Notes from the Century Before: A Journal from British Columbia

by Edward Hoagland, David Quammen (Introduction), Jon Krakauer (Editor)

In 1966, Edward Hoagland made a three-month excursion into the wild country of British Columbia and encountered a way of life that was disappearing even as he chronicled it. Showcasing Hoagland’s extraordinary gifts for portraiture—his cast runs from salty prospector to trader, explorer, missionary, and indigenous guide— Notes from the Century Before is a breathtaking mix of anecdote, derring-do, and unparalleled elegy from one of the finest writers of our time.

Genres: Travel, History, Canada, Nonfiction, Nature, Adventure, Outdoors

304 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1969

About the author

Edward Hoagland (born December 21, 1932, in New York, New York) is an author best known for his nature and travel writing. His non-fiction has been widely praised by writers such as John Updike, who called him "the best essayist of my generation."

Reviews

[D · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this over a period of about 6 months, which says more about my life at the time, than the book itself. I'd often only get through a few pages in bed before falling asleep. I'm not huge on the diary format, but past that pretty quick. I was initially worried that I wouldn't take to the format of interviews and profiles, but it worked fairly well for me. I was at times bored, but once I finally got to sit down and read more at once, I started getting into it more and more. Towards the end, I was quite looking forward to it, as it would relax me and take me away. And by the end of the book, I'd forgotten how modern it was, so when the author mentions Vietnam and such, it's a bit of a shock. Overall, it's a great book and I'd definitely recommend it, but I do have some advice. You'll get far more out of the book if you've been through the area. That goes without saying. But even then, since there's only a map or two in the book, I'd consider finding a map, or even just google mapping the names of places as the come up, to give you a sense of the ground covered. I was more familiar with the Cassiar Highway area (Telegrach Creek, Eddontenajon, etc), and so I was surprised when I finished the book and realized how far east the recollections of the old folks covers (Findlay River, etc). If you're in BC, I'd get the Backroad Mapbook for Northern BC. If you're not from the area at all, at least do a few fly-by's with Google Earth to really get a sense of the enormity and remoteness of stunning beauty of it all.

[Ward · Rating 4 out of 5]

Exactly the kind of book I love, the daily minutia of backwoods oddballs with lots of natural history thrown in. Nostalgic but not in the sentimental, sappy way but just in it’s atmosphere and the sense that the world used to be a much bigger place. Before easy transportation and communication made us a big interconnected global village. I think in all the conveniences we’ve really lost something.

[Whitney · Rating 2 out of 5]

Couldn't take the casual 1960s racism and misogyny.

[Setters Pub · Rating 4 out of 5]

**Book Review: *Notes from the Century Before: A Journal from British Columbia* by Edward Hoagland**
*(with introduction by David Quammen and edited by Jon Krakauer)*

Edward Hoagland’s *Notes from the Century Before* is a haunting, lyrical, and deeply observant travelogue through the wild and isolated corners of British Columbia in the late 1960s. With the keen eye of a naturalist and the heart of a storyteller, Hoagland records his journey north through the province, capturing the voices of trappers, prospectors, homesteaders, and Indigenous communities, all on the brink of a world that’s slowly vanishing.

This journal-style narrative is not only about the geography of British Columbia, but also about its people—those living in near-complete isolation, surrounded by rivers, mountains, and forests, and navigating the fragile balance between self-reliance and survival. Hoagland writes with remarkable empathy and nuance, often blurring the line between journalism and literature. His reflections on wilderness, community, aging, and change feel just as relevant today as they did over 50 years ago.

David Quammen’s introduction and Jon Krakauer’s editorial guidance frame the book with reverence and context, making it accessible for modern readers who might be discovering Hoagland for the first time. It’s not a book filled with action, but with atmosphere, insight, and an overwhelming sense of place. The result is a meditative, poetic, and honest snapshot of British Columbia’s remote interior—one that lingers in the reader’s mind long after the final page.

Reading *Notes from the Century Before* is best done slowly, preferably with a quiet evening ahead and a drink in hand. And if you're in British Columbia, there’s no better place to reflect on Hoagland’s journey than a cozy, local spot like Setters Neighbourhood Pub & Liquor Store in Salmon Arm. With its warm atmosphere, hearty food, and friendly service, Setters is the kind of place where stories still live and are shared over a cold pint or a warm plate. It’s a reminder that while much has changed since Hoagland’s journey, the spirit of BC—its landscapes, its people, and its stories—still thrives in places both wild and welcoming.

In all, Notes from the Century Before is more than a travel journal—it’s a love letter to a rugged, untamed part of Canada, written by a man who knew how to listen as much as observe. A must-read for lovers of nature writing, Canadian history, and quiet, profound reflection.

[Terry · Rating 3 out of 5]

This writing grew on me. It is written as a daily journal from the time Mr. Hoagland leaves NYC through his 1966 summer in Telegraph Creek, northern British Columbia. The land is wild, full of mighty mountains, the big Stikine river, animals, and crusty old men. The author's days pass talking to these people and observing the land and along the way we get to like the narrator for his interests and perseverance. The extent of trapping seemed brutal and the condition of the first nation people sad, but those observations were likely accurate. I found the book because its forward is written by Krakauer and Quammen.

[Andrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

A young American travels to northern British Columbia to talk to and document stories from old timers before it is too late. He keeps returning to the village of Telegraph Creek and you get the feeling that he would almost want to settle there he loves the area so much. I can relate somewhat as I have travelled to this remote place myself. I do enjoy the stories from the pioneers that he talks to. However, over half the book is overly long descriptions of the wilderness trails, valleys, mountains and streams that he travels. Overly abstract and poetic mostly in my opinion, though others may more appreciate his wordsmanship.

[Kyle · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read an original, 1969 edition. A more modern edition, especially with some better maps or notes that put more of the stories in context, may have earned another star. There's definitely some unfiltered period racism and misogyny, but for me the weirdest thing was the out of place sexual interludes. I wanted to learn about live in British Columbia as the interior was just being settled; I did not want to learn about thrusting like a surf board, or listen to him brag about his series of one night stands.

[Maurice Kerins · Rating 4 out of 5]

It seems a bit of a long read at times, hearing so many similar accounts of life in BC, but I think that speaks to the author’s thoroughness. Can’t help but conclude that while the country was vast enough to have absorbed some white homesteading immigration, that the arrival of miners, mining companies, whiskey, and missionaries was the death knell for First Nation social order.

[Mike Sigler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Writing style is very different, conversational with frequent asides, yet compelling. Tells stories of long ago in wilderness British Columbia and Alaska as told by those still alive. Sort of an anthology of short stories focused on the old timers.

[Jc · Rating 1 out of 5]

This could have been an interesting book: the description of the characters who chose to live in the middle of nowhere in the early 20th century. Unfortunately, what we have is a travel journal with the list of a number of individuals who are not given any life. It is like reading a telephone book.

[Martha · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is ebullient prose. Travel writers are often so romantic. They work for the lovely simile the apt, powerful verb and here we have them. Hoagland sets the book up as a diary of his time in the wilds of British Columbia. He interviews the men who came out to look for gold and map the territory. It is the 1960's and Hoagland is a young man excited by the place, the people (mostly men here. The women are only stolid, crazy or both - one man Hoagland interviews tells him if he wanted to know the place, the past times, he should have talked to a woman). The men are a tough bunch of great characters. But there are prejudices here and cruelty and striking disregard for animals (many of my friends would be disgusted.). We know Hoagland knows all of this but he never preaches and I liked that. He has come to record a world he thinks is dying, a group of men who knew incredible physical hardship, craved it and the independence that came with it. They are not surrounded by their children in their old age. At the time of the writing, most
of their offspring have fled to the 20th century.

[Pang · Rating 3 out of 5]

A lovely story of the life up in the Caribou Country. Having visited British Columbia recently and hiked some trails, I can appreciate a lot of Hoagland's observations and experiences. The area of the province he visited is even further north than I was at. You have to be tough to endure such living conditions. Hoagland described life there as lonely, but it didn't seem like anyone wanted to leave. As the matter of fact, people kept showing up to stay. May be to test your strength in the wild? There's definitely some romance to that, I suppose.

I would have enjoyed the book a bit more if it was written in a different format, other than diary. I didn't feel like I could get immerse into the story and the characters as solidly as I'd like to. Still, I can picture the landscape he'd seen and imagine the conversations with the locals.

[Richard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hoagland writes like I want to write, he lived like I want to live. I think Roth or Updike, both writers whose styles I do not care for---but their opinions?Yes---one of them said something to the effect of "he shoulda won a Nobel"..others have called him "Americas greatest essayist alive". I'd say he's our best, hands down. Whatshe write about isnt the question---what does he NOT write about.This particular book is one long essay, the characters are fleshed, as in a novel, the descriptions of the natural world rival Annie Dillard, even Whitman.Every little drop of Hoagland makes me want to go ---even Africa. I dont like Africa, because I dont like bugs or diseases.But, his essays on South Sudan and other parts of sub Saharan Africa had me craving to go.

[Ted · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've never read a book of observation (that's literal, by which I mean looking; at the mountains, at people, etc.) in which so much is obstructed from view. Hoagland plays it close to the parka in this book, infuriatingly and without recovery. The writing is superb, however.

[Janelle V. Dvorak · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating reading about the author's stay in the interior of British Columbia.

[Chris K · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read if you like British Columbia history or wilderness, or both.

[Kathryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Makes you wish you lived in the northern B.C. backcountry.