Go ahead, ask me anything about Vancouver. Chances are, after flipping through Chuck Davis’s History of Metropolitan Vancouver, I could easily find the answer.
I say ‘flipping’ not because I don’t want to read this book, but because it’s 554 pages of facts, photos and tidbits about Vancouver, beginning in 1757. As much as I enjoy reading the encyclopedia (I’m not being facetious here, either), this book is going to take me a while to get through.
Entries, arranged chronologically, are short but packed with information, such as a photo of Mark Twain laid up in bed with a cold still entertaining reporters, or longer entries, such as the oldest Chinese grocery.
Although Davis died before his work was finished, Harbour Publishing and the Vancouver Historical Society continued the project, which is available now in hardcover.
Author: Chuck Davis
Published by: Harbour Publishing
Available at: local bookstores
List price: $49.95