Leely

Okay, so this is a shot in the dark. As a history buff, I normally have some historical context for the places I visit. I admit I'm heading off to Quebec City totally unprepared. This is (for me) sort of a last-minute trip. However, I find a sense of the history of a place greatly enhances my travels.

Can anyone recommend elementary-but-interesting background reading for me?

I must sound like a real dink. Sorry and thanks for any recs.

Carmanah

I can highly recommend "Sacre Blues: An Unsentimental Journey Through Quebec" by Taras Grescoe.

If you can get your hands on that paperback, you're set for not only Quebec City, but the whole province.

I highly, <i>highly</i> recommend it.

Carmanah

By the way, the 2nd review written by &quot;A.Ross&quot; is spot on:

http://tinyurl.com/25o88e

zootsi

The free Quebec City guide book available thru bounjourquebec (and at many hotels)has some good info as to historic spots to visit.

Leely

Thank you both very much!

Vttraveler

I also recommend Gascoe's book for insights into Quebec--however it is not a book with a lot of history of the province or Q City

Carmanah

Vttraveler makes a good point.

I feel that Grescoe's book really enriches ones experience in Quebec because you actually understand the culture, which is a product of its history. For real Quebec City history, you can always read up on the historical context online at sites such as these...

http://www.quebecheritage.com/en/historique.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quebec_City#History

... and then soak it up at the museums around the Plains of Abraham once you arrive there.

You may also want to read up in the Battle of the Plains of Abraham:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_...ins_of_Abraham

and the subsequent painting of the Death of General Wolfe.

The Ursuline nuns of Qu&eacute;bec also played a major role in early Qu&eacute;bec City history:

http://faculty.marianopolis.edu/c.be...becHistory.htm

I did study Canadian history and Qu&eacute;becois literature, but unfortunately can't recommend any real history book on Qu&eacute;bec City. Fortunately, that kind of info is readily accessible once you arrive there (in the same way that Boston history is readily available all over Boston).

LJ

OK: it is not exclusively about Quebec City, nor is it a history book as such. BUT, if you can get past that, you might want to add Mordecai Richler's 'Solomon Gursky Was Here' to your reading list.

Some claim it is Richler's best and that is high praise. Even if you disagree about its' literary merits, it is a wonderful, rich tale of the early days of Canadian history skillflly blended with contemporary detail of Quebec life.

Leely

Interesting. Thank you all. Yes, I'm a history *and* a literature lover. Once upon a time I knew about King Philip's War in New England, so native/colonial relations and conflicts are of particular interest. And religious and intellectual history.

Now I'm almost sorry my trip is so soon because I don't have time to do proper research and keep my day job.