Being Prime Minister by J.D.M. Stewart (English) Paperback Book

Description: Being Prime Minister by J.D.M. Stewart Being Prime Minister sheds light on the lives of prime ministers as ordinary people, examining them through a variety of experiences most Canadians share. FORMAT Paperback LANGUAGE English CONDITION Brand New Publisher Description Behind the politics, discover the lives of Canadas leaders."What a life it is to be prime minister!" — John DiefenbakerCanada has had twenty-three prime ministers, all with views and policies that have differed as widely as the ages in which they lived. But what were they like as people? Being Prime Minister takes you behind the scenes to tell the story of Canadas leaders and the job they do as it has never been told before.From John A. Macdonald to Justin Trudeau, readers get a glimpse of the prime ministers as they travelled, dealt with invasions of privacy, met with celebrities, and managed the stress of the nations top job. Humorous and hard working, vain and vulnerable, Canada leaders are revealed as they truly were. Author Biography J.D.M. Stewart is a Canadian history teacher. His writing has appeared in newspapers across Canada for more than twenty-five years. He lives in Toronto. Table of Contents THE PRIME MINISTERS OF CANADAINTRODUCTION1. "KEEP A CHEERFUL MIND": A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A PRIME MINISTER2. "MACKENZIE KING WITHOUT A OUIJA BOARD": PORTRAITS OF THE PRIME MINISTERS AS OTHERS SAW THEM3. "TERRESTRIAL AND CELESTIAL": PRIME MINISTERS AND TRAVEL4. "YOULL NEVER WALK ALONE": PRIME MINISTERS AND SECURITY5. "A HARD AND TRYING JOB": PRIME MINISTERS AND HEALTH6. "CELEBRITY IN CHIEF": PRIME MINISTERS AND CELEBRITIES7. "I AM NOT PUBLIC PROPERTY": PRIME MINISTERS AND PRIVACY8. MAYBE NOT YOUR GRANDMOTHERS HOME": PRIME MINISTERS AT HOME9. "THE TRUEST FRIEND I EVER HAD": PRIME MINISTERS AND THEIR PETS10. "OPEN AIR LIFE": PRIME MINISTERS AND SPORTSEPILOGUEACKNOWLEDGEMENTSA NOTE ON SOURCESNOTESSELECT BIBLIOGRAPHYIMAGE CREDITSINDEX Review With lively anecdotes and thoughtful insights, Stewart reminds us that there are human beings behind the headlines. This absorbing and original book explores aspects of political life that are too often ignored. * Charlotte Gray, author of The Promise of Canada *Bursts with details and anecdotes on the daily lives of the very human men and woman who have led us. A trove of trivia treasures. * John Ibbitson, Globe and Mail journalist and author of Stephen Harper *A fun and fascinating book that reminds us that prime ministers are human; each with unique strengths, quirks, and foibles. Well researched, crisply written, and refreshingly non-partisan, it is immensely enjoyable, gossipy, heartwarming. * John Boyko, author of Cold Fire *Each of the remarkable people who have occupied Canadas highest office are brought vividly to life on the pages of this immensely readable book. A super fun and worthwhile read. * Senator Linda Frum *A valuable and insightful look at the triumphs, trials, and tribulations of the people who have held the highest office in the land. A must read for anyone who wants a better understanding of what it takes to lead our country. * Don Newman, retired senior parliamentary editor for CBC Television *Theres an increasing tendency these days to dehumanize political leaders of all stripes...Being Prime Minister gives us all a break from that brand of politics — and isnt that what were all looking for this summer? * Toronto Star *With books, as with all else, one of the keys to success is making hard things seem easy. Stewarts seemingly effortless recitation of coordinated, well-told anecdotes is the result of his formidable research. * Policy Magazine *A teacher of Canadian history in Toronto, Stewart has written a book that is wonderfully gossipy and is built on anecdotes and stories — "history by the ounce," as historian Barbara Tuchman called it. * Canadas History * Review Quote With lively anecdotes and thoughtful insights, Stewart reminds us that there are human beings behind the headlines. This absorbing and original book explores aspects of political life that are too often ignored. Feature Canadians have never been more interested in their prime ministers personal lives, or their sometimes secretive true selves Presents surprising inside stories about the lives of past prime ministers, like the time Brian Mulroney shot a boar with Boris Yeltsin and found himself in hot water, or how teatotaling PM John Diefenbaker charmed his way through a round of drinks without having to decline a drink or take a single sip Author is a recognized authority on the subject of prime ministers, whose writing has appeared in The Globe and Mail , National Post , Ottawa Citizen , and many more newspapers Author was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal for his contributions to Canadian history Excerpt from Book INTRODUCTIONWho is the prime minister of Canada? Politically, he or she isa member of Parliament and leader of the Government ofCanada. In the past, the occupant of this position has been describedas "first among equals" in relation to the Cabinet he leads, but in practicethe PM is, by far, the most powerful figure in Canadian politics.This is despite the fact that the prime minister has no formal constitutionalpower. As the late political scientist and McGill University professorJ.R. Mallory noted in his 1984 book, The Structure of CanadianGovernment : "The office of prime minister, the most important singleoffice in the government, is, while not unknown to the law, entirelylacking in a legal definition of its powers."Unlike the president of the United States, whose powers are specificallyspelled out in that countrys Constitution, the prime minister has noclearly defined constitutional authority; and yet the PM has enormouscontrol over the government in Canada. He appoints and directs theCabinet, which is at the heart of the executive branch; leads the directionof the government in the House of Commons (the legislative branch)and outside of it; and appoints justices to the court system, including theSupreme Court (Stephen Harper appointed eight), part of the judicialbranch. He also effectively appoints the governor general, senators, headsof the military, deputy ministers, and ambassadors; the prime minister is also the countrys leader in its foreign relations, notably with the UnitedStates, and also represents the country at numerous international summitsand organizations such as NATO or the U.N. He or she is thenational and global face of the government and country, and as such isthe single most important figure in Canadian politics. In addition to allof that, the PM leads a national political party. As Brian Mulroney oncenoted, "The traditional definition of the prime ministers role as primusinter pares is, in reality, on a daily basis significantly understated."But how well do we know our prime ministers? How well do weunderstand the nature of the job? "Its never easy to be prime minister,"Jean Chretien once wrote, years before he took the keys to 24 SussexDrive. "He has to hurt the feelings of a lot of people on a regular basis;he has to operate in the public eye with MPs who fret and bureaucratswho gossip and colleagues who disagree." The prime minister may haveto do more than hurt peoples feelings. He may send troops to war ormake policy decisions that hurt some people economically. His decisionsare always bound to upset someone.As the head of the government and the biggest star on our politicalstage, the prime minister is always in the spotlight. He has the powerto lead the country where he wants. "You can make a difference in whatis happening," Jean Chretien told me."When youre prime minister you can make a decision that doesmore good in five minutes -- something that would take you five monthsto work on when youre not in government," reflected Paul Martin onthe abilities a PM has to effect change. When Louis St. Laurent wasasked about what pleasures he took from the job, he struck a similarnote: "I suppose the principal compensation is the illusion, perhaps, butnevertheless the satisfaction of feeling that he has been useful."Clearly, the prime minister is an instrument of power. But what elseis there to the countrys highest position of leadership, and what do weknow about the people who have served in that role? That is the questionthat this book attempts to answer. Bruce Hutchison, the veneratedCanadian journalist, put it well in his 1965 book, Mr. Prime Minister ,a survey of the countrys leaders. In pondering the future of Canada,Hutchison suggests that former and future Canadian prime ministers"must see that the great imponderable is not economic, financial, orlegislative but emotional, psychic, human. It therefore centres in theprime minister not as a constitutional instrument but as a human being."Focusing also on that human dimension -- and perhaps the exigenciesof the job -- Lester Pearson remarked, "Prime ministers requirethe hide of a rhinoceros, the morals of St. Francis, the patience of Job,the wisdom of Solomon, the strength of Hercules, the leadership ofNapoleon, the magnetism of a Beatle and the subtlety of Machiavelli." Being Prime Minister peels back the curtain to allow the reader tosee our former leaders in ways that no single book has before. How didthey travel? What pets did they have? How did they treat others? Whatwas life like at home? What were their pastimes?Those who love history often love it because of the small anecdotesthat entertain or reveal character. This was something historian BarbaraTuchman called "history by the ounce" -- little stories that illuminate.Through anecdotes about the lives of prime ministers while in office,readers will see these twenty-two men and one woman in a new light.They will see them as humorous and hard-working, vain and vulnerable,riled and relaxed. They will see not only what animated Canadas primeministers when they were not sunk in briefing books, but also how theoffice of prime minister has changed by exploring it through lenses such assecurity, travel, and daily routines. Readers will see how our PMs worked,as well as the toll exacted by the stress of being the leader of Canada.Canadians have always had an interest in the lives of their countrysprime ministers. Magazines and newspapers have regularly run featuresand rankings about them. Books -- and there have been many --whether they chronicle all PMs, such as Jack Granatstein and NormanHillmers 1999 book, Prime Ministers: Ranking Canadas Leaders , orfocus on a single prime minister, such as John Ibbitsons 2015 biographyof Stephen Harper, are bestsellers. National conversation fixateson the PM. What is more, in an age where increasing attention is paidto celebrities, it is little wonder that the most important political figurein the country receives more scrutiny than ever -- something leveragedwell by the current prime minister, Justin Trudeau.The office of prime minister has changed, and the experiences of thosewho occupy it have also changed since 1867, when Sir John A. Macdonaldbecame Canadas first PM. He handled his own correspondence, he had no security detail, and did not have to deal much with a prying mediaor the demands of thirty-six million Canadians. His travel was limited,and he made just one cross-country trip. Justin Trudeau, 150 years later,has a small army of people working for him to allow him to executethe powers of his office; travels on almost a weekly basis, visiting placesacross Canada and around the world; and has numerous files to track in aCabinet of more than thirty ministries (Macdonald had fifteen). Indeed,the PM of our time suffers from an "overload" problem because of theamount of work and attention demanded by the job.***Despite differences in historical contexts, our prime ministers are alllinked by the nature of the office. The former prime ministers still living(and I interviewed six of the seven) are well aware of those whocame before them. In 1999 Jean Chretien told me he often thoughtabout how Wilfrid Laurier might handle one situation or another. BrianMulroney wrote in his memoirs that "sometimes in Cabinet, when Imhaving a particularly difficult time of it, I glance at the painting of SirJohn A. that faces me and wonder what that wise old head would suggestI do. Sir John and all his successors as prime minister have knownmoments of great sadness and personal defeat." Mulroneys commentshint at the emotional, personal side that Hutchison spoke of.Canadians are quick to criticize a prime minister for his policiesand often conflate the political with the personal. Thats politics. Butwhen you go behind the scenes of this most important job, you see thatthere is a fascinating and human element to being prime minister. Yousee individuals with an incredible capacity for work, a deep sense ofcommitment to making Canada a better place, and varying aptitudesfor managing people and circumstances. You also realize that when youstrip away the trappings of power and get to the people, under the cloakof authority is a familiar humanity. "Were human, were families," JoeClark told me. This book chronicles some of the personal and privateaspects of the lives of prime ministers as well as the nature of the position."Its not a perfect job," Pierre Trudeau once said of being primeminister, "but it sure beats working." Description for Sales People Canadians have never been more interested in their prime ministers personal lives, or their sometimes secretive true selves Presents surprising inside stories about the lives of past prime ministers, like the time Brian Mulroney shot a boar with Boris Yeltsin and found himself in hot water, or how teatotaling PM John Diefenbaker charmed his way through a round of drinks without having to decline a drink or take a single sip Author is a recognized authority on the subject of prime ministers, whose writing has appeared in The Globe and Mail , National Post , Ottawa Citizen , and many more newspapers Author was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal for his contributions to Canadian history Details ISBN1459738489 Author J.D.M. Stewart Publisher Dundurn Group Ltd Year 2018 ISBN-10 1459738489 ISBN-13 9781459738485 Format Paperback Pages 344 Language English DEWEY 971.05092/2 Imprint Dundurn Group Ltd Place of Publication Toronto Country of Publication Canada Illustrations notes; Bibliography; Index; 22 Illustrations, black and white Publication Date 2018-08-23 UK Release Date 2018-08-23 Alternative 9781459738492 Audience General We've got this At The Nile, if you're looking for it, we've got it. With fast shipping, low prices, friendly service and well over a million items - you're bound to find what you want, at a price you'll love! TheNile_Item_ID:140095219;

Price: 54.35 AUD

Location: Melbourne

End Time: 2025-01-02T06:34:41.000Z

Shipping Cost: 3.98 AUD