The Canoe - by John Jennings Hardcover

Book Synopsis

"Thoroughly entertaining, beautifully illustrated ... An utterly enchanting trip back in time."
-- Booklist

"This tribute is a wonderfully rich volume on [the canoe's] history in North America ... Adeptly written and wonderfully illustrated with over 400 photographs and maps."
-- Library Journal

The canoe was essential to the early exploration of North America. Today, it is a vital link to the natural environment and vast wilderness, still widely used for recreation, transportation and sport.

The Canoe is the definitive history of the construction and use of the canoe, kayak, dugout and umiak in North America. The book covers the canoe's origins among Native peoples, its quick adoption by European settlers, its development from a working vessel to a recreational craft. Rare archival images, maps, artwork and stunning photographs of vintage canoes are included.

Produced with the support and collaboration of scholars and museums throughout the world, The Canoe also features:

• High-tech sport canoes and kayaks used in contemporary Olympic Games
• 400 beautiful images of canoe craftsmanship
• Step-by-step photos and explanations for building a traditional bark canoe
• Profile of the famous model-builder, Tappan Adney
• Detailed maps, glossary, source list and index.

Review Quotes

A profusely illustrated coffee-table style volume effectively organized into three major sections (The Native Craft, The Recreational Canoe, Preserving the History of the Canoe). This simply beautiful, informative, and elegant volume includes a number of Maps, a two page Glossary, a three page listing of the contributors and their credentials, and a seven page Index. Of particular and immense value to readers with an interest in Native American culture and the history of the North American canoe... An ideal Library Memorial Fund acquisition and a core addition to community and college and university library Native American Studies collections and supplemental curriculum lists.-- "Midwest Book Review" (4/1/2025 12:00:00 AM)

About the Author

John Jennings is co-editor of The Canoe in Canadian Cultures and a professor at Trent University. With support from the Canadian Canoe Museum, he brought together 12 experts in canoe and kayak scholarship and culture including Eugene Arima, Hallie E. Bond, Steven C. Brown, David Finch, Don Gardner, Gwenyth Hoyle, Fred Johnston, John Jennings, Kenneth R. Lister, Ted Moores, Rick Nash, and James Raffan to create this book. He was one of the 2019 Appointees to the Order of Ontario.