The Dunsmuir Saga brings to life three generations of the legendary Dunsmuir family of Vancouver Island. 
Robert Dunsmuir -- canny, acquisitive and imaginative -- became the richest man in British Columbia; his sons struggled to consolidate the family fortune; his grandchildren spent it. Award-winning author Terry Reksten brings the members of the Dunsmuir family and their colourful saga to life with her lively writing, vivid anecdotes and careful research. A selection of 50 historical photographs depicts the Dunsmuirs and their grand style of life.

The Dunsmuir Saga

Reksten, Terry

Douglas&McIntyre

Ratz" Francis Mawson Rattenbury was only twenty-five years old when he was commissioned to design the new Parliament Buildings for British Columbia, and soon became the most sought after architect in the province. He designed almost every important building of his time in British Columbia, including the Empress Hotel; British Columbia's Government House; court-houses in Vancouver, Nanaimo and Nelson; and Victoria's Crystal Gardens. Rattenbury courted the press his entire career; he thrived on publicity and notoriety, yet in 1930, he left British Columbia and settled into unhappy obscurity in England after a scandalous affair and subsequent marriage to a much younger woman. In 1935, Rattenbury was murdered by his second wife's lover the chauffeur. Released in time to celebrate the centennial of the British Columbia Parliament Buildings, this revised edition examines previously unknown details about Rattenbury's involvement with the Empress Hotel. Terry Reksten also discloses the aftermath of the infamous Rattenbury murder trial, including what happened to the architect's children and George Stoner, the chauffeur convicted of his murder.

Rattenbury

Sono Nis Press

More English than the English: A very social history of Victoria

History

Historical Study & Educational Resources

Orca Book

Award-winning author Terry Reksten chronicles the fascinating history of Dunsmuir Castle. Built by coal baron Robert Dunsmuir, this unique architectural wonder that sits atop the highest point of land in Victoria attracts 100,000 visitors anually. Criagdarroch journies through the castle's chequered past, from the heady days when it was the most expensive residence in Western Canada to the time it became the prize in a lottery so unusual that it was featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not. The author gives special attention to the years the castle housed Victoria College and an undergraduate named Pierre Burton carved his name so deeply into the exquisite panelling that he remains the "king of castle graffiti."

Craigdarroch: The Story of Dunsmuir Castle

Americas

Orca Book Publishers

Douglas and McIntyre

Victoria's Empress Hotel, a hotel in the grand tradition, was built in 1908 by the Canadian Pacific Railway to attract and accommodate wealthy world travellers. Sited in a majestic harbour, surrounded by acres of gardens and offering every modern convenience of the day, the Empress quickly won international renown. It also became the centre of social life in Victoria, hosting everything from sedate meetings of the Imperial Order of the Daughters of the Empire to lively Policemen's Balls. Based on memoirs, interviews and archival records, this is the first full account of the glorious, occasionally scandalous, life and times of one of the world's legendary hotels. The colourful story is told with panache by social historian Terry Reksten, who has a gift for anecdote and a talent for bringing the past to life. Lavishly illustrated with over 100 black-and-white and 30 colour photographs, as well as some drawings, gathered from both public and private collections.

The Empress Hotel: In the grand style

Travel

Food, Lodging & Transportation

The illustrated history of British Columbia

The Illustrated History of British Columbia

Douglas & McIntyre, Limited

The Fairmont Empress: The First Hundred Years

Douglas & McIntyre, Ltd

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Books by Reksten, Terry