In my library there are some books that sit, neglected for no good reason other than a boring title, a should read example, or just down the list. A good example is From Sea Unto Sea, The Road to Nationhood 1890-1910 written by WG Hardy. It was published by Doubleday in 1959 and republished in 1960 and 1970 clearly for schools. On the flyleaf is a stamped library record that says Arbutus Junior Secondary School. It was clearly brought home by one of the three offspring of our's in the 70's and has sat, wasting away. I say wasting away because it has never been cracked open, characteristic of our junior secondaries at that time as well of course of me, so the glue has dried out over the years and it is falling apart as I read it now.
It is one of the most exciting and readable books I have ever read as a history of that period of time and clearly has been written by a historian who relishes literacy, surprisingly racy opinion, and scholarly accuracy. If you love your country and want to taste its triumphs and its warts it will fill your appetite. Typically Canadian, it is evenhanded and has nothing Jingoistic about it.
The period it addresses is, of course, the amalgamation of the federation as we know it except Newfoundland. Other than that exception, it is the Canadian experience par excellence. I was so enthused after reading it that we ordered three new copies from Amazon for the fifty year old offspring, whichever of the three had never read it before. We need to look at the long view of our country to counteract the sometime dismal space we are constantly told we occupy today. If you appreciate Hardy's manuscript and know you belong, you can sing O Canada and really mean it.
It is one of the most exciting and readable books I have ever read as a history of that period of time and clearly has been written by a historian who relishes literacy, surprisingly racy opinion, and scholarly accuracy. If you love your country and want to taste its triumphs and its warts it will fill your appetite. Typically Canadian, it is evenhanded and has nothing Jingoistic about it.
The period it addresses is, of course, the amalgamation of the federation as we know it except Newfoundland. Other than that exception, it is the Canadian experience par excellence. I was so enthused after reading it that we ordered three new copies from Amazon for the fifty year old offspring, whichever of the three had never read it before. We need to look at the long view of our country to counteract the sometime dismal space we are constantly told we occupy today. If you appreciate Hardy's manuscript and know you belong, you can sing O Canada and really mean it.
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