Cole Harris offers a new and immensely important interpretation of early Canada. The subject matter is nothing less than the character of Canada. The narrative is exhilarating and the conclusions are significant. ? Gerald Friesen, author of The Canadian Prairies: A History and Citizens and Nation: An Essay on History, Communication, and Canada Written by Canada''s preeminent historical geographer, The Reluctant Land represents a milestone in pre-Confederation Canadian history. Cole Harris offers a sweeping history of the processes by which a string of European settler societies on the margins of North America evolved to become Canada. This book is certain to become a classic. ? Margaret Conrad, co-author of Atlantic Canada: A Region in the Making and History of the Canadian Peoples Trial lawyers attending on Aboriginal claims will find this text usefully covers the history from 1500 forward, showing the changes from an Indigenous populated land to one organized on European terms. ? Ronald F. MacIsaac, The Barrister, Issue No.89 This is a welcome antidote to the simplistic renderings of early Canadian history we are exposed to in high school social studies courses, political speeches and CBC mini-series. [? Harris has crafted a deeply insightful account of the history of what would become Canada. [? The Reluctant Land will be used in historical geography courses for many years to come ? but it?s more than that, because Harris set himself the task of writing a scholarly book ac