11 books for the history buff on your list

Have a history fan on your gift list? Here are 11fiction and nonfiction books about the past that make excellent presents.

You can see the complete CBC Books gift guide here.

A History of Canada in Ten Mapsby Adam Shoalts

What it's about:Historian,archaeologistandgeographer Adam Shoalts has been called one of Canada's greatest living explorers. His latest book,A History Of Canada in Ten Maps, is a researched look at ancient cartography andarchaeologyto documenthow the land we call Canada was shaped. Thebook is onthelonglistfor the 2018RBCTaylor Prize.

Minds of Winterby Ed O'Loughlin

Whatit's about:Minds of Winter,afinalistfor the2017 ScotiabankGiller Prize, representsamix of historical fact and fiction with a bit of the metaphysical thrown in for good measure. The novel is inspired by Sir John Franklin's ill-fated 1845 Arctic expedition, but also weaves in fictional extrapolations of the thoughts and motivations of other notable Arctic explorers, with vivid depictions of the Canadian north.

• How Ed O'Loughlin put himself into the hearts and minds of Arctic explorers

Sing, Unburied, SingbyJesmynWard

What it's about:JesmynWard'sSing, Unburied, Sing,a surreal and poetic novel about a struggling family in Mississippi, won the U.S.-based National Book Award for fiction in 2017. This tale aboutrural21stcentury America is an unflinching look at race, family and power on the Gulf Coast of Mississippi.

• JesmynWard wins National Book Award for Sing, Unburied, Sing

Yardwork by Daniel Coleman

What it's about: When Daniel Coleman decided to move toHamilton, Ont. one of Canada's most polluted cities at the time it started a process of learning more about the history of his newfound home.Using creation myths and geology as a starting point, Coleman looks at the history of the region,through theEuropean settler era and up to the present.Yardworkmeditates on the sedimentary layers of ecological, cultural and history stories that make up Hamilton and the wider Niagara Escarpment region in Ontario.

Strangers with the Same Dreamby Alison Pick

Whatit's about: Toronto-based Alison Pick's novelStrangers with the Same Dreamtransports readers to Palestine in the 1920s, where a groupof young Jewish pioneers set out to realize a utopian dreamthe founding of a kibbutz, or collective community, in the Middle East region now known asIsrael.

• How Alison Pick keeps it real when writing historical fiction

Black and British byDavid Olusoga

What it's about:In Black and British, historianDavid Olusoga explores the relationship between the British Isles and the people of Africa. Olusogalooks at original records, genetics and genealogicalresearch and talks to experts to shine a light on a complex history that dates back to Roman Britain.

The Three Pleasuresby Terry Watada

What it's about:Terry Watada's novel is set in1940s British Columbia and revolves around a dark period in Canada's history.The Japanese have just bombed Pearl Harbour and racial tension is building in Vancouver. The RCMP are rounding up "suspicious" young men, and fishing boats and property are soon seized from Steveston fishers.The story is told through three main characters in the Japanese community: Watanabe Etsuo, Morii Etsuji and Etsu Kagathe Three Pleasures.

The Long Way Homeby JohnDeMont

What it's about:Journalist JohnDeMont'smemoir explores the deep history and heritage of Nova Scotia.The Long Way Homeexamines the veteran journalist'spersonal relationship and historical connections to the Maritime province. The book touches on the originalMi'kmaqinhabitants,the first European colonists and the many cultures and peoples that make up what the province looks like today.

• JohnDeMontexplores the deep history and heritage of Nova Scotia in his new memoir

A Column of Fire by Ken Follett

What it's about: The latest novelfrom bestselling author Ken Follett is an epic story of a 16th century Englandtorn apartby power struggles and religious conflict. Against this historical backdrop,A Column of Fire followsyoung Ned Willardand Margery Fitzgerald, lovers who find themselves on opposite sides of the raging conflict.

• 6 books that influenced Ken Follett's prolific writing life

Arrival: The Story of CanLitby Nick Mount

What it's about:Nick Mount's nonfiction book looks at the rise of Canadian literature in the 1960sand 1970s. While Canadian books were once thought of as "boring," with Arrival, Mount provides evidence that CanLithas established itself as ranking among the best literary writing in the world.

• Why Nick Mount wrote a book about the history of Canadian literature

Dazzle Patterns by Alison Watt

What it's about:Dec. 6, 2017marks 100 years since the Halifax Explosion. British Columbia-based author, teacher and poet Alison Watt'sfirst novel,Dazzle Patterns, is a fictionalized account of a year in the life of three young people in a love triangletrying to deal with life in the aftermath of the explosion.

• Why Alison Watt wrote a novel inspired by the Halifax Explosion