Radical Roots: The Shaping of British Columbia

Vancouver, BC: Commonwealth Fund, 1999. Soft cover. Very Good. Clean, tight, unmarked; spine straight and uncreased; very minimal wear; This book deals with a diverse number of topics and takes the reader through British Columbia's past from prehistory to the present. Readers will benefit from this well written and thoroughly researched book, which provides alternative readings of many events in BC history. Griffin begins by discussing the physical origins of British Columbia as well as the experiences of the First Nations peoples. Griffin notes that the First Nations were a much more diverse group than many scholars have argued. Griffin continues by discussing the building of the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR). In keeping with his left-wing sympathies, he argues that the building of the CPR was the "fulfilment of a dream of riches" for a small group of capitalists. Griffin offers an astute analysis of the plight of the Chinese workers. Hal Griffin provides an important account of BC history. He offers alternative readings of much studied events such as Confederation and the potlatch.