John A. MacDonald: The Young Politician, The Old ChieftainFirst published in 1952 and 1955, John A. Macdonald: The Young Politician, The Old Chieftain remains a classic in Canadian arts and letters. Described as the greatest biography ever written in Canada, it earned Donald Creighton two Governor General's Awards. In 2013, the Toronto Review of Books recommended it to anyone who wished to become a better Canadian. In this book, Creighton examines the public and private lives of Canada’s first prime minister, his victories and defeats as well as his joys and pains. A gifted writer, Creighton takes the reader back in time, to the nineteenth century, the road to Confederation, and the building of the railway. Along the way, he visits Kingston, Quebec, Charlottetown, Ottawa, and London, following his hero from a few rooms above his father’s shop in Kingston to the corridors of power in England, including the magnificent Highclere Castle where much of the British North America Act was written. This edition includes a new introduction by Creighton's biographer, Donald Wright, and by Peter Waite, Creighton's very first doctoral student. |
Contents
The New Conservative Candidate 18391844 | |
Minister of the Crown 18441847 | |
The Twilight of the Tory Party 18471849 | |
Years of Recovery 18491851 | |
The LiberalConservative Coalition 18511854 | |
Double Shuffle 18561858 | |
The Humiliation of George Brown 18581861 | |
Impasse 18611864 | |
British North America in Conference JuneDecember 1864 | |
A Note on Authorities | |
Notes | |
Index | |
The Victory of the ProgressiveConservatives 18541856 | |