In spite of its status as capital and chief military post in Nova Scotia, Annapolis Royal in 1749 remained a small community, with its early development influenced by its origins as a military settlement. The town would continue to experience tremendous change over the next two hundred and fifty years, witnessing the commercial boom of ship and rail and then the challenges facing rural Canada due to urbanization. Through it all Annapolis Royal has remained nationally significant and quietly dignified. From the devastating fires that ravaged sections of the community and in the spirit of rebirth, Annapolis Royal has emerged as a leader in heritage preservation in Canada. A History of Annapolis Royal, 1749–2005, explores some of the main themes of the town’s story and attempts to understand how and why the town evolved as it did to become the community that it is in the early twenty-first century. The text is accented with 20 historical and contemporary photographs and illustrations and includes an index.