Let’s be honest – no teenaged reader is going to rush to the school library and breathlessly ask for a copy of Shaping a Nation. However, students faced with an imminent history research assignment on the Canadian constitution may very well make Shaping a Nation one of the most popular books in the library.

Shaping a Nation is an excellent overview of the history and development of the Canadian constitution. Morton begins with a discussion of the theory of constitutions, and touches on Aristotle, Hobbes, and Locke. He then moves on to an intriguing description of the creation of the Iroquois Confederacy and its constitution. The history of events leading up to confederation is the most daunting part of the book. Although the text is accurate and concise, the common use of terms like “Upper Canada,” “Lower Canada,” “Canada East,” “Canada West,” “Grits,” “Clear Grits,” and “reciprocity” can be confusing. Careful reading shows that the terms are explained, but a simple chart which listed, for example, “Upper Canada=Ontario” and “Grits=Liberals,” while perhaps not strictly accurate, might have helped readers make sense of these concepts. Modern constitutional development, the patriation of the constitution, and the recent Quebec referendum are all covered. Sidebars and boxes expand on important issues, such as the right to vote for women, and the Senate. The text is enlivened with charts, a map, and many black and white photographs of important persons and documents. Shaping a Nation includes useful short biographies, a timeline of major constitutional events, the text of the 1982 Canadian constitution, and an index.

Anyone interested in a good general introduction to the history of the Canadian constitution will find this book useful. Shaping the Nation should be included in every school or public library collection.