Who Was Canada’s Best Prime Minister?
A Maclean’s Debate, Featuring Richard Gwyn and Allan Levine
- Publisher
- Rogers Publishing Limited
- Initial publish date
- Feb 2013
- Category
- General
-
eBook
- ISBN
- 9780888966063
- Publish Date
- Feb 2013
- List Price
- $1.99
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Description
Sir John A. Macdonald and William Lyon Mackenzie King—30 years separated their terms as prime minister, but the argument over which was Canada’s greatest leader continues to this day. Was it Macdonald, whose vision and single-mindedness gave birth to the nation, but whose weakness for alcohol and bribe-taking taint his image to this day? Or was it King, the man who would hold together the nation through war, but who is often remembered for communing with spirits and prostitutes?In search of an answer, Maclean’s invited historian Allan Levine, author of King: A Life Guided by the Hand of Destiny, and journalist Richard Gwyn, who penned a biography of Macdonald, Nation Maker, to debate which man deserves the title of Canada’s greatest prime minister. The two historians sparred over each man’s legacy, delving into their respective victories, faults and the intangible qualities needed to be considered a great leader.
About the authors
Richard Gwyn is one of Canada’s best-known and most highly-regarded political columnists. He is also the author of seven bestselling books including The Northern Magus and Nation Maker. He is the winner of two National Newspaper Awards, a National Magazine Award, and of five citations for merit. A journalist since 1953, Gwyn was the national affairs columnist for the Toronto Star and a frequent commentator on CBC television and radio. In 2002 he was named an Officer of the Order of Canada. He lives in Toronto, Ontario.
Allan Levine is an award-winning author and historian who has written thirteen books, including King (Douglas & McIntyre, 2011), the critically acclaimed biography of Mackenzie King that won the Alexander Kennedy Isbister Award for Non-Fiction. He is a historical consultant on the documentary Jewish Partisans, currently under production by Emmy-winning documentary filmmaker Julia Mintz. A versatile author who moves easily between popular non-fiction and fiction, Levine has written four historical mysteries. His first mystery, The Blood Libel, won the Margaret McWilliams Award for historical fiction and was nominated for the Chapters/Books in Canada First Novel Award and the Arthur Ellis Award for Best First Novel. He lives in Winnipeg, MB.
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