A History of Canada in Ten Maps: Epic Stories of Charting a Mysterious Land

Longlisted for the 2018 RBC Taylor Prize Shortlisted for the 2018 Louise de Kiriline Lawrence Award for Nonfiction The sweeping epic story of the mysterious land that came to be called Canada like its never been told before. Every map tells a story. And every map has a purpose–it invites us to go somewhere weve never been. Its an account of what we know but also a trace of what we long for. Ten Maps conjures the world as it appeared to those who were called upon to map it. What would the new world look like to wandering Vikings who thought they had drifted into a land of mythical creatures or Samuel de Champlain who had no idea of the vastness of the landmass just beyond the treeline? Adam Shoalts one of Canadas foremost explorers tells the stories behind these centuries old maps and how they came to shape what became Canada. Its a story that will surprise readers and reveal the Canada we never knew was hidden. It brings to life the characters and the bloody disputes that forged our history by showing us what the world looked like before it entered the history books. Combining storytelling cartography geography archaeology and of course history this book shows us Canada in a way weve never seen it before.