FROM WAR TO WINTERLUDE: 150 YEARS ON THE RIDEAU CANAL/DE LA DEFENSE A LA DETENTE: LES 150 ANS DU CANAL RIDEAU Mary E. Peck. Ottawa,Public Archives, c1982. Distributed by Canadian Government Publishing Centre # SA2-132/1982. 154pp, paper, $6.95. ISBN 0-660-51015-4 Grades 7 and up. Reviewed by Jack Brown. Volume 11 Number 3. 1983 May. This is another book about the Rideau Canal presenting the story of the waterway from its construction for defensive purposes, through a period of commercial and industrial traffic, to the heyday of luxurious excursion steamers and year-round recreational activities. The text is minimal because the book is mainly a collection of handwritten letters, drawings, charts, diagrams, maps, watercolours, and photographs selected by the Public Archives from its Manuscript, Picture and Federal Archives Division, the Archives Library, the National Map Collection, and the National Photography Collection. From War to Winterlude grew out of an exhibition mounted by the Public Archives to commemorate the canal's 150th anniversary last year. Mary Peck was the historian and writer in charge of the project, and her book includes more than a hundred of the items in the exhibition. The quality of the reproductions is excellent although none are in colour. Many appear here for the first time so this is a desirable source of Rideau history especially at such an attractive price. Notes, locations, and negative numbers give useful identifications for anyone wanting to order reprints. The book has an extensive bibliography. The text appears double-column in English and French. Jack Brown, Kingston C. V. I., Kingston, ON.