John English (1)Rezensionen

An inward looking biography from the point of view of an outsider. More about the political life of LB Pearson than the man himself. Rather hard going sometimes, focusing on the politics of the period.

I enjoyed reading this biography of Trudeau because it talks about a period of Canadian history that I experienced. LIke many Canadians, I have a fascination with Mr. Trudeau; to quote the opening line of another biography, "He haunts us still."

To me, what this particular biography lacked was analysis. Being a child when Trudeau was first elected, he was part of my environment -- part of the background of my life -- and I didn't judge him or assess his policies and ideas until he'd left office. And this book was like my early memories: here's what happened. I would have liked more.½

Having gone through works by the Nemnis, Ricci, Gwyn, and by the man himself, I've got to state that this is (the) quintessential biography of Pierre E. Trudeau's early years. English spares little to demystify the legendary Trudeau aura and to reveal a man far less confident, and more reliant on luck, than he seemed to us.

Trudeaumania swept Canada in 1968, when I was 6 years old. Growing up in the Trudeau era of federal politics meant an awareness of Canada's growing stature on the world stage and a growing sense of what it meant to be Canadian. John English's biography is a solidly researched, entertaining and educational read. This should be recommended reading for all students of Canadian history.

Ok. I bought this book because I've always been interested in Pierre Trudeau, the last great prime minister of Canada, and thought that since John English had unprecedented access to his personal papers, this would be the real deal. And it is. But what I've discovered is that I just don't have a head for this kind of minutely detailed biography of a political figure, especially his early life. The book can't be faulted at all. It's a magisterial effort by someone who was present for most of this history in the making and who certainly knows both his stuff and how to write. But I will admit that my most heartfelt emotion after this long slog of a book is one of relief that I can get on with something more to my taste.

volume 1

Holdings: v.1