Book excerpt: First published in 1987, The Illustrated History of Canada was the first comprehensive, authoritative one-volume history of the country. It featured chapters by seven of Canada's leading historians and hundreds of engravings, lithographs, cartoons, maps, posters, and photographs. Together, these elements created a sweeping chronicle of Canada from its earliest times to yesterday's news. Now The Illustrated History of Canada has been fully updated to bring readers into the twenty-first century, with new material on such topics as the rise of small government, the recognition of Native land claims, Canada's role in the post-Cold War "peace," and the 2011 federal election. More than ever, The Illustrated History of Canada is a must-have reference guide for all Canadians interested in the history - and the future - of our country. Contributors include Ramsay Cook (emeritus, York University), Christopher Moore (Toronto writer), Desmond Morton (McGill University), Arthur Ray (emeritus, University of British Columbia), Peter Waite (emeritus, Dalhousie University), and Graeme Wynn (University of British Columbia).