Banting: A Biography

by Michael Bliss

Frederick Banting was thirty-one when he received the Nobel Prize for his part in the discovery of insulin. He was catapulted to instant fame, for which he was neither personally nor professionally prepared. Set up as head of his own research institute by a grateful government, he struggled fruitlessly to duplicate his first triumph. His marriage to a beautiful socialite ended in a scandal that rocked Toronto, and he returned to work and painting to dull his frustration. He died in a mysterious plane crash; a new preface to this edition discusses recent findings about the crash. Michael Bliss's highly acclaimed biography explores the life of a scientist who during his lifetime was the most famous of all Canadians, but who in his private life stands revealed as a passionate, troubled man, in many ways the victim of his own fame.

Genres: History, Nonfiction

336 pages, Paperback

First published December 12, 1992

About the author

Michael Bliss was a Canadian historian. He was an Officer of the Order of Canada, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, and a member of the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame.

Librarian’s note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Reviews

[Karin · Rating 4 out of 5]

In school the name Frederick Banting was just that. Banting & Best. Insulin. End of story. But as per usual, truth is stranger than fiction. I had no idea he hung out with the Group of Seven or was actively investigating and advocating the use of biological warfare prior to his death during WWII. His life story was very well written and researched, and was engaging from beginning to end.

[Martin Rollins · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an excellent book on Frederick Banting. The material on diabetic research was thorough but none too technical for the layman. After the astounding discovery of insulin in 1922, Banting indefatigably spent the rest of his life researching the adrenal glands, cancer, cardiac issues, silicosis, diarrhea, aviation medicine, and chemical and bacteriological warfare. Although he had no major discovery post-insulin, it most definitely was not for lack of trying.
Michael Bliss ably chronicles Fred Banting's positive and negative traits. The hero of the volume is doggedly determined, likable, and selfless in many ways. On the negative side of the ledger, Banting was a womanizer, rather bibulous, short tempered, and often carried long term grudges. Bliss, a most eminent Canadian historian, does a very good job including all the salient aspects of Dr. Banting's life: his passion for painting and acquaintance with the famous Group of Seven, his tumultuous love life, details on his close friends and associates (like Best, Macleod, Collip, etc.), and the harrowing plane crash over Newfoundland in 1941.
I was prompted to read this fine volume via my recent diabetes diagnosis. Excellent book, very well-written, and highly recommended!