CONFEDERATION: A SHORT HISTORY OF CANADA'S CONSTITUTION Morton, Desmond Toronto, Umbrella Press, 1992. 52pp, galley, $14.95, ISBN 1-895642-00-0. (Living History series). CIP Grades 7 and up/Ages 12 and up Reviewed by Donna J. Adrian Volume 20 Number 4 1992 September Noted historian and teacher, Desmond Morton has written an account of Canada's constitutional crises with clarity and simplicity. The book, in thirty-nine pages, traces the roots of today's constitutional crisis, summarizing the political situation in the United Provinces of Canada in 1864, the idea of confederation as discussed at the Charlottetown Conference of 1864, the disagreement between the French and English, the reservations of the Maritime provinces, the political will and conciliation necessary for the constitution to be signed in 1867, and the expansion of Canada from "sea to sea." The final chapter on constitutional reform, the Meech Lake Accord, and the current negotiations is weak. If a new accord is signed, I hope the book will be updated and the last chapter more clearly written. There are five pages of brief selected biographies of the major participants, past and present, in the constitutional debates. Photographs accompany the biographies. There are also five pages of good questions for discussion based on each chapter. The book is well illustrated with photographs, graphs, cartoons, copies of documents, etc. It is unfortunate that the picture on page 31 is out of sequence. A short bibliography and an index are included. This is the first in a "Living History" series designed to present a continuum reflecting on the impact events of the past have on today's society. This first book meets the aim of the series. Donna J. Adrian is Co-ordinator of Libraries with the Laurenval School Board in Laval, Quebec.