Warden of the North

Olaf Uwe Janzen is an associate professor of history at Sir Wilfred
Grenfell College, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

When it was first published in 1948, this book won the Governor
General’s Award. The book was subsequently expanded and revised in
1964, and since then has almost always been in print—sworn testimony
to Raddall’s power as a wordsmith. No one has ever attempted to
challenge Halifax: Warden of the North as the definitive history of
Halifax, and it is therefore not surprising that Nimbus Publishing
should release this “Classic Edition,” recognizing full well that an
inexpensive and convenient pocket-sized edition of Raddall’s book
would undoubtedly continue to sell. And indeed, those who wish to
capture the spirit that made Halifax the foremost city, strategic base,
and seaport in the region will be hard-pressed to find a more compelling
and convincing book. Yet buyers should beware! A complex and detailed
historical literature has flowed from the pens of countless historians
during the 30 years since this book was last revised, with the result
that this has become a severely dated history of Halifax. Moreover, and
despite his strong historical sense, Raddall was first and foremost a
storyteller, not a historian. As a result, the book offers debatable
interpretations of personalities and events, and many of its facts can
no longer be accepted at face value. Unfortunately, until a historian
sits down and attempts to do what Raddall did nearly 50 years ago, and
write a new and thoroughly up-to-date history of Halifax, most folks
will continue to rely on Halifax: Warden of the North.