The canoe was essential to the early exploration of North America. Today, it is a vital link to the natural environment and vast wilderness, still widely used for recreation, transportation and sport.

The Canoe is the definitive history of the construction and use of the canoe, kayak, dugout and umiak in North America. The book covers the canoe's origins among Native peoples, its quick adoption by European settlers, its development from a working vessel to a recreational craft.

Rare archival images, maps, artwork and stunning photographs of vintage canoes are included. Produced with the support and collaboration of scholars and museums throughout the world, The Canoe also features:

• High-tech sport canoes and kayaks used in contemporary Olympic Games
• 400 beautiful images of canoe craftsmanship
• Step-by-step photos and explanations for building a traditional bark canoe
• Profile of the famous model-builder, Tappan Adney
• Detailed maps, glossary, source list and index.

 

John Jennings is a retired associate professor in the Department of History at Trent University, former member of the Canadian Equestrian Team, and currently the member for Ontario on the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada. He has written extensively on the North West Mounted Police, Aboriginal-European relations in the Canadian and American wests, and the role of The Canoe in Canadian history and culture.

John Jennings' profile page

Paddlers, outdoor enthusiasts and history buffs alike will appreciate this authoritative, finely produced volume.

Wilderness Journal

This beautifully illustrated volume, notable for its insightful essays, its variety, and its historical significance, would sit comfortably on any coffee table or scholar's shelf. It will surely be on mine!

The Beaver

Seminal.

Américas

A most worthy tribute to that most noble form of transportation.

Che-mun - The Journal of Canadian Wilderness Canoe

Beautiful ... informative without being pedantic... The book succeeds not only as a social history, but also as a business history about canoe manufacturing.

National Post

The book is a feast of visual imagery and fascinating insights. If a definitive book on the canoe requires balance, accuracy, texture, and beauty, The Canoe, a Living Tradition meets all the criteria and would be my nomination.

Woodenboat

Trust me. ...The paddler who longs for a float on one of those warm autumn days would love to add this worthy volume to his or her library.

Edmonton Journal

A lavishly illustrated work of scholarship ... essential reading for the canoe enthusiast, and excellent coffee-table material for the dabbling paddler.

Montreal Gazette

A perfect addition to any flatwater paddler's lifetime library collection ... an incredible history of the canoe ... a lush thoughtful tour.

Paddler

Academic thoroughness, artistic beauty, and a sense of style that belies its simple subject matter ... will leave you in awe.

Conservationist [NY State Dept of Environ Conserva

Thoroughly entertaining, beautifully illustrated ... An utterly enchanting trip back in time.

Booklist

Worthy companion to Edwin Tappan Adney and Howard I. Chapelle's The Bark Canoes and Skin Boats of North America.

Choice

Plenty of info in the book to appeal to U.S. readers, including a section on paddling for pleasure in the American Northeast.

Wall Street Journal

This magnificent, large format hardcover book is richly illustrated with fascinating archival and modern photographs, maps, and artwork.

Wave Length Magazine

Beautifully produced and wonderfully illustrated.

Canadian Historical Review

This tribute is a wonderfully rich volume on [the canoe's] history in North America ... Adeptly written and wonderfully illustrated with over 400 photographs and maps.

Library Journal

This book has it all. ... Crammed full of historical, anthropological, archaeological, political and geographical facts, maps and sketches.

Kanawa