In the Shadow of Empire: Canada For Americans

In the Shadow of Empire invites Americans to take a closer look at their neighbor to the north. This timely, lucid account of Canada’s history and present-day predicaments illuminates the centuries of transformation that have taken Canada from a British colony to a major industrial power and challenges the common American assumption that Canada is just like the United States.

Joseph K. Roberts brings into focus every major feature of Canada’s politics — from the distinctiveness of a society that does not stigmatize government action to the struggles of indigenous peoples and the quest of French-speaking Quebec for autonomy.

Americans who have found their attention drawn to Canada in the aftermath of NAFTA, but to whom Canada remains a great unknown, will find In the Shadow of Empire a fascinating and informative introduction.

Joseph K. Roberts teaches political science at the University of Regina, Saskatchewan.