The History of Montreal: The Story of a Great North American City

by Paul-André Linteau, Peter McCambridge (Translator)

This book tells the fascinating story of Montreal, Canada, from prehistoric time through the 21st century. From the Iroquoian community of Hochelaga to the bustling economic metropolis that Montreal has become, this account describes the social, economic, political, and cultural forces and trends that have driven the city’s development, shedding light on the city's French, British, and American influences. Outlining Montreal's diverse ethnic and cultural origins and its strategic geographical position, this lively account shows how a small missionary colony founded in 1642 developed into a leading economic city and cultural center, the thriving cosmopolitan hub of French-speaking North America.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Canada

200 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2013

Reviews

[Nick · Rating 3 out of 5]

The History of Montreal by Paul-André Linteau is a competent and succinct general history of Montreal. It is reasonably informative, reasonably well-constructed, reasonably-sourced, and reasonably balanced. It is also one of the few more up-to-date books on the history of Montreal in the English language, which means that it is, almost by default, the go-to choice for those with an amateur interest in history or those wanting an introduction to the history of Montreal and Quebec.

Otherwise, Linteau's History is nowhere near detailed enough for advanced history students or specialists and it leaves out a surprising number of important and/or interesting historical points of note. These absences include, but are not limited to: virtually anything on the Montreal underground or crime world of any period, Montreal in the 'Roaring 20s,' and, despite the pictures on the back of the book (and the updated publication date) which would lead you to believe otherwise, Montreal in the 21st century.

Being a serious history buff myself, I am somewhat disappointed with this book. I guess I'll have to search for and tackle a better volume in French! That said, I still find Linteau's History to be a solid starting point for launching an exploration into Montreal history, and I would recommend it to, for example, high school or entry-level undergraduate students who are on this quest.

True Rating:3.4 Stars







Notes, points of history and thoughts:


- 1535 and 1541: Cartier visits 'Montreal'

- 1603: Champlain visit (1608 founded Quebec City)

- 1642: (May 17) Maisonneuve founds Montréal (Ville Marie) and keeps it going with much help from Jeanne Mance and her rich financial backer. The colony had a religious mandate, but most colonists were indentured servants who then took free land and bribes to stay, and often sought their fortune in the fur trade.

-- Author claims the Iroquois/Mohawks were very warlike and attempted to control the fur trade

-- There were only around 50 people in Montreal 10 years after its founding

- Pages 38-39: Montreal influence on the Fur Trade

- Page 40: The notion that young Montrealers went west to work in the fur trade in the 1600s/1700s, just like successive waves of Quebecois have done since (tree-planting, fruit-picking, etc.). Many young men went west to hunt beaver...for beaver! Ha ha.

- 1701: the "Great Peace" treaty was signed between the French and the native Nations and allowed the French to expand

- Pierre LeMoyne D'Iberville was a very interesting guy from Montreal who founded Louisiana in 1699, and whose brother, Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne, Sieur de Bienville, founded New Orleans in 1718.

** Thought -- not exactly new but -- colonies are/were like children! **

- 1759: Plains of Abraham at QC

- 1760: Fall of Montreal to 3 British/American armies

- Page 60: After the conquest, the English and the Scottish, led by many Scots in the Northwest Company (Frobisher, McGill, McTavish), pushed the French out of the fur trade

- Early 1800s - 1830s: British immigration population explosion in Montreal -- English, Scottish and Irish now everywhere. English language and architecture take over much of Montreal.

- Montreal became a city of tenants due to massive influxes of poor rural French and urban Irish in particular

- Late 1800s: Raymond Préfontaine set up a dominant French political machine, and the French populists would dominate Montreal politics up until the present day, with a few exceptions, after years of alternating French/English mayors.

- Viau Cookie Company a large player in the 1800s

- WWI: Ethnic tensions, conscription riots, and the end of Anglophone Montreal mayors (Until Applebaum)

- 1940-1944: Popular mayor Camillien Houde arrested and detained for four years for speaking out against the war

[Yohan Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good read for someone wanting to grasp a broad understanding of the story that is Montreal. If you are expecting an in-depth exploration of Montreal's history, this book may not be for you. However, this book does a fine job in letting the reader understand the major themes that have coloured and made the city what it is today. If you are an anglophone living in Montreal, you might find it rather perplexing to understand Quebec/Montreal culture. This book does a fine job in helping the english reader understand that.

[Alexander · Rating 4 out of 5]

As I will begin working in a professional capacity partially in Montreal this coming April, I wanted to deepen my understanding of a city that has long held a certain allure for me—a mix of admiration and curiosity shaped by its unique character and my love of its sacred hockey team. Paul-André Linteau’s The History of Montreal, translated seamlessly by Peter McCambridge, proved to be an insightful and engaging guide. The book traces the city’s evolution from its Indigenous roots and French colonial beginnings to its emergence as a vibrant metropolis.

Beyond the discussion simply of Montreal’s place in Canada history, Linteau paints a compelling picture of the municipal political landscape—detailing the constant push and pull between local and provincial authorities, language debates, and urban planning struggles that still resonate in contemporary Montreal. I found this to be one of the more interesting themes, albeit with the book published originally in 2007, readers are certainly left to extrapolate the last two decades on their own.

Beyond its politics and institutions, the book is also a celebration of sorts of the city’s dynamic identity, including in its hey-day leading up to the 1976 Olympics. Linteau captures the waves of immigration that have shaped the city’s neighborhoods, the economic transformations that have fueled its growth, and the cultural vibrancy that defines its many famous streets. In preparing to be in Montreal much more often, The History of Montreal has given me a richer appreciation of not just where Montreal has been, but where it is headed. It has also offered me a significant list of places to visit, which I look forward to working through over these next few years!

[Jason Machinski · Rating 5 out of 5]

For lovers of Montreal this will be a revealing look at this old city's long and very intriguing history. You should know a bit about the city before you get into this book though, as some knowledge of the layout and geography of the city does help.

[Anne Potter · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a Montrealer, I loved this read.

For those who want a skimming and overarching but informative history of the island of Montreal, this book is a must. From the island's budding beginnings as a fur trade hub to the culture rich and culture-conflicted metropolis it is today, Linteau takes us on the whole of the journey from a removed and pithy standpoint. I loved learning and revisiting facts about my own city and believe anyone with an interest in Montreal should read this also. If you don't, how else would you discover that Montreal police turned a blind eye to prostituion and gambling in the 1950s which (completely questionably to my character) I found to be quite awesome?

It's written in edible little paragraphs so that you aren't making an academic and mind-melting commitment, but you do feel richer at the end of it. I will be keeping this book within reach for a re-read.

For those who want to delve into Montreal history in full detail, heavily plunging into each political gambit or rise and fall of the dollar, you'll need a heavier volume than this.

[M. Apple · Rating 2 out of 5]

Definitely the work of a revisionist historian. The Québécois can do no wrong! The Irish are British! The Catholic Church was accommodating! The details are not just lacking; often, they are wrong or simply omitted. The final paragraph of the last content chapter conveniently dismisses rampant corruption in the Montréal construction industry in a single offhanded sentence. The influence of the Parti Québécois is not even mentioned.

What’s written is well-written. But this book is entirely dismissible. No wonder it took so long to be translated. (And the translation of several terms - for example, “Aboriginal” for First Nations or Amerindians - is subpar.)

Give this book a pass. There are plenty more books about Montréal.

[Susie Maclean · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great little book. I wanted to understand more about Montréal culture and history ahead of a visit and this was a perfect book for that purpose. It was very approachable and well written. I was reminded of my lessons in elementary/high school English class. You should start each paragraph with a topic sentence. Honestly I had not much thought about that lesson for many years until I read this lovely book. The author is a master of topic sentences. It made reading the history a true breeze and a delight. And, as I had hoped, I now have some understanding of the origins and manifestations of the conflicts through the years between the French and English in Montréal. Bonus: I am in love with the city even before my first visit.

[Ion · Rating 3 out of 5]

In my search for better understanding of my city, I discovered this little book by Paul-André Linteau, a history professor at the Université du Québec à Montréal.
It was almost like a Powerpoint presentation of the city's history, not developing much the historical periods of development, apart from the time of the founding of the city, which is more detailed. But the book gives a great perspective for understanding the particularities of Montréal and of French-Canadians in general.
A good start for the study of the city I started to call home 15 years ago.

[Stef · Rating 4 out of 5]

As someone new to Montreal, this gave a good bros picture of its history and some major key points in the forming of the culture we see today. It’s a great jumping off point to dive deeper into subjects the reading finds interesting.

It did a good job of summarizing historical information and keeping things “not boring” - from someone who doesn’t normally read history books this was appreciated.

A note that besides Jeanne Mance, there is very little mentioned about how women contributed to the shaping of the city.

[Clayton Porter · Rating 3 out of 5]

The History of Montreal by Paul-Andre Linteau is rather short and general, not weighed down by details and analysis into one particular time in the city’s history. Within 198 pages it covers over 400 years of history. But with only a two day upcoming trip this year to the largest city in Quebec, this book is exactly what I am, and others could be, looking for.

We learn of the city origins as a Catholic Mission, struggling with harsh winters and wars with Native American tribes. The inhabitants of Montreal and its leadership saw the city as a promising place. Positioned right along the St. Lawrence river, the city was envisioned to be a center for the fur trade. Then later, the gateway of goods arriving from Europe then flowing eastward into the rest of the Canada. Each chapter jumps about 50 years at a time, explaining the transformation from a church dominant mission, to a French town by language and culture but one where the British flag was flown above the streets and capital buildings. The book highlights how the industrial revolution was not isolated within the borders of the United States but influenced Montreal in the 1920s. Then touches on a post industrial revolution rise of the French spirit in the 1960s and 1970s, with many citizens embracing their roots. Concluding with a chapter on recent decades, showing Montreal's modern position in the world.

Wanting an easily digestible book on the history of Montreal, this book was exactly what I was looking for. The author balances facts and details, but does not bog the reader down with one topic. The book isn't for an aspiring historian of Canadian or Montreal, rather for a traveler wanting a brief overview. The read was enlightening to the history of our friends up north, hopefully helping me to appreciate the upcoming trip there even more.

[Patrice Voss · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was interested in learning the history of my hometown - and this book somewhat delivered. The book doesn't go into a whole lot of detail but outlines the main timeline and events that shaped the city into what it is today. A very factual book that could have been more written in a more engaging manner.

[Ericka Wicks · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this shortly after moving to Montreal and probably enjoyed it so much because I've walked through most of the areas being discussed. It's too bad it stopped right before chronicling the Charbonneau Commission.

[Jeramey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Simply too short. Left me with the feeling that stuff was being left out.

[Elijah Reinhardt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brief introduction to the city's history. Doesn't go into a whole lot of detail but outlines the timeline & events that shaped the city.

[Frederick Reed · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book but would like to find another history book about Montreal and the surrounding region that goes into a lot more detail.

[Guillaume Morissette · Rating 3 out of 5]

Basic

[George Minehart · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very accessible and quick read. Really liked the first couple of chapters.

[Lori Noel · Rating 2 out of 5]

white western perspective only

[L · Rating 4 out of 5]

Succinct, and interesting context for visiting the city.

[Chris D'Antonio · Rating 4 out of 5]

I believe I read the French language version of this short history and found it well written. The author focuses on the individuals who made Montreal, transitioning into large transformative groups, while also featuring prominent great men. I was hoping a little more for the nuts and bolts behind the creation of the city: when utilities were created and how they delivered service, an approach to the city's unique culture and how it became cultivated, and greater depth on the more notable private and public development projects.

[Leif · Rating 3 out of 5]

A brief introductory survey of Montréal, but one that ultimately feels more lightweight than entirely worthwhile – I expected more, I suppose, than a few names of famous men and general trends in urban demographics. There must be more relevant, recent, and in-depth Anglophone histories of Montréal available!

[Doria · Rating 3 out of 5]

Informative, if unsexy, brief read on the history and making of the city of Montréal.