This book dragged on and on. I'm not saying it was interesting. I just feel like I got the main ideas of the book within the first hundred and fifty pages and that the rest had little to offer. I've read many biographies on Trudeau, but never one like this, which was written in 1978 while Pierre Trudeau was still alive and still Prime Minister of Canada.
I really like the format of the first portion of the book. In the author's note, Radwanski explains that he wishes to deal not with politics in Canada during Trudeau's time in office, but rather with Trudeau himself during his time in office and before office. I enjoyed the first chapter, "A Day in the Life" and especially a chapter later on titled, "Political Philosopher," which outlines some of Trudeau's perspectives on how government should ideally work.
I have to admit though. I got bogged down by the intense, detailed analysis of Trudeau and decisions he made. It was a fascinating book, but not something I would read again. Unless you're writing a paper, I would not recommend this one. If, as a casual reader, you're looking for an informative and enjoyable biography on Trudeau, I would recommend one of the following:
- Just Watch Me: The Life of Pierre Elliott Trudeau: 1968-2000 by English, John
- Citizen of the World: The Life of Pierre Elliott Trudeau Volume One: 1919-1968 by English, John
- Trudeau Transformed: The Shaping of a Statesman 1944-1965 (Trudeau, Son of Quebec, Father of Canada) by Max Nemni and Monique Nemni
No comments:
Post a Comment