Ottawa's early years as military outpost and lumber town did not suggest future greatness. Yet this rough little settlement (then called Bytown) would not remain insignificant: geography and politics soon combined to place it at centre stage as Canada's national capital. Ottawa's fascinating story is recounted with skill and wit in John H. Taylor's Ottawa: An Illustrated History. Taylor tells this story in all its variations-the life of the French and the English, the rich and the poor; the politics of city hall and Parliament Hill; the varied social lives of Ottawans. The book focuses on the history of the city's relationship with its chief landlord-the federal government-but it does more. It weaves together, for the first time, all the complex strands that have shaped Ottawa's identity over the years. Handsomely illustrated withn 150 historical photographs, Ottawa: An Illustrated History is a colourful, fascinating chronicle of the development of the nation's capital. | Ottawa: An Illustrated History by John H. Taylor, Paperback | Indigo Chapters