Sull'Autore
P.B. Waite is professor emeritus of history at Dalhousie University, Halifax, and one of the leading historians of the Confederation period. He is former president of the Canadian Historical Association and former chairman of the Humanities Research Council of Canada
Opere di P. B. Waite
The Life and Times of Confederation 1864-1867: Politics, Newsapers and the Union of British North America (1962) 27 copie
Pre-Confederation, Vol. 2 3 copie
Opere correlate
Etichette
Informazioni generali
- Nome legale
- Waite, Peter Busby
- Data di nascita
- 1922
- Sesso
- male
- Nazionalità
- Canada
- Luogo di nascita
- Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Luogo di residenza
- Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
- Organizzazioni
- Dalhousie University
Utenti
Recensioni
Premi e riconoscimenti
Statistiche
- Opere
- 20
- Opere correlate
- 1
- Utenti
- 147
- Popolarità
- #140,982
- Voto
- 3.7
- Recensioni
- 1
- ISBN
- 35
This accessible biography is one of the foundational titles in The Canadians, an ongoing series of educational biographies focusing on the lives of notable Canadians for students in the upper grades. Published by Fitzhenry & Whiteside, this 64 page title is filled with Waite’s information -filled prose, and is packed with black and white archival photographs and political cartoons from Macdonald’s time in office. Through the inclusion of photos depicting Macdonald’s contemporaries, surroundings, and the man himself, a clearer feel for the times in which Macdonald lived is communicated to readers.
With only 64 pages to work with, and with the aim of providing a concise, accurate, and somewhat personal summary of Macdonald’s life and work, Waite hits all of the high points. Though the text is densely written with dates, events, legislation, and the many politicians who worked with Macdonald to form the new country, Waite still manages to imbue the text with something of Macdonald’s character. Widely remembered in Canada as something of a scalawag, Waite doesn’t pull any punches when it comes to displaying Macdonald’s character. He freely outlines the bribery, drinking, and racy stories without dwelling on them inappropriately, and sketches a portrait of the Prime Minister as a leader whose success seems largely attributable to his tenacity – he was certainly a determined man.
As a first time reader of any biography of Macdonald that seeks to span his entire life, I now feel familiar with the basics. Instead of smiling and nodding in conversations in which old John A. makes an appearance, I’ll actually have some hope of contributing to the dialogue! What I found most enjoyable is Waite’s ability to showcase Macdonald’s involvement with his contemporaries and in the major historical events taking place around him. One excellent example is that of Louis Riel and the Sasketchewan Rebellion. For some reason Riel has remained almost a more memorable character than Macdonald in my mind, so when Waite drew the connections from Macdonald outwards it helped me make some missing connections.
With so much political maneuvering, events, and persons packed into a dense 64 pages, John A. Macdonald welcomes re-reading. Though a fast primer to read through rapidly, there is so much detail that digging in and researching further events of interest will yield much new knowledge. I highly recommend this installment in The Canadians series for school and public libraries alike, as well as any family who has yet to add a biography of Canada’s first Prime Minister to their bookshelves.
Reviewed at quiverfullfamily.com… (altro)