This collection of essays combines history, archaeology, and even a little sociology to create a thoroughly entertaining, beautifully illustrated coffee-table book. The history of the canoe is the history of modern North America in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries; the canoe was at once an essential part of business (specifically the fur trade), a pleasure craft for wealthier folk with plenty of leisure time, and a key piece of equipment in the popular sport of racing. This multipurpose craft, seemingly so simple in design, has an old and fascinating history; it was the standard method of transportation for Native people for hundreds of years before Europeans "discovered" North America. Jennings and his coauthors, in conjunction with museums around the world (these museums contributed most of the book's 400-odd photos and drawings), trace the modern evolution of the canoe, from tool to toy, and show how changes in the vessel's function reflected changes in society--for example, the canoe's value as a freight-transporting vessel decreased as larger vessels became more commonplace. An utterly enchanting trip back in time. Illustrated
