The Historical Dictionary of the Discovery and Exploration of the Northwest Coast of America tells of the heroic endeavors and remarkable achievements, the endless speculation about a northwest passage, and the fighting and manipulation for commercial advantage that surrounded this terrain. This is done through an introductory essay, a detailed chronology, an extensive bibliography, modern maps and selected historical maps and drawings, and over 400 cross-referenced dictionary entries.

The South Seas, as this region used to be called, conjured up images of adventure, belles and savages, romance and fabulous fortunes, but the long voyages of discovery and exploration of the vast Pacific Ocean were really an exercise in amazing logistics, navigation, hard grit, shipwreck and pure luck. The motivations were scientific and geographic, but at the same time nationalistic and materialistic. A series on global exploration and discovery would not be complete without this book by Quanchi and Robson. It is ambitious and informative and includes the familiar names of Laperouse, Bougainville, Cook and Dampier, as well as the intriguing stories of the Bounty Mutiny, scurvy, and the mysterious Northwest Passage, Terra Australis Ignotia and Davis Land. There are entries on first contacts, ships, navigational instruments, mapping, and botany. The scene is carefully set in the introduction, the chronology spans several centuries, and the extensive bibliography offers a guide to further reading. There are more than just dry facts in this book. It has a whiff of salt air, the clash of empires, cross-cultural beach encounters and personal adventure.

This book is drawn from Haida Monumental Art, the most important work yet published on Haida culture. Chiefs of the Sea and Sky presents an overview of extensive research carried out by archeologist George MacDonald in the 1960s and 1970s to document the history of the Haida villages of the Queen Charlotte Islands. In this abridgement, MacDonald recounts the history of eighteen of the major villages, telling the story of their people and describing the sites of their houses and other known structures. In his introduction he explains how the Haida's immense cedar houses and totem poles are part of a fascinating spiritual and material culture which integrates family history, ritual, and mythology. The historical photographs that accompany the text illustrate the richness and variety of Haida sculpture and they show the villages at the height of their glory in the 1880s and 1890s and in their subsequent and tragic decay. MacDonald reports on the further deterioration of several of the sites since publication of Haida Monumental Art in 1983, but he also praises the successful efforts of the Haida and their supporters and the cooperation of the Government of Canada in establishing protection over important heritage sites in the Southern Queen Charlotte Islands. He sees in this and in the accomplishments of contemporary Haida artists an indication that the future of Haida culture looks “immensely brighter towards the close of the century than it did at the beginning.” Chiefs of the Sea and Sky will be welcomed by those interested in the history of Canada's Native people and by visitors to the heritage sites of the Queen Charlotte Islands.