One of Canada’s most dynamic prime ministers, Lester B. Pearson lived a life which took him from a childhood in rural Ontario to the apex of international politics. In the second volume of his memoirs, he provides a first-person account of the busy and challenging decade that followed his entry into politics in 1948.

This volume, completed after Pearson’s death under the supervision of his son Geoffrey, recounts his involvement in Canadian politics and diplomacy as a MP and Secretary of State for External Affairs during the early years of the Cold War. It offers his perspective on issues such as the formation of NATO, Canada’s involvement in the Korean War, and the diplomacy that ended the Suez Crisis and earned Pearson the Nobel Peace Prize in 1957. Two appendices, taken from his diaries, show him hard at work at the United Nations during the Korean crisis.

Mike captures Pearson’s intellect, his sense of humour, and his humanity, offering an inside look at the moments that shaped the twentieth century. This new edition features a foreword by Pearson cabinet minister and former prime minister Jean Chrétien.

Lester B. Pearson (1897–1972) was Canada’s fourteenth prime minister.

Rt Hon Lester B. Pearson's profile page

Jean Chrétien served as Canada's twentieth prime minister.
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Rt Hon Jean Chretien's profile page

‘To anyone attuned to the ripple of humour, these are some of the funniest memoirs produced by a man of action. They are certainly some of the best written.’

Financial Times

‘[Mike] tells the first-hand story of that heady time, and tells it superbly well.’

Globe and Mail