Recommended Books

In addition to the specialized volumes listed below, we recommend two excellent books as adjuncts to this guide, especially if you're on a road trip. The Big New B.C. Travel Guide, published by Beautiful British Columbia Magazine -- an arm of the provincial tourism office -- is out of print, but still available at www.britishcolumbia.com/bookstore. Its wealth of information -- an amazing kilometer-by-kilometer guide to the natural and human history of the province, along with all sorts of curious facts and insights -- doesn't go out of date. The Canadian Rockies Superguide, by Graeme Pole (Altitude Publishing), has a similarly encyclopedic approach to western Alberta and eastern British Columbia, with lots of history and nature writing, accompanied by attractive photos. It's also a good source of information on hikes and other outdoor adventures.

Canadian History -- A basic primer on the country's complex history is The Penguin History of Canada, by Kenneth McNaught. The Canadians, by Andrew H. Malcolm (St. Martin's Press), is an insightful and highly readable rumination on what it is to be Canadian, written by the former New York Times Canada bureau chief.

Peter C. Newman has produced an intriguing history of the Hudson's Bay Company, Caesars of the Wilderness, beginning with the early fur-trading days. The Great Adventure, by David Cruise and Alison Griffiths (St. Martin's Press), tells the story of the Mounties and their role in the subduing of the Canadian west.

Pierre Berton, who died in 2004, was the preeminent popular historian of Canada. He wrote over 50 books on Canada's rich past, all well researched and well written. His books range on most Canadian subjects, from the days of the Hudson's Bay Company and the fur trade to ruminations on what it means to be Canadian in the 21st century.

For a specific history of British Columbia, try British Columbia: An Illustrated History, by Geoffrey Molyneux (Polestar Books), or The West Beyond the West: A History of British Columbia, by Jean Borman (University of Toronto Press). Review Vancouver's past with Vancouver: A History in Photographs, by Aynsley Wyse and Dana Wyse (Altitude Publishing).

Alberta: A History in Photographs, by Faye Reinebert Holt (Altitude Publishing), is a good introduction to the history of that province, though the engaging Alberta History Along the Highway: A Traveler's Guide to the Fascinating Facts, Intriguing Incidents and Lively Legends in Alberta's Remarkable Past, by Ted Stone (Orca Books), is the book you'll want to take along in the car (the same author has a companion volume on British Columbia).

To learn about Canada's Native peoples, read Native Peoples and Cultures of Canada, by Alan D. McMillan (Douglas & McIntyre), which includes both history and current issues. The classic book on Canada's indigenous peoples, The Indians of Canada (University of Toronto Press), was written in 1932 by Diamond Jenness. The author's life is an amazing story in its own right, as he spent years living with various indigenous peoples across the country.

Natural History -- Two good general guides to the natural world in western Canada are the Audubon Society's Pacific Coast, by Evelyn McConnaghey, and Western Forests, by Stephen Whitney (both published by Knopf).

British Columbia: A Natural History, by Richard Cannings (Douglas & McIntyre), is an in-depth guide to the province's plants, animals, and geography. Plants and Animals of the Pacific Northwest: An Illustrated Guide to the Natural History of Western Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia, by Eugene N. Kozloff (University of Washington Press), is another good general resource.

For information on the natural history of Alberta's southern prairies, pick up From Grasslands to Rockland: An Explorers Guide to the Ecosystems of Southernmost Alberta, by Peter Douglas Elias (Rocky Mountain Books).

Bird-watchers might want to dig up a copy of Familiar Birds of the Northwest, by Harry B. Nehls (Audubon Society of Portland).

Read about the natural history of extinct wildlife in A Wonderful Life: The Burgess Shale and the Nature of History, by Stephen Jay Gould (Norton), which details the discovery and scientific ramifications of the fossil beds found in Yoho National Park.

Outdoor Pursuits -- Edward Weber's Diving and Snorkeling Guide to the Pacific Northwest (Lonely Planet) is a good place to start if you're planning a diving holiday in the Northwest.

Mountain Bike Adventures in Southwest British Columbia, by Greg Maurer and Tomas Vrba (Mountaineers), is just one of a cascade of books on off-road biking in western Canada.

A good hiking guide to western British Columbia is Don't Waste Your Time in the B.C. Coast Mountains: An Opinionated Hiking Guide to Help You Get the Most from This Magnificent Wilderness, by Kathy Copeland. A Guide to Climbing and Hiking in Southwestern British Columbia, by Bruce Fairley, also includes Vancouver Island.

The Canadian Rockies Access Guide (Lone Pine), by John Dodd and Gail Helgason, is an excellent resource for hikers and cross-country skiers in the national parks of Alberta. Hikers Guide to Alberta, by Will Harmon (Falcon), covers 75 hikes along the eastern face of the Rockies.

Fiction & Memoir -- Alice Munro's short fiction captures the soul of what it is to be Canadian in brief, though often wrenching, prose. Some of the stories in The Love of a Good Woman take place in Vancouver. Another good selection of short stories as well as poetry is Fresh Tracks: Writing the Western Landscape (Pamela Banting, editor), a collection of writings by western Canadian authors.

The frontier-era conflicts in southern Alberta form the backdrop for the award-winning The Englishman's Boy, by Guy Vanderhaeghe, an atmospheric western with a story that travels from Fort Macleod to Hollywood.

Richard P. Hobson, Jr., writes of his experiences as a modern-day cowboy on the grasslands of central British Columbia in an acclaimed series of memoirs titled Grass Beyond the Mountains: Discovering the Last Great Cattle Frontier on the North American Continent, The Rancher Takes a Wife, and Nothing Too Good for a Cowboy.

Vancouver and southwestern British Columbia are home to a number of noted international authors. Generation X chronicler Douglas Coupland lives here, as does Jane Rule, author of Desert of the Heart. Science-fiction writer William Gibson's dark vision of the cyber-future attracts a large young audience. W. P. Kinsella (Shoeless Joe) and mystery writer Laurali R. Wright also make their homes here. Wright's Karl Alberg mystery series usually takes place in and around Vancouver.