ISO texts re: history of social/political differences between Canada-US
January 30, 2017 6:46 AM

I'm looking for texts providing historical context and impartial analysis on the differences between US and Canadian politics and social values.

Blogs/online articles are okay, but I greatly prefer books. Textbooks are great. I'd also prefer something all-encompassing rather than a text that focuses on just one issue or aspect.

Googling has shown me "The Origins of Canadian and American Political Differences", which looks promising, but I can't find many reviews or other details on it. (Anyone here read this?)

Also, the books must be available in Canada or ship to Canada. Thanks!
posted by methroach to Society & Culture (5 answers total) 2 users marked this as a favorite
I remember finding Michael Adams' Fire and Ice: The United States, Canada and the Myth of Converging Values quite informative. Granted, I think the bulk of the research was done pre-9/11 and entirely before, say, the Harper government, so its findings might be somewhat dated now.
posted by mhum at 9:34 AM on January 30, 2017


Gwynn Dyer is one historian roc to read.
posted by saucysault at 2:03 PM on January 30, 2017


Canada and the United States: Differences that Count

Very dated now but if interested in foreign policy history, 1960's Peacemaker or Powder-monkey: Canada’s Role in a Revolutionary World was extremely popular.

Also dated but still hilariously on point: Eric Nicol and Peter Whalley's An Uninhibited History of Canada, which has a lot of gags about the US (and a character nervously wandering a NORAD office while clutching "Peacemaker or Powder-monkey") -- also fun to compare and contrast with the same author's/illustrator's Say, Uncle -- A Completely Uncalled-For History of the US.

It's worth leafing through the "Canada" books in the travel section of the store, as many are written for Americans and, often quite by accident, make terrific little observations about cultural differences.
posted by kmennie at 7:44 AM on January 31, 2017


I'd recommend Seymour Lipset, Continental Divide.
posted by russilwvong at 12:32 PM on January 31, 2017


Thanks all. I am checking all of these recs!
posted by methroach at 8:54 AM on February 2, 2017


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