The writer and historian Stephen Bown discusses his new book, The Company: The Rise and Fall of the Hudson’s Bay Company (Doubleday, 2020), with Joseph Planta.

The Company: The Rise and Fall of the Hudson’s Bay Company by Stephen Bown (Doubleday, 2020). Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: The Company

Text of introduction by Joseph Planta:

I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca.

Stephen Bown joins me again. The acclaimed writer has just published a new book, The Company: The Rise and Fall of the Hudson’s Bay Company. He looks at the 350-year history of the Hudson’s Bay Company, from a small trading concern in the inland subarctic of what would be Canada, through to the political juggernaut it would become, influencing the culture and economy. Mr. Bown discusses the relationships between the English aristocrats who came here and the Indigenous then, through to the arrival of Governor George Simpson, who assumed political control and invoked dominance in his treatment of the Indigenous. He is one of history’s greatest villains, and Stephen writes about him and his legacy. The legacy of The Company is thoughtfully considered in a new light considering it’s been about thirty years since Peter C. Newman’s books on the Hudson’s Bay Company. I ask Stephen about those books and where his book might differ. It’s an engaging book and even though it’s history we all know at this point, it’s still a compelling read from the author of ten books on the history of exploration, science, and ideas. Stephen Bown’s books on subjects such as the mystery of scurvy, the Treaty of Tordesillas, Captain George Vancouver, and Roald Amundsen, have been translated into nine languages and won many awards. His last book The Island of Blue Foxes was shortlisted for the RBC Taylor Prize. This new book is from Doubleday. Visit Stephen’s website at www.stephenrbown.net. Please welcome back to the Planta: On the Line program, Stephen Bown; Mr. Bown, good morning.

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