12-06T06:50:15Z")
We’re still biding our time over the Alaska panhandle … [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-a-history-of-canada-that-makes-for-a-compelling-read/675531.md?page=2)