British Columbia: Spirit of the People

29 x 27 cm - A clean, tight, and unmarked copy-" In 2008, BC celebrated the founding of the Crown Colony of British Columbia and 150 years of cultural diversity, community, and achievement. British Columbia: Spirit of the People celebrates this milestone, capturing the province's history, beauty, and complex character in a lavish coffee-table book. The text, by respected historian Jean Barman, is ambitious in scope. Barman delves into the region's history, from the first humans to arrive in British Columbia twenty thousand years ago to the promises and hopes of the twenty-first century, including the first contact between Indigenous peoples and newcomers; the legacy of the fur trade and gold rush; the contributions of immigrant cultures; the development of communities and urban centers and the flourishing of the arts. A rich selection of archival images depicting the province's past is paired with iconic and stunning color photographs capturing the diversity of the modern landscape. From the large stretches of open range and grassland of the Southern Interior to the rugged geography of the Kootenays and the Coast Mountains, the verdant beauty of the Gulf Islands, and the excitement of the province's cities and communities, BC's geography is extravagant. Images selected from the province's most talented photographers, including David Nunuk, Chris Cheadle, and Vance Hannah, showcase this diversity. As the province of British Columbia, with its remarkable history, characters, places, and achievements, British Columbia is a remarkable book and important addition to the library of every British Columbian. About the Author: Jean Barman is an award-winning historian and author of over a dozen books about British Columbian and Canadian history. Much of her writing attends to the stories and histories of Indigenous Peoples and to Canadian women and families. Her writing has garnered over a dozen Canadian and American awards, including the Governor-General's History Award for Scholarly Research. She is professor emeritus at the University of British Columbia, a fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, and the recipient of a Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal. She holds graduate degrees from Harvard University, the University of California at Berkeley, and the University of British Columbia, and an honorary doctorate from Vancouver Island University. Jean lives in Vancouver, BC."