I have family roots from the 17th Century in Quebec and from the 19th Century in Ontario. I wanted to know more about their lives so I bought this book. Pretty broad spectrum of needs on my part and this book worked quite well. A description of the daily lives of the "habitants" is nestled in with the overall history of Canada. It's great. Using the index, I can easily skip around and read the pages relevant to my genealogy. Although I found no reference to any of my 500 plus ancestor-relatives, I do feel like I have a sense of who they were, why they came, and what they were doing in Canada. Even what they were wearing, from the illustrations. Yes, lots of illustrations. I appreciate the effort gone to to provide such classic ones of people, places, maps, and events. I found myself reading beyond my family history partly because of the illustrations, but also because this book is easy to read, despite the small print. Such an ambitious book. Thank you Craig Brown.

In a single volume, this book presents a history of the Canada from 1534 to the 1980s in a readable, conversational style. The seven historians do an excellent job of intermixing facts with tidbits about everyday life and with insights into the minds of the times. Black-and-white illustrations help the reader see history and add a historical flavour to the book. I highly recommend this title to Canadians and Americans who want a better understanding of the Canadian mindset and to parents who want to accurately answer their children's questions about the past.