The bestseller from James Raffan, Emperor of the North tells the story of Sir George Simpson, whose extraordinary life coincided with the success of one of the greatest commercial empires in history: the Hudson’s Bay Company, a vast trading venture that became the world’s oldest continuous commercial enterprise.
James Raffan is one of our foremost authorities on the North, the wilderness and the canoeing tradition. He is the author of Fire in the Bones, the acclaimed bestselling biography of Bill Mason; Bark, Skin and Cedar: Exploring the Canoe in Canadian Experience; and Deep Waters. He is also the editor of Rendezvous with the Wild: The Boreal Forest and The Lure of Faraway Places. Raffan is a fellow and former governor of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society, and has served as chair of the Arctic Institute of North America. A recipient of the Queen's Golden Jubilee Medal, he is the curator of the Canadian Canoe Museum in Peterborough. He lives in Seeley's Bay, Ontario.
“Raffan has made a significant contribution to the ever-evolving saga of 19th-century North America.” — The Globe and Mail
“Raffan handles his history admirably. . .an unflinching yet sympathetic look at an important nation-builder.” — The Walrus
With this book, James Raffan joins the ranks of Pierre Berton and Peter C. Newman. — Farley Mowat
Raffan has spun the fetid straw of [George Simpson’s] life into a golden book. — Ken McGoogan
A significant contribution to the ever-evolving saga of nineteenth-century North America. — Globe and Mail (Toronto)
Raffan handles his history admirably . . . . An unflinching yet sympathetic look at an important nation-builder. — The Walrus
A balanced, well-documented, yet engaging and colourful story. — The Beaver
. . . A wonderful read to be treasured . . . one of those rare books you don’t want to finish. — Peter C. Newman, The Literary Review of Canada
