The Enduring Riddle of Mackenzie King
Description
Patrice Dutil leads a who's who of political historians to explain William Lyon Mackenzie King. Although King often headed minority governments and was sometimes personally defeated in elections, his accomplishments are unmatched. He led the nation during the expansionist 1920s and part of the 1930s Depression, and managed the Canadian war effort in the 1940s, garnering both praise and blame. His inaction on numerous files and the racism of many of his policy approaches were reprehensible, but he kept the country united during the Second World War and ushered in the welfare state.
These essays shed new light on how King may - or may not - be the greatest of all Canadian prime ministers.
More details
Person
Contributors: Pierre Anctil, Stephen Azzi, Raymond B. Blake, Robert Bothwell, Mark Bourrie, Colin Campbell, Christopher Dummitt, John English, David L.A. Gordon, J.L. Granatstein, Norman Hillmer, Allan Levine, John MacFarlane, David MacKenzie, J.R. Miller, Arthur Milnes, Kirk Niergarth, Anton Wagner.
Content
Introduction / Patrice Dutil
Part 1: King, the Man and His Politics
1 GOAT or Goat? A Life in Review / Patrice Dutil
2 From the Mundane to the Insane: The Diary as a Window into King's Soul / Allan Levine
3 "A Journalist at Present": King as City Reporter / Arthur Milnes
4 King and the Press in English Canada / Mark Bourrie
5 The Anatomy of Success: King's Tireless Search for Supporters and Subordinates / Patrice Dutil
Part 2: King and Society
6 A High-Wire Act: King and the French Canadians / John MacFarlane
7 "Desiring a White Canada": King's Anti-Asian Racism / Kirk Niergarth
8 King and the Germans / John English
9 A Complete Misjudgment: King and the Jews / Pierre Anctil
10 A Studied Indifference: King and the First Nations / J.R. Miller
Part 3: King and Policy
11 King and the Revolution in Government Finance: The Income Tax / Colin Campbell
12 King as Canada's First Minister of Culture / Anton Wagner
13 King's Secret Vocation as Urban Planner / David L.A. Gordon
14 King's Radical Turn / Raymond B. Blake
15 King's Cautious Transformation / Stephen Azzi and Norman Hillmer
16 King in the World of International Organizations / David MacKenzie
17 King and the Soft Tissue of Relations with Washington, DC / Robert Bothwell
Part 4: King and History
18 "It's Not You, It's Me": Canadians' Posthumous Romance with King / Christopher Dummitt
19 King on My Mind: Reflections on Three-Quarters of a Century / J.L. Granatstein
Appendix: William Lyon Mackenzie King, a Chronology
Index