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Gabriel Dumont: The Métis Chief and His Lost World by George Woodcock (review)

and what followed it. Even on the purely narrative levet the book often leaves the reader in limbo; having aroused his interest in the proposed trunk sewer (in itself no mean feat), Morton does not continue its story after Howland's term of office. In 1886 the reformers' slogan was 'the strings hang loose'; this book is full of loose strings. More important, however, is the lack of perspective that results from such a myopic approach to history. This weakness is accentuated by Morton's reliance upon contemporary newspapers. In the newspapers, particularly in the nineteenth century, the detailed narrative of events unfolds day by day, accompanied by rumour and innuendo (why did a Howland supporter call Mayor Manning's wife a Jezebel?), but there is little background of personality, ideas, prevailing conditions, and circumstance. Often a cast of cardboard characters act on a stage without scenery. Broader issues are lost in the pressure of the daily deadline. This immediacy gives Morton's book itsappeal, but at the same time limits its value as interpretative history.