# Recommend books on Canada. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 12, 2009, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-books-on-canada/517316 "2009-11-12T15:06:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2009, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-books-on-canada/517316/1 "2009-11-12T15:06:01Z")
I have just realised, reading the ongoing [Canadian thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=539535) that I don’t know a whole lot about the country. I can name the provinces and territories and I know bits and pieces of Canadian history but I’m largely ignorant of the country and its culture(s). I’ve only visited Canada once for a couple of days, the Niagara Falls region. The only book I’ve read on Canada is Maple Leaf Rag: Travels Across Canada by Stephen Brook which I found entertaining. However the book is over twenty years old. I would ideally like an updated but similar book to read, that is a mix of travelogue, state of the nation, history etc. The type of book Bill Bryson used to write. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![bellybean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9d8465/32.png) [@bellybean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bellybean)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2009, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-books-on-canada/517316/2 "2009-11-12T16:01:38Z")
I haven’t read it but I have heard good things about [Beauty Tips from Moose Jaw: Travels in Search of Canada](http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/Beauty-Tips-Moose-Jaw-Travels-Will-Ferguson/9780676976441-item.html?Ntt=Will+Ferguson). I did not enjoy \*How to be Canadian \*by the same author. I’ll be looking forward to seeing what suggestions you get! ---
**Author:** ![Mahna\_Mahna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e47c2d/32.png) [@Mahna\_Mahna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahna_Mahna)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2009, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-books-on-canada/517316/3 "2009-11-12T16:42:01Z")
Damn. Only one response and **bellybean** already snagged both of my suggestions. 🙂 I particularly like \*Beauty Tips \*because Ferguson specifically avoids the bigger, more popular destinations in favour of out-of-the-way spots that aren’t usually written about. ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2009, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-books-on-canada/517316/4 "2009-11-12T17:03:50Z")
I recommend [A Short History of Canada](http://www.amazon.com/Short-History-Canada-Sixth/dp/0771064802/ref=sr_1_12?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1258045356&sr=1-12), by Desmond Norton. Very readable. ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2009, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-books-on-canada/517316/5 "2009-11-12T17:05:25Z")
If you can get your hands on it, the documentary series “[Canada: A People’s History](http://history.cbc.ca/)” is very interesting. . ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2009, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-books-on-canada/517316/6 "2009-11-18T01:02:18Z")
Thanks for the recommendations folks, I shall be investing in one or two of them in the near future. 🙂