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CM . . . .
Volume VI Number 14 . . . . March 17, 2000
This book, which is aimed at senior years students, is the second in a new series of
Canadian biographies, "The Quest Library Collection." The underlying idea for the series
is an excellent one, as history can often be made more engaging for the general reader
when it can be presented around a personal story. Biography also allows insights in daily
lives and to common human experiences important elements in encouraging adolescents
to understand and appreciate the relevance and value of historical study. In this case, the
author attempts to convey something of the history of British Columbia's formative years during the last portion of the nineteenth century; and, at the same time, some
understanding of the life and impact of one of the principal figures of that frontier period.
Unfortunately, the limited length of the book (common to the series as a whole) somewhat
frustrates the ability to paint a comprehensive historical backdrop, notwithstanding the
considerable historical and narrative talents of the author. Without some prior general
knowledge of the time and setting, the necessarily abbreviated references to people and
events would not leave the reader with a full understanding of that backdrop; but, with
some basic prior foundation, the book can provide a very useful supplement. Its particular
value is to be found in the picture painted of the protagonist, one of a vanished breed of
self-made lords (or lairds) of the New World. Larger than life and almost independent in
their power, they shaped their regions in ways that would not be possible today. Dunsmuir
was himself significant in the development of British Columbia's mines and railway
system, and a force to be contended with as a Member of the Provincial Legislature, but
his modus operandi, and particularly his antipathy toward unions, left an indelible impact
on BC politics. The reader gains important insights into the lives and circumstances of the
workers of the period, the aboriginal population, and of the various immigrant groups
particularly the Chinese whose fate was very much shaped by Dunsmuir and his ilk. The
book provides at once a fascinating piece of social history, and the basis for an enhanced
appreciation of contemporary Canadian society.
Recommended.
Alexander D. Gregor is a professor of educational history in the Faculty of Education, University of Manitoba.
To comment on this title or this review, send mail to cm@umanitoba.ca.
Copyright © the Manitoba Library Association.
Reproduction for personal use is permitted only if this copyright notice
is maintained. Any other reproduction is prohibited without
permission.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS FOR THIS ISSUE - March 17, 2000.
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