An Illustrated History

There is hardly a river or lake in North America that was not first seen from the gunwale of a canoe. Centuries before the invention of the train and the motorboat, canoes were used for exploration, trade, war, and the hunt. Indians crafted canoes out of dugout logs, birch bark, and animal hides; French colonists employed courier canoes; and the Spanish explorers brought cane and wood crafts with them to new lands. The canoe has brought together Native Americans and European colonists, promoted exploration, and changed the economy forever with the onset of the fur trade. Hundreds of years later, it continues to hold practical, ceremonial, and totemic significance for many North Americans.

"For canoe buffs of all ages, The Canoe: An Illustrated History gives a concise and colorful view of this elegantly simple craft." -Paddler magazine

"Combining careful research with unbridled enthusiasm, and making the most of a well-chosen selection of black-and-white and color photos, Poling almost makes the reader believe that canoes are the world's most perfect transportation." -Booklist, April 1, 2001

$24.95 (Can. $37.50)
0-88150-503-X
144 pages, hardcover