Margaret Conrad's history of Canada explains what makes up this diverse, complex, and often contested nation-state. Beginning in Canada's deep past with the arrival of its Indigenous peoples, she traces its history through the conquest by Europeans, the American Revolutionary War, and Confederation in the nineteenth century to its prosperous present. This impressive second edition has expanded by 20 percent, including revised chapters and an insightful analysis of the fraught relationship between Justin Trudeau and Donald Trump. As a social historian, Conrad emphasizes the relationships between Indigenous peoples and settlers, French and English, Catholic and Protestant, men and women, rich and poor. It is this grounded approach that drives the narrative and makes for compelling reading. Despite its successes and its popularity as a destination for immigrants from across the world, Canada remains a cautious and contested country. This thorough yet concise new edition explains why.

‘This rich survey of Canada's past features lively prose, shrewd judgments, and crisp synthesis. It integrates the history of women, Indigenous people, Atlantic Canada, and the West into a dozen well-conceived chapters that make an old story (the one built around Ontario and Quebec men) new again. I recommend it wholeheartedly.'

Gerald Friesen - Distinguished Professor Emeritus, University of Manitoba

‘With this updated volume, Marg Conrad provides a well-conceived, thoughtful, and diverse account of the complicated pasts of this place now called Canada. This accessible and engaging book is well-suited for university undergraduates, more advanced students, and for anyone wishing to expand their knowledge of Canadian history.'

Rhonda L. Hinther - Associate Professor of History, Brandon University

‘A concise but masterful overview of the nation's past by one of Canada's most respected historians. Margaret Conrad pulls the big themes out of a complex history of a country whose identity has always been contested.'

Greg Marquis - Department of History and Politics, University of New Brunswick Saint John