BELLEVILLE: A POPULAR HISTORY. by Boyce, Gerry - 2008

Toronto: Natural Heritage / Dundurn, 2008. 310 pp, square large 8vo (9" x 9"). B&w photographs, reproductions, maps. "(A) treasure trove of stories - 'glorious and not-so-glorious' - embodying the history of the city of Belleville (Ontario) and its beautiful surroundings. Gerry Boyce, the dean of the area's historians, has done a masterful job of pulling together the best of Belleville's storied past, episode by episode, decade by decade: here one learns about the Native roots of the place, its debatable 'discovery' by Champlain, its hot-headed pre-Confederation politics, its involvement in Spiritualism in the 1850s and the spread of prostitution in the Victorian 1870s. Moving forward from the days of Susanna Moodie and Mackenzie Bowell, it provides an entertaining and probing stroll through the past 110 years, reminding readers of such national events as the sensational 1959 victory by the Belleville MacFarlands over the Russians at the World Amateur Hockey Championship in Prague; and then, less well known, the financially crippling news of secret payments made to the players. Gerry Boyce (reminds) us that our history, be it local or national, is much more lively and intriguing than we often realize." Michael Peterman . Interior - clean and tight with no previous ownership marks. Exterior - clean and bright.. First Edition. Soft Cover. Fine.