Memoirs

"As a leader whose time in office ran from the fall of Charles de Gaulle to the rise of Mikhail Gorbachev, Pierre Trudeau was able to exert his influence to break down the Cold War mentality. He enjoyed good personal rapport with such different leaders as Chou Enlai, Gerald Ford, Fidel Castro, Jimmy Carter, Francois Mitterrand, and Helmut Schmidt. His relations with Richard Nixon and Margaret Thatcher were less warm, and he was less impressed by Ronald Reagan's intellect than by the wisdom of the Queen." "Whether they loved him or hated him, Canadians knew that in Pierre Trudeau's time, the government stood up for Canada. He stood up to the domestic terrorism of the FLQ - and he makes no apologies here for his tough response to the October Crisis in 1970 - just as he stood up to the provincial premiers (including Rene Levesque) who he believed were blocking Canada's attempt to gain its own constitution ten years later." "Although most of this book deals with the years between 1968 and 1984, Trudeau also talks about his life today. He brings you up to date on his travels with his sons ("the boys") and also deals with his opinions - at variance with those of Henry Kissinger - on trends in the modern world. A fascinating view from a major world statesman."--Jacket.