Fire and Ashes: Success and Failure in Politics (Micheal Ignatieff)

I swear I didn't buy this book because of its attractive cover, although I have to admit it's why I pulled the book off the shelf. I've never seen anything quite like it. That is to say, I've never seen a published book that still looks like manuscript on the outside, although I've read many a book that reads like a first draft manuscript on the inside. 

Now, I'm not a Liberal or even a Liberal party supporter. I have to admit, I would prefer a Liberal led government over a Conservative one, but I'm not in the practice of choosing the lesser of two evils when there is another option. 

Putting aside my personal political views, I'll turn my attention to the book at hand, Fire and Ashes by Michael Ignatieff, the former leader of the Federal Liberal party of Canada who rode the helm of the party as they crashed in the 2011 election, loosing their status as the official opposition and becoming a meager third party. The book does cover this portion of Ignatieff's career. 

I would refer to the book as less of an autobiography and more of a memoir of Ignatieff's time in politics, beginning with his youth in the 1960s and ending with his disgraced exit from politics after the 2011 election. Initially, I was a little taken aback by the way in which he begins his book. He writes of encounters with Pierre Trudeau and Lester B. Pearson, but also of his family's great feats. His puts a lot of stock into the greatness of his Russian heritage who, we are told, were minor nobility. He also spends a small section flaunting the fact that his father was "almost" appointed governor general under Pierre Trudeau. 

I have to admit, I do like Ignatieff's perception of ideal politics. Through out the book he expresses a distaste for partisan politics over cooperation; he despises the way MPs in the legislature see each other as enemies rather than opponents. What is comes down to is that the war metaphor and partisan politics poison politics and as Ignatieff implies bad blood prevent politicians from effectively teaming up and working together in times of crisis. 

 Naturally, there were many points in Ignatieff's book which I do not agree with. For example, he stated that simply because he had been out of Canada for thirty years prior to 2005, which was about five or six years before the Federal election in which he ran for Prime Minister, didn't mean he couldn't effectively represent the people of Canada. Sure, being out of Canada does not make a person any less of a Canadian, but to spend thirty years elsewhere surely represents a lack of devotion to home politics. I'm surprised Ignatieff wasn't at least out of touch with current issues. But then, I suppose a team of well educated staff must have written hundreds of memos, giving him a quick snapshot of key issues. 

I'm not bashing Ignatieff, I'm just saying it wasn't his time or his place to try for Prime Minister. Surely, years ago when we gained our sovereignty, we put aside the idea of a Prime Minister who has spent the majority of his adult life abroad prior to running for election. 

Overall, I enjoyed the book. If you're looking for a light political read, or simply a better understanding of who governed the Liberal party prior to Justin Trudeau and after Stephane Dion, this is the book for you. Then again, maybe you just want something to pass a few hours in a bus station or on a plane with which won't put you to sleep but make you feel good for reading something educational. God knows. Read the book, or don't :)