Allen, D. Totem Poles of the Northwest. Surrey, British Columbia: Hancock House Publishers Ltd., 1977. Describes the importance of totem poles to native culture and totem pole sites and their history.

Bone, Robert. The Geography of the Canadian North. Toronto: Oxford University Press, 1992. An in-depth look at the role Canada’s north has played and will play in the management of world resources, and the impact of self-government on the region.

Brado, Edward. Cattle Kingdom: Early Ranching in Alberta. Victoria: Heritage House, 2009. Details the colorful story of early ranchers, from the days of trading posts through to modern day cowboys and the Calgary Stampede.

Burton, Pierre. Klondike: The Last Great Gold Rush, 1896–1899. The Klondike gold rush is brought to life by Canada’s preeminent historian/writer in this book that has been reprinted many times, most recently by Random House in 2001.

Duff, Wilson. The Indian History of British Columbia: The Impact of the White Man. Victoria: University of British Columbia Press, 1997. In this book Duff deals with the issues faced by natives in the last 150 years but also gives a good overview of their general history.

Engler, Bruno. Bruno Engler Photography. Calgary: Rocky Mountain Books, 2002. Swiss-born Engler spent 60 years exploring and photographing the Canadian Rockies. This impressive hardcover book showcases over 150 of his most timeless images.

Hewitt, Steve. Riding to the Rescue. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2006. This book examines the influence of Royal Canadian Mounted Police from WWI to the late 1930s, when they morphed from iconic horsemen to a modern police force.

Jenness, Diamond. The Indians of Canada. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1977. Originally published in 1932, this is the classic study of natives in Canada, although Jenness’s conclusion, that they were facing certain extinction by “the end of this century,” is obviously outdated.

Lavallee, Omer. Van Horne’s Road. Montreal: Railfare Enterprises, 1974. William Van Horne was instrumental in the construction of Canada’s first transcontinental railway. This is the story of his dream, and the boomtowns that sprung up along the route. Lavallee devotes an entire chapter to telling the story of the railway’s push over the Canadian Rockies.

Mallory, Enid. Robert Service: Under the Spell of the Yukon. Vancouver: Heritage House, 2006. Follows the life of Robert Service, best known for poems such as “The Cremation of Sam McGee,” from the time he stepped off a ship in Vancouver to his wildly successful change in careers in Dawson City.

McMillan, Alan D. Native Peoples and Cultures of Canada. Vancouver: Douglas & McIntyre, 1995. A comprehensive look at the archaeology, anthropology, and ethnography of the native peoples of Canada. The last chapters delve into the problems facing these people today.

Murray, Tom. Canadian Pacific Railway. Osceola, Wisconsin: Voyageur Press, 2006. Railway buffs are spoilt for choice when it comes to reading about the history of Canada’s transcontinental railway, but this large format book stands apart for its presentation of historic images and coverage of the railway industry today.

Nikiforuk, Andrew. Tar Sands: Dirty Oil and the Future of a Continent. Vancouver: Greystone Books, 2008. From this book’s subtitle, it’s easy to tell that this is a critical look at the industry for which Alberta is best known.

Reksten, Terry. Rattenbury. Winlaw, British Columbia: Sono Nis Press, 1998. The biography of Francis Rattenbury, British Columbia’s preeminent architect at the beginning of the 20th century. The histories of his most famous Victoria and Vancouver buildings are given, and the final chapter looks at his infamous murder at the hands of his wife’s young lover.

Schäffer, Mary T. S. A Hunter of Peace. Banff: Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies, 1980. This book was first published in 1911 by G. P. Putnam & Sons, New York, under the name Old Indian Trails of the Canadian Rockies. Tales recount the exploration of the Rockies during the turn of the century. Many of the author’s photographs appear throughout.

Scott, Chic. Pushing the Limits. Calgary: Rocky Mountain Books, 2000. A chronological history of mountaineering in Canada, with special emphasis on many largely unknown climbers and their feats, as well as the story of Swiss guides in Canada and a short section on ice climbing.

Turner, Dick. Nahanni. Surrey, British Columbia: Hancock House, 1975. One of the north’s most celebrated authors recounts stories of early life in the north and particularly on the South Nahanni River.

Twigger, Robert. Voyageur: Across the Rocky Mountains in a Birchbark Canoe. London: Weidenfeld, 2006. This is the rollicking tale of author Twigger’s adventures building a canoe and crossing the Canadian Rockies on a diet of porridge, fish, and whisky—exactly as Alexander Mackenzie had 200 years previously.

Woodman, David C. Unravelling the Franklin Mystery. Montreal: McGill-Queen’s University Press, 1991. Many volumes have been written on the ill-fated Franklin Expedition. This one, using Inuit recollections, is among the best.