Description
Book SynopsisGrit examines the remarkable life and political career of Paul Martin Sr., a liberal reformer and cabinet minister from 1945 to 1968, who championed health care and pension rights, new meanings for Canadian citizenship, and internationalism in world affairs.
Trade ReviewGreg Donaghy paints a picture of a man whose ambition never superseded his fundamental decency, his connection to individuals both great and small, and his unwavering loyalty to colleagues, constituents and indeed a country that often treated him with something less than loyalty. This is both a fascinating study of twentieth-century Canada and the somewhat poignant story of a boy with big dreams. -- Penny Bryden * Ontario History *
During his lifetime Martin published two volumes of memoirs, and the diaries he kept while High Commissioner. But they are dull stuff: too long, too detailed, too stiff; as one reviewer put it, he left out the politics. Donaghy’s impeccably researched and immensely readable biography, which draws on new material and numerous interviews, shows the extent to which Martin undersold himself. It also reveals him to be a very complex, highly intelligent, well-read, thoughtful, likeable, convivial, and witty man. It is one of the best biographies I have read in the last decade. -- Lorna Lloyd, Keele University * British Journal of Canadian Studies, Vol. 29 No. 2, Fall 2016 *
In his detailed biography, Greg Donaghy ably chronicles the key roles that Martin played in ... Canadian political and international history ... Grit will surely serve as a valuable reference tool for scholars interested in the inner workings of policy formation and ministerial wrangling, and it illuminates our understanding of one of Canada’s important twentieth century political operatives.
-- Matthew Hayday, University of Guelph * Canadian Journal of History *
Table of ContentsForeword by Robert Bothwell and John English
Preface
1 Sweet Paul, 1903-30
2 The Young Politician, 1930-39
3 A Conquered World, 1939-45
4 The Apprentice Minister, 1945-48
5 A Liberal in a High-Tory Cabinet, 1948-52
6 The Greatest Country in the World, 1953-56
7 Disappointment and Opposition, 1956-63
8 Saving the World, 1963-64
9 Dealing with Washington, 1964-65
10 Vietnam and a Mood of Protest, 1965-67
11 A Hard-Pressed Minister, 1967
12 Defeat and the Senate, 1968-74
13 Legacies, 1974-92
Notes
Bibliography
Index
