This beautifully illustrated book tells the story of Casa Loma, Toronto's most famous historic site, and its owner, Sir Henry Pellatt.

Casa Loma took 300 men three years to build at a cost of $3.5 million. Completed in 1914, the castle was enjoyed by Pellatt for only ten years before bankruptcy took it from his hands. Today, Casa Loma is owned and operated by the City of Toronto. This book includes a visual tour of the building as it is today, restored to its turn-of-the-century splendour.

As well, author and historian Bill Freeman tells the colourful story of Pellatt's life, accompanied by a rich variety of archival images. Pellatt was an entrepreneurial and domineering Toronto financier with a central role in the city's financial life at the turn of the century. He lost his fortune and ended his days in very modest circumstances, but he left the city a dramatic landmark building.

Author Bill Freeman takes readers on a full tour of this dramatic hillside castle, illustrated with full-colour photographs by Vincenzo Pietropaolo.

Bill Freeman is an award-winning author who has written historical fiction for young adults, film scripts, documentaries, theatrical plays, educational videos, and non-fiction books. He specializes in writing about Canada and the Canadian experience.

In the 1960s and '70s Bill lived, worked, and studied in Hamilton. The play Glory Days is part of his exploration of the life of the city and its fascinating history. Bill is perhaps best known as the author of novels for young adults set in Canada in the latter part of the nineteenth century called the Bains Series. He is also well known for his books of popular history. His most recent work, Hamilton: A Peopleâ??s History, surveys the cityâ??s often turbulent history. Many of his books have received high critical acclaim and a number of awards. In recent years Bill has worked in the film industry as a writer and historical consultant. He has been on the creative team of many film projects as writer, narrator, and consultant. The projects include a science series for high school students and Mighty Machines II, a made-for-television project for preschool children. Bill Freeman lives on Toronto Island with his partner Paulette.

Bill Freeman's profile page

Vincenzo Pietropaolo is an award-winning photographer whose work has been widely published in Canada and abroad. An Italian-Canadian, he and his family immigrated to Canada in 1959. He is the author of Celebration of Resistance: Ontario's Days of Action (1999), Not Paved With Gold: Italian-Canadian Immigrants in the 1970s (2006), and Harvest Pilgrims: (2010), as well as many other books. In 2010 he was awarded the Cesar E. Chavez Black Eagle Award (Cultural) by the UFCW for his work photographing migrant workers and recording their stories. This work is the basis of Harvest Pilgrims.

Vincenzo Pietropaolo's profile page