Book excerpt: This book traces the development of higher education in Canada, through a detailed description and analysis of what was being taught and of the research opportunities available to professors in the years from 1860 to 1960. Background is provided in the opening chapters of Part I, which outline the origins of post-secondary education in both French and English Canada from 1635 to 1860, and in the parallel chapters of Parts II to V which describe the establishment of new and the growth of existing institutions during the period 1861-90, 1891-1920, 1921-40, and 1941-60. The remaining chapters of each of the book's main divisions present an examination of the curricula in arts and science, professional education, and graduate studies in 1860, 1890, 1920, 1940, and 1960, as well as the conditions pertaining to scholarship and research in these years. The concluding chapter identifies the characteristics which differentiate Canadian higher education from that of other countries. The book includes a full bibliography, an extensive index, and statistical appendices providing data on enrolment and degrees granted. A History of Higher Education in Canada 1663-1960 will be the definitive work in its field, valuable both for the wealth of information and the historical insights it contains.