Bill Reid once called Haida Gwaii, or the Queen Charlotte Islands, the "Shining Islands." Now, as never before, author Ian Gill and photographer David Nunuk show just why these fabled islands at the western edge of Canada have fascinated and enchanted people for thousands of years.Comprised of three different, very personal journeys, Haida Gwaii captures much of the potency of a unique place and people, largely thanks to Gill's wry observations and poetic insight and Nunuk's breathtaking colour photography. Gill himself says, "the voices are loud, the characters vividly drawn, the wildlife abundant and at times exotic, the geography surreal, the history bloody."It is all here: the past and present exploits of the remarkable Haida people; the coming of European colonizers; the environmental ravages and latter-day campaigns to reverse the damage already done; the quiet dignity and eloquence of the Ninstints totem poles; and the wild beauty of Gwaii Haanas, "the Place of Wonder.".