At the dawn of the nineteenth century, the British Empire is engaged in a titanic war with Napoleonic France for global supremacy. The American Republic is quickly expanding its territory along the western frontier, while native peoples struggle to protect their lands from the relentless wave of new settlers.Bestselling author and scholar James Laxer offers a fresh and compelling view of this decisive war, by bringing to life two major contests: the native peoples' Endless War to e...

Staking Claims to a Continent is a highly readable examination of how Jefferson Davis, Abraham Lincoln, and Sir John A. Macdonald took part in a daring game of nation building that has impacted the global order to the present day.Three political leaders presided over the reshaping of the North American continent during the fiery 1860s. Jefferson Davis and Abraham Lincoln were both born in Kentucky, Davis in June 1808 and Lincoln the following February. Joh...

In this Anansi Digital Publication, James Laxer analyzes the descent of the United States into civil conflict. At a time when American society is roiled by deep divisions over immigration, guns, the role of the state, and the economic crisis, Laxer makes the case that serious conflict is likely to be generated from the right of the American political spectrum, from the forces he refers to as "Old America."Laxer poses the provocative question: Is the United States once again "A Hous...

The remarkable memoir of growing up in a communist family at the height of the Cold War, by the late historian, public intellectual, and political activist, James Laxer.Originally published in 2004, Red Diaper Baby is James Laxer’s extraordinary memoir of growing up in a communist family during the height of the Cold War. When Jim was born his father was in hiding under an assumed name. When it came time to begin school, Jim was enrolled under a false birt...

An evocative and beautifully written history of some of Canada’s earliest settlers, and their search for a definitive home.In 1604, a small group of migrants fled political turmoil and famine in France to start a new colony on Canada’s east coast. Their roughly demarcated territory included what are now Canada’s Maritime provinces, land that was fought over by the British and French empires until the Acadians were finally expelled in 1755. Their diaspora persists to this day.

In this Anansi Digital Publication, James Laxer takes the pulse of America from the vantage point of Southern California at a time when the United States is riven with debates about immigration, guns, and how to tackle the economic crisis.From his perch in a little cottage in wealthy La Jolla on the outskirts of San Diego, Laxer talked to local people in the winter of 2013 on the streets, in cafes, at a gun shop, onboard an aircraft carrier, outside Mitt Romney’s new monster house,...

"[The Groundwork Guides] are excellent books, mandatory for school libraries and the increasing body of young people prepared to take ownership of the situations and problems previous generations have left them." -- Globe and Mail Oil, our main source of energy, underlies the world's economy. In the twentieth century its availability and relatively low price allowed for the industrial growth and development of the world's leading economies. The new rapidly developing giants, India and Chin...

A fascinating look at empires and imperialism, and the new kind of empire the United States has become. An excellent introduction for young adults.The United States presides over the most far-flung imperial system ever established. Empire compares the American Empire to those of the past, finding that much can be learned from the fates of the British, Roman, Chinese, Incan, and Aztec empires.James Laxer draws ominous parallels with the British who ...

An investigation of the origins of democracy in a range of countries and societies, from ancient Greece to modern times, and the threats that democracy is under today. An excellent introduction to democracy for young adults.In this eye-opening work, political scientist and award-winning author James Laxer warns readers that our common assumptions about democracy — that it is a natural progression of advanced societies and that it is on the rise worldwide — are misg...

Insightful, prescient and often funny, The Border explores what it means to be Canadian and what Canada means to the giant to our south.If good fences make good neighbours, do we have the sort of fence that will allow us to maintain neighbourly relations with the world’s only superpower?In The Border, well-known political scientist and journalist James Laxer explores this question by taking the reader on a compelling 5000-mile journey into ...

In this digital publication, James Laxer writes a diary of the time he spent in California in the winter of 2014 during the great drought.  In Los Angeles and the vicinity of Palm Springs, Laxer looks at the golden state at a time when its way of life is facing an existential threat as a consequence of the worst drought in the history of the state.  To Laxer, Palm Springs and the Coachella Valley, where the lawns and golf courses are lush green, has the feel of the last d...

The purpose of this writing is to shake up the NDP in a time of turbulent transformation. In truth, in many parts of the country, and that certainly includes Ontario, even politically active millennials don’t have a clear idea of what distinguishes the NDP from the other political parties. That is a flashing warning sign.Can the NDP be overhauled from bottom to top to make it the voice of a new generation that faces a whole host of unique challenges? If it is not overhauled, it wil...