BOOK: Previous Owner Markings; Spine Bumped; Light Shelf Rub to Boards; Spine Slightly Cocked; Edges Lightly Soiled. DUST JACKET: Repaired; Moderately Creased; Moderately Chipped; In Archival Quality Jacket Cover. SUB-TITLE: Canada's Prime Ministers from Macdonald to Trudeau. SYNOPSIS: Canadian history dull? Not the way Gordon Donaldson tells it. In this series of bright and lively character sketches of Canada's Prime Ministers, he sheds new light on the lives of these unusual and often unpredictable men. "This book is not an attempt to set up graven images but to survey the adventures of the fifteen lively men who built a nation in defiance of history, geography and climate." And the attempt succeeds, by dealing with the embarrassments as well as the glories, with the private lives as well as the public images. As a result of his extensive research, Donaldson is able to portray with great accuracy the character of each of these men and the temper of the times in which they lived. And so we see the leaders growing up in such different circumstances as the poverty of Mackenzie and the easy wealth of St. Laurent. We follow their careers and home life, discovering the personal tragedies that almost drove Sir John A. Out of politics, the agony of Laurier, torn between his French-Canadian roots and his mission to unite Canada, and the bitter loathing that Mackenzie King and Meighen felt for each other. Each Prime Minister had his own very particular ideals, delusions and idiosyncrasies. Trudeau's youthful escapades, Pearson's reaction to being greeted by President Johnson as "Mr. Wilson," King's contact with the world of spirits and Sir John A.'s close relationship with another world of spirits: all these are examined with a wry wit and an irreverent pen. In office all of these leaders coped with the same problems. And throughout his book Donaldson traces the two central problems of Canadian history - the fear of American domination and the sibling rivalry between English and French Canada - showing how they were met by each of these men in turn. But this book is primarily about fifteen men; these historical trends simply provide a background to Donaldson's incisive and witty examination of the lives of the leaders. As a journalist, Gordon Donaldson was frequently "on the spot" when history was in the making, and his perspective on the political scene has enabled him to explain in this book much that has previously been misunderstood. Many little-known incidents are described in these pages. For instance, here, for the first time, is the previously "top secret" truth about Diefenbaker's handling of the Bomarc missile controversy, which has long caused speculation and condemnation. So here it is! Canadian history in its most interesting and readable form - providing entertainment and information for all readers, from the school child to the housewife to the historian. Discover for yourself the excitement of this nation's history through the personalities of these fifteen men. Size: 8vo - over 7ž" - 9ž" tall. Seller Inventory # 000841

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Bibliographic Details

Title: Fifteen Men

Publisher: Doubleday Canada Limited, Toronto

Publication Date: 1969

Binding: Hard Cover

Illustrator: Don Morrison

Condition: Very Good

Dust Jacket Condition: Good

Edition: Book Club (BCE/BOMC)

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For a good portion of the 1990's, our family was interested in the idea of entering the used book business. We are all avid readers, book lovers, and book collectors who cannot pass a bookstore without popping in. Family trips to the library and our local used bookstore were a regularity while growing up. With each of us having interests in different genres (with a little overlapping here and there), we cover a lot of bases. The thought of having a store of our own was appealing, and the hunt was on - both for stock and a location. We thought to combine under one roof many different things that would appeal to readers and book lovers. Not only used books, but some new items as well. Bookmarks (to ward off dog-eared pages), bookends (to keep those out-of-control collections under control), bookplates (to label books on the "Can I borrow that?" circuit to ensure that they always found their way home), book repair tape (to lend a helping hand to collectors with tattered favourites in their collections), and so on. With an interest in book-themed knick knacks as well, we had two sides to our would-be business: books and knick-knacks. Hence the business was born. In the early part of 1998 we bought a commercial property, and in the summer we first opened our doors in a storefront in Uxbridge, Ontario, Canada. With start-up stock consisting of a garage full of books hand-picked for just such a venture that we purchased from someone who changed their plans, we were in business. For several years we operated in this storefront, growing our business and learning about the industry and the backbone of it - the customers. It was very satisfying to be present at the end of someone's book quest, as we were quite often. Many a time we heard shouts of joy from somewhere in the shop as customers happened upon just what they'd been looking for (oftentimes for quite a while). At other times, people would approach us with bits and pieces of information that they remembered from long ago favourites in hopes that we could at least help them come up with an author or title to help in their search, which we often times did, with the book in hand. And when we couldn't come up with anything on our own, we would pick the brains of other customers in conversation, or turn to the internet for help for them. For us, quality and selection of stock go hand-in-hand with customer service. One isn't much good without the other. But times, people, places, and lives change and after several years in our storefront we made a change of our own - in 2004 we relocated to the internet. Now a home-based business in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada, we are gradually bringing our inventory online here. We carry used paperbacks, hardbacks, and magazines for both adults and children. We have thousands upon thousands of books that are not yet listed for sale on the internet, but are gradually making their way there.

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We guarantee the condition of every book as it's described on the Abebooks web sites. If you're dissatisfied with your purchase (Incorrect Book/Not as Described/Damaged) or if the order hasn't arrived, you're eligible for a refund within 30 days of the estimated delivery date. If you've changed your mind about a book that you've ordered, please use the Ask bookseller a question link to contact us and we'll respond as soon as is possible within 2 business days. Contact Information: usedbookgirl@g...

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