University of Calgary Press Alberta Formed-Alberta Transformed (Volume I and II)

To celebrate Alberta's centennial, the University of Alberta Press and the University of Calgary Press are proud to introduce Alberta Formed -- Alberta Transformed , a two--volume set spanning a remarkable 12,000 years of history and showcasing the work of thirty--four of Alberta's most respected scholars. Volume 1 sets the stage, from human beginnings in Alberta to the eve of Alberta's inauguration as a province in 1905, while Volume 2 takes readers through the twentieth century and up to the 2005 centennial. Edited by provincial historian Michael Payne, along with Donald Wetherell and Catherine Cavanaugh, Alberta Formed -- Alberta Transformed consists of thirty distinctive and richly illustrated essays representing a wide range of voices and points of view. Moving beyond straightforward commemorative history, Alberta Formed -- Alberta Transformed tackles contentious issues and questions previous, more conventional approaches and assumptions. Each essay represents a snapshot in time, focusing on a person, a trend, or an event that has played a significant part in shaping the vibrant, often surprising and sometimes raucous, story of Alberta. Review Alberta Formed-Alberta Transformed is an enormous project, a project that reflects Alberta's great history. Paula E. Kirman, Prairie Books NOW, fall/winter, 2005.[Alberta Formed-Alberta Transformed is] the long awaited history of the province in honour of its centennial. It's worth the wait. The work, which carries readers from 13 000 years ago to modern Alberta, is handsomely designed, cleverly illustrated and accessibly written by some of the leading Western Canadian historians. Even at a relatively pricey $100, Alberta Formed, Alberta Transformed is an investment with a payoff on every page..The 32 writers took a different approach to history as well. Rather than a strict chronology, they were each asked to focus on a specific year and use it as a point of reference for their reflections on what it meant-and means- to be an Albertan. Marc Horton, The Edmonton Journal. May 21, 2006.After the fireworks, the Alberta provincial centennial has yielded a more lasting legacy in the form of an elegant two-volume overview of human habitation in the area now known as Alberta..Trying to avoid 'the typical popular, celebratory or comprehensive history usually written to mark events such as centennials, ' the editors chose to produce 'a thought-provoking portrait of Alberta, ' consisting of a series of thematic essays which hinge on a crucial watershed date in our history..What emerges is 'intended more as a broad conversation about history than as a lecture.' This goal has largely been realized in this splendid set of historical accounts. Ken Tingley, the Edmonton Journal, May 28, 2006..[A] must have for every person who is interested in the 13 000 year history of the province. Students, educators, libraries, newcomers and Canadians in general will be pleased to discover that the final product delves deep into the past to bring Canadians a truly remarkable resource. Alberta Formed-Alberta Transformed is a nonfiction title, filled with many good stories and lots of excitement, and provides an excellent and accurate insight into what really happened over the last 13 millennia. This is the book that Albertans have been waiting for, one that is accurate, up to date and inclusive of the important role Aboriginal peoples have played in the development of the nation and the province. John Copley, Alberta Native News, July, 2006.Written by a team of 30 historians, the two-volume edition traces the archeological evolution of the province. You'll meet the major movers and shakers who helped build the province and become a walking, talking Alberta know-it-all. Candace Korchinsky, Edmonton Life, July 2006.Alberta Formed Alberta Transformed takes readers on a journey from the earliest traces of human activity at the tail end of the Ice Age through modern booms, busts an