Empire of the Bay: 2an Illustrated History of the Hudson's Bay Company

This fact-packed volume chronicles the colorful 319-year history of the Hudson's Bay Company whose mercantile empire at one time extended from the Arctic Sea to Hawaii. With verve and seeming omniscience, Newman ( Company of Adventurers ) tells outsize tales of the remarkable characters who manned the lonely outposts, Montreal mansions and London boardrooms of the HBC. He writes of the adventurers who explored the wilderness for the company; the internecine wars of fur traders; the establishment of forts and settlements; the parliamentary squabbles and backroom deals manipulated by HBC to retain its monopoly; and the present-day department-store chain, The Bay. Historical illustrations and National Geographic photographer Fleming's documentary shots decorate this sprawling, exciting, illuminating story. (Nov.)