Reviews of John A: The Man Who Made Us
"The
first volume of his new life of John A. Macdonald is a noble achievement
. . . [Gwyn] commands the judgment, research dedication, writing ability
and boldness to do something two generations of scholars could not bring
themselves to do-produce a life of our founding father for our times."
H.V. Nelles, The Literary Review of Canada
“Judging
by the first half, his two-volume biography will no doubt be ranked
with Donald Creighton’s two-book landmark from the 1950s…Gwyn
provides a more dispassionate analysis of this complicated man and his
times…A welcome addition to the national library.”
Peter Moreira, The National Post
“Gwyn
has performed a service to 21st-century Canadians by recreating a man
of the 19th so well…This is a book that [Donald] Creighton, and
perhaps even Sir John A. himself, could pick up and learn something.”
Donald Benham, Winnipeg Free Press
“A
vivid, multi-dimensional portrait of a fascinating character and his
times…Gwyn, his trademark wry wit enlivening his text, brings
a lifetime of political punditry to bear on his subject, surely one
of the most intriguing political figures Canada even produced”
Doug Sweet, Montreal Gazette
“Gwyn’s
book is also a hymn of praise to what he sees as a miraculous country,
miraculous in its peacefulness, its diversity, its tolerance and its
determined un-Americanness…Those positive national qualities can
be traced back unmistakably to its first leader. This is the personal
and contemporary insight that distinguishes this biography.”
Denis Smith, The Star, Toronto
“Through
historical documents, Gwyn gives great insight into this complicated
character and his turbulent life… John A comes alive in these
pages on many levels, including his most fallible.”
Joseph Howse, Halifax Chronicle-Herald
“It is a rare reader’s delight to find an author at the very top of his game taking on a subject who was also at the very top of his game—but this is the treasure Richard Gwyn has given Canadians with his portrait of the young John A. It is a formidable undertaking gloriously realized—a magnificent book about who we were that, somehow, manages to tell us who we are now. John A. Macdonald, Gwyn tells us, had a “supreme talent” in that “he knew how to herd cats”…We all know we owe Sir John A. Macdonald. But now we also owe Richard Gwyn.”
Roy MacGregor
Author of Canadians: Portrait of a Country and its People
Columnist for the Globe and Mail
“Richard Gwyn has written a magisterial account of the life of John A and of Canada. A page-turner, this book is often lyrical, funny at times, but always steeped in history. It is a must read for all Canadians who want to know more about their country.”
Janice Gross Stein
Director, Munk Centre for International Studies
University of Toronto.
“Gwyn sensitively but relentlessly peels back the layers to reveal the combination of psychological and pragmatic factors that motivated the man and his politics. And he does so with style and flourish. This is a book for everyone who wants to understand not just our past politics but the way our peculiar politics were first formed and how those postures are still the central concern of our country. This is not just good biography: it is also a good read. I recommend it highly.
Roger Hall
Historian, University of Western Ontario
General Editor, the Champlain Society.