Review by Choice Review
It is difficult to discern the purpose of this book, which primarily is based on printed material. The author (English, Univ. of Calgary) states vaguely that "the questioning format of this book is my attempt to respond appropriately to our complex and troubled past." The attempt consists of six essays, five of which concern the fur trade in North America in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. These essays are provocative and challenge the conventional understanding of a number of aspects of the fur trade, particularly the use of maps and the role of women, but they offer little beyond provocation. The last essay generally questions the methodology and conclusions of anthropologists and ethnologists, especially their reliance on the written word as a means of recording history. There are a few nuggets of value in this work, including the caution to historians that hindsight is a valuable tool but also a powerful seductive device. Many maps and illustrations are included in this attractive paperback, but it is probably too academic to be a coffee-table book and not academic enough for professionals. Summing Up: Optional. All levels. P. T. Sherrill emeritus, University of Arkansas at Little Rock
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Choice Review
