Detroit: Who Built Her? Who Broke Her? 1620 to 1890 by Douglas Jamiel documents the history of the Great Lakes region, examining factors that shaped her and what eventually broke her. The book takes readers to the beginning, in the mid-1800s, to a place where the French trappers sparred with British soldiers. The influence of the French Jesuits who fought for the souls of men and the army that wanted to gain control of the trade are eminently documented. Readers are introduced to the key players, the powers, and the ideas that shaped Detroit and Michigan, starting from the French trappers to pre-industrial influences in the late 1800s. The book documents how the changes that took place affected the indigenous people, exploring historical realities like racism and ethnocentrism.

Detroit: Who Built Her? Who Broke Her? 1620 to 1890 is a well-researched and intelligently crafted history book that offers a dazzling image of the Great Lakes region. Douglas Jamiel is meticulous in his investigation of the history of this remarkable region and the author offers details with clarity and in language that is gorgeous. At the heart of this historical narrative are the following important question: “How did this once great city become a decrepit skeleton of its former self?” The readers are introduced to the struggle for control between the French, the British, and the Dutch in this spellbinding book. Figures like General Anthony Wayne, John Jacob Astor, Lewis Cass, Andrew Jackson, John Gentle, William Hull, Alexis de Tocqueville, Henry Charles Carey, and many others are names that readers will become familiar with as they follow their influence in the life and evolution of Detroit. This book is incisive, confidently written, and extensively researched. The book gives readers historical facts about the rise and fall of Detroit and who mattered in her history.