Reddit mentions: The best province & local canadian history books

Sorry in advance, this sort of... turned into a wall of text before I noticed.

It might sound strange, but L'histoire du Québec pour les nuls was very well received. It was written by historian Eric Bedard who's well know of the public and whose work is respected. Sociologist Mathieu Bock-Côté says he enjoyed the book. Lionel Groulx's Notre grande aventure is more detailed and focused on the 1535-1760 period. It is an overview. I have learned about history through reading the works of Lionel Groulx (Nos luttes constitutionnelles), journalist Pierre Duchesne's excellent biography in three volumes of Jacques Parizeau who was minister of finances during the first referendum and prime minister during the second. There is also Laurent-Olivier David's Les patriotes de 1837-1838 which covers the attempted revolution of 1837. I recently read professor Guy Laforest's Trudeau and the end of a canadian dream which analyses Trudeau's Machiavellian actions in the aftermath of the first referendum and during the process that lead to the repatriation of the Canadian constitution in 1982 (which included a Charter of rights and an amendment procedure) against Quebec's will in spite of Trudeau's campaign promise to renew federalism in favor of Quebec in the event of a No vote.

Social media is a powerful tool. The mainstream media often favors established institutions. Having parallel networks that spread information can definitely help those who work for change. We've witnessed the same phenomenon but on a smaller scale a couple of years ago during what has come to be called Le printemps érable or Maple spring in somewhat clumsy reference to the Arab spring. It was a very large mainly student-based movement opposed to the government's decision to raise tuition fees and demanded not only that the fees stay the same, but also that the whole philosophy behind the higher education system be reviewed. During months, people took to the streets in protest. My university's faculty of law did not participate in the strike. I wasn't exactly opposed to the raise, but I did oppose the government's intransigent position. I followed social media as much as I could. Gatherings spontaneously happened as people tweeted they were starting a protest at this park or on the corner of those streets. It was beautiful to see the will of the people expressed in such a clear and simple way. A real breathe of fresh air in the morose and grey times of post-referendum national discouragement. It wasn't a nationalist movement. It was a left-wing one. But it was encouraging to see that there were still idealists out with convictions and democratic principles strong enough to keep their opposition to the established order mostly civil and peaceful.

If only I had had more time I would have loved to study literature. I try to read a good classic once in a while. What are you currently reading? I should really learn more about Scottish history. I have very vague notions of a William Wallace being a national hero but I don't think having seen Braveheart is really enough to claim knowing anything about it really! If you have recommendations in history or novels you really like, I'm always looking for new books however big the ''unread'' pile may already be!

It really depends on what type of climbing you enjoy: adventure, sport, mountaineering, etc.

Here are some of my favourites:

If you like alpinism and want to learn how pathetic and weak willed you are compared to Steve House, check out Beyond the Mountain. Great book. Dude has insane ethics that make me feel bad for clipping bolts.

If you're more into big wall climbing and how it fits in with life lessons, The Push by Tommy Caldwell is phenomenal. He really throws it all out there and gives you an insight as to just how hard he worked to free the Dawn Wall and all the lessons that came with it.

If you want a really well written account of one of climbing's most bizarre controversies, The Tower by Kelly Cordes was one of my favourites this year. It gives a back-and-forth history and insight into climbing Cerro Torre and really gives a glimpse into life in Patagonia and the history of climbing Torre.

If you're a big dreamer and history nut, The Bold and The Cold gives first hand stories of the first ascents of some of the biggest routes in Canada. From the Bugaboos to Robson, it's a fantastic read and really gets you longing to get out out there.

Eiger Dreams was a fantastic collection of unrelated short stories centering around climbing and mountaineer. Some big characters and bigger adventures that are well told by the same author (and climber!) that gave us Into the Wild.

And finally, I recommend The Calling by Barry Blanchard for no other reason than it's a really well written account of the life of a fading alpinist in the Canadian Rockies.

Hope this helps!



Bonus recommendation: not climbing related, but a really great read for anyone who loves the outdoors: The Names of the Stars is a fantastic book that follows the personal account of a retired Park Ranger who spents 5 months alone in the wilderness of Montana watching fish eggs. It's a boring premise but the author is so vivid with his descriptions and shows the connection between us and the wild. I read it in a day, it was that good.

Three Nights in August by Buzz Bissinger -- A through-the-eyes-of-Tony-La-Russa recounting of a pivotal three game series between the Cardinals and Cubs in August 2003.

The Last Boy by Jane Leavy -- Not only an exceptional (!) biography of Mickey Mantle, but also a wonderful look into what life was like at the time as both a fan and as a professional baseball player. Notable stories about the Yankees and its many players of that era, Willie Mays, Duke Snyder.

The Bullpen Gospels by Dirk Hayhurst -- A hilariously honest and at-times brutal telling of what life is like as a minor league, "non-prospect" pitcher.


Up, Up, and Away by Jonah Keri -- Because the Expos are amazing, and I love and miss them.

I'm not saying it's the definitive book or anything but I enjoyed Hébert's The Morning After: The 1995 Quebec Referendum and the Day that Almost Was If you want a backrooms retrospective on the referendum, it's pretty interesting to read the perspectives of a lot of the key players...

Also, if you are interested in browsing some essays about the politics of BC over the years, BC Studies journal has a lot of content for free online.

Don't forget DC/Baltimore. That one really bums me out. DC is already so quick to dismiss anything Baltimore as "disgusting" or "trashy", giving them a team that plays to their already over-inflated self-worth still rubs me the wrong way.

Also, Canada no longer supports two teams, but I'd love to see Montreal get a team again. I've linked it before, but if you want an awesome history of Major League baseball in Canada, go read Up, Up, and Away! by Jonah Keri. It's awesome.

There are a lot of great walking tour books about Calgary. I really suggest everyone pick one up and start exploring some neighbourhoods! They have great information, historical facts, and some pretty interesting stories about early Calgary. If you are not inclined to buy a book (or you don't have a friend to borrow a copy) you could always see if there is a walking tour running while your friend is in town. If not, take them around the communities of Kensington, Inglewood, Mission & 17th Ave. The river walk from Kensington to Princes Island is nice at any time of the year.

Fellow Vancouver enthusiast and local of 8 years here, I can't recommend this book highly enough: The Chuck Davis History of Metropolitan Vancouver. I think it's somewhat rare these days, so good luck finding a copy at a reasonable price! It's an absolute treasure of a book, one of my all-time favourites. It's essentially the author's life's work - funny, poignant, exhaustively comprehensive and full of obscure human interest stories. I can also recommend Vancouver Special by Charles Demers, a local comedian and longtime Vancouver resident. Derek Hayes' historical atlases are quite good as well.

I rather enjoyed The Truth About Chernobyl by Grigori Medvedev, because it went into greater detail on the Soviet engineering philosophy that contributed to the event. Fire in the Rain: The Democratic Consequences of Chernobyl by Peter Gould was also interesting for the analysis of how various countries in western Europe reacted.

On a different topic, Idaho Falls: The Untold Story of America's First Nuclear Accident by William McKeown is a fascinating look at the SL-1 criticality event, a more obscure incident in the history of nuclear power.

Makes sense. Just leaves a huge hole in baseball history, at least that of my formative years and that of much of the Nats fan base. The Nats are basically creating a culture anew since baseball hasn't been in the district in decades. So rather than rely on the memory of general baseball fans in the district, they're starting fresh by trawling the past, which is both false (other teams' history for the Twins and Rangers) and ancient, as most Nats fans aren't old enough to remember when there was baseball in DC.

As far as how the whole thing went down, yeah, that makes total sense. Hopefully when Jonah Keri's new book on the Expos comes out, he can do an event at Nats Park.

/u/MTLNewStadium summarized it really well, but, if you are interested in learning more, Jonah Keri explained the situation in further detail in his great book.

Thanks so much for hosting me, Reddit! As mentioned earlier, "Up, Up, & Away" comes out today and is available at bookstores near you, online (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0307361357/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0307361357&linkCode=as2&tag=jonahkericom-20), as an e-book (https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/up-up-and-away/id707326028?mt=11), and in various other places.

No BS, it's a superfun book, it has chunks of my soul in every page (someone suggested that makes the book a horcrux, which is pretty brilliant), and I think you'll really dig it.

If I missed your questions, hit me up on Twitter @jonahkeri. I'm usually pretty good about answering tweets, especially if you're willing to wait until after this crazy book launch week ends.

Oh and I'll be a guest on Late Night with Seth Meyers on April 22, which is completely insane. Thinking about wearing a beanie propellor just to emphasize the out-of-my-league nerditry of the situation.

Thanks again! A bientot.

This author is pretty good. Atomic Accidents, Atomic Awakening, and Atomic Adventures are all great reads and are also available in audiobook. I drive 10-14 hours a day so audiobooks are my thing.

Idaho Falls is pretty good too since it heavily details the first big atomic accident ever if you don't count Kyshtym. I enjoy reading about accidents and what caused them since each accident was a teachable moment in the industry.

Also look into biographies of Oppenheimer, the Curies, Fermi, and Niels Bohr.

If you want a really good book on this Jonah Keri's new one is great.

I read an article in the Honolulu Advertiser a long time ago, about a village on Vancouver island where there were people who still knew the language. Which is especially amazing considering how many people can speak it in Hawaii.

You would probably enjoy reading this book. I got it on an interlibrary loan, and my copy came from the Vancouver, Wa. public library, and it was autographed by the author!

I strongly recommend the following two companion books: The Atlantic Region to Confederation and The Atlantic Provinces in Confederation. They were among my favourite textbooks when I took my history degree. Each chapter is written by a notable Atlantic historian who specialises in that particular subject, and although they're academic, they're also suitable for lay readers with an interest in history.

"Up, Up, and Away" by Jonah Keri is a history of/love letter to the Montreal Expos.

""Dynastic, Bombastic, Fantastic: Reggie, Rollie, Catfish, and Charlie Finley’s Swingin’ A’s" by Jason Turnbow covers the Charlie Finley A's.

"Big Data Baseball" by Travis Sawchik is a Moneyball-style look at the early 2010's Pirates, data analysis in baseball, and the origins of today's shifting techniques and importance of pitch framing.

There is a book! 😊

https://www.amazon.ca/Canadian-Federal-Election-2015/dp/1459733347

I bought it for my kindle. A bit pricey otherwise. I'm only about 4 chapters in. The first chapter was a general breakdown. The subsequent 3 chapters are a breakdown per party. Each chapter is written by a different political scientist. They've been doing these since, I think, 1988.

Well worth the read, if you're into that type of thing.

The Bold and Cold is a good read: https://www.amazon.ca/Bold-Cold-History-Classic-Canadian/dp/1771601159

Yup, it is true. Go to Main and Terminal in Vancouver during the summer and every squeegee kid out there is speaking français toujours. It is the epicentre of squeegee activity in BC.

Edit: Charlie Demers has written about this if you're interested in finding out more.

I enjoyed Vancouver Special by Charles Demers

> In Vancouver Special, writer and performer Charles Demers examines the who, what, where, when, why, and how of Vancouver, shedding light on the various strategies and influences that have made the city what it is today (as well as what it should be). From a history of anti-Asian racism to a deconstruction of the city's urban sprawl; from an examination of local food trends to a survey of the city's politically radical past, Vancouver Special is a love letter to the city, taking a no-holds-barred look at Lotusland with verve, wit, and insight.

There are a shit ton of climbs that meet that description in the Eastern Canadian Rockies. Joffre and Assiniboine are a couple of my favourites. Each have beautiful staging points and take 2 or 3 days. This is a great book.

This is a great book about Heritage Buildings here in Calgary by Harry Sanders. I have worked on many of the buildings in there, so may be biased....
http://www.amazon.ca/gp/aw/d/0889952973

Reading Appalachia from Left to Right: Conservatives and the 1974 Kanawha County Textbook Controversy

He's one specific example of how it happened...

[EDIT] Sounds like /u/drivealone might like seeing this too.

Worldbuilding is interesting in that I do not think it requires an in-depth knowledge in any of these particular fields. Just a high-level is really what is wanted.

• constructed languages ( /r/conlangs ) - the basics. Plus a high level study of the entomology of world languages.
  
• the evolution of a city over time. I've got a wonderful book called Vancouver a visual history which suggests some of it.
  
• a general idea on how 'life' worked during the time period you're trying to represent. Braudels A structure of Everyday life goes deep. I think a summary might do.
  
• a basic understanding of mapmaking / cartography
  
• a basic understanding of biomes, and weather, geology. I've seen people get into plate tectonics but I think that's going too deep, except to mention how it relates to mountain formation.
  
  

Here are five:

Fifty-nine in '84: Old Hoss Radbourn, Barehanded Baseball, and the Greatest Season a Pitcher Ever Had

The Summer of Beer and Whiskey: How Brewers, Barkeeps, Rowdies, Immigrants, and a Wild Pennant Fight Made Baseball America's Game

Dock Ellis in the Country of Baseball

Baseball and Other Matters in 1941

Up, Up, and Away: The Kid, the Hawk, Rock, Vladi, Pedro, le Grand Orange, Youppi!, the Crazy Business of Baseball, and the Ill-fated but Unforgettable Montreal Expos

In English, Jane Jacobs' book: https://www.amazon.com/Question-Separatism-Quebec-Struggle-Sovereignty/dp/1926824067

A very good read.

I would recommend for anyone interested in how Saskatchewan towns ended up with the weird names they have to look into reading What's In a Name. I have no connection to the author or anything. Just a book that my Grandma used to have that I read as a kid growing up in Saskatchewan.

Yes, is true. It was SL-1 in Idaho Falls. There was a book made which went into exquisitely gory detail. You've essentially got the big details right.

The emergency response was absolutely staggering too - servicemen driving the ambulance with the irradiated body in it balls-out for x seconds at a time because anything further would go over their maximum dose.

Not to mention how the autopsies and burials had to be done.

Maybe the fact this one got made hindered Snoop's project -

Soul on Ice

Also there is a book called Black Ice which is interesting
https://www.amazon.com/Black-Ice-History-Maritimes-1895-1925/dp/1551096951

There's unfortunately for you very, very little English documentation on the topic if you exclude the crap you tend to see in English Canadian papers.

The best English book on it is probably still the 30 years old The Question of Separatism : Quebec and the Struggle over Sovereignty

It makes lots of parallels with Norway's independence process (process which was successful for them). If you want not to come up with the same old tired point of view, that might be a good start.

I read books about baseball during the offseason. Just picked up [The Soul of Baseball: A Road Trip Through Buck O'Neil's America] (http://www.amazon.com/Soul-Baseball-Through-ONeils-America/dp/0060854049/ref=la_B001ILHF9Y_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1415033761&sr=1-1) by Joe Posnanski and Up, Up, and Away: The Kid, the Hawk, Rock, Vladi, Pedro, le Grand Orange, Youppi!, the Crazy Business of Baseball, and the Ill-fated but Unforgettable Montreal Expos by Jonah Keri from my library.

For the political ramifications you might enjoy reading about the Clarity Act that was passed not long after the last referendum. That wiki page goes into a bit of detail about the politics at the time and gives a sense of some of the grievances on both sides.

There was also a book published recently called The Morning After about what the different players at the time were planning in case of a "yes" vote (spoiler alert: no one, not even the yes side, had a plan). You can read an AMA with the author here (some French, some English) and an article about the book here.

Idaho Falls

This book answers most of this type of question. It has a map for each decade starting with the 1850s.

I cannot recommend Jonah Keri's book, Up, Up, and Away, enough. All about the history of the Expos. http://www.amazon.com/Up-Away-Business-Ill-fated-Unforgettable/dp/0307361357

from reading a book about the SL-1 incident, the writer alludes to the fact that it was a poor design. the control rods cadmium coating was flaking off making the reactor easier to go critical.
here is the book I'm referring too:
http://www.amazon.com/Idaho-Falls-Americas-Nuclear-Accident/dp/1550225626

There is a decent book on this as well

It covers the whole gambit all the first responders who died, and the victims families who could not see the bodies do to the extreme amount of radiation.