A gift to the province from the University of Saskatchewan, written in commemoration of the province's centennial celebrations in 2005, Saskatchewan: A New History tells, above all, the engaging stories of the people of Saskatchewan. Their wisdom, foresight, bravery, toil, and eternal optimism gave birth to one hundred years of extraordinary history.
Waiser leaves no stone unturned as he records the events and stories of the people who experienced them: from the province's earliest days, when anything seemed possible; through the years of the Great Depression, when the prospect of greatness seemed all but lost; to the second half of the century, when an intense, at times bitter, debate raged over how best to govern Saskatchewan. Relying on the most up-to-date historical research available, he offers new perspectives on traditional views and tackles previously neglected, often difficult, concepts and events.
"What is most striking about these images, aside from the richness of their colour and the skillful use of light, are the happy, smiling faces. He could see things like no one else with a camera. He had an uncanny skill to set the scene. He caught people in everyday life and everyday activities and people wanted to have their picture taken by him."
Generously illustrated with carefully selected archival images and two sixteen-page colour inserts of commissioned photographs by Saskatoon's John Perret, Saskatchewan: A New History also pays a stunning visual tribute to the historical, urban, and natural splendour of Saskatchewan and its people.
Includes: two 16-page colour photo inserts by John Perret, 205 Black and White photographs and illustrations, 20 reference tables, 15 maps . . and more.
"Authoritative, well-written... brilliant."
— The Globe and Mail
"Just in time for the centennial of Saskatchewan, Bill Waiser has delivered a monumental history of the province that will still be admired for its scholarship when the bicentennial rolls around."
— Canadian Geographic Magazine
"Wonderfully written in an authoritative but engaging style, Waiser's Saskatchewan is a story of challenge where buoyant hopes and dashed dreams were acted out by generations of people whose origins and backgrounds were as diverse as the physical environment they settled. . . The historic photographs tell their own graphic story while the marvellous color plates evoke the heart and soul of this unique Canadian province. . . This is a fine book well worth reading."
— Great Plains Quarterly
"Saskatchewan's people have a strength of character that has been forged by the demands of hard work, the often inhospitable climate, and the intensity of political debate. Bill Waiser's Saskatchewan: A New History captures the heart and the fearlessness of the people and the place I'm proud to call home."
— Pamela Wallin
"Brilliant. . . Full of surprises and lively tales. . . ought to be required reading for every newcomer to Saskatchewan. It could save them years trying to figure out Saskatchewan's unique character."
— The Saskatoon Star-Phoenix
Saskatchewan Book Award for Scholarly Writing nominee, 2005
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