Frontenac: The Courtier Governor

by W.J. Eccles, Peter N. Moogk (Introduction)

Louis de Buade, Comte de Frontenac (1622–1698), was a towering figure in North American history. Appointed in 1672 as governor general of New France, he was credited with intimidating the Iroquois, defying British colonial military might, and promoting France’s imperial expansion to the west. W. J. Eccles masterfully debunks these myths, created in part by Francis Parkman, and reveals Frontenac as an anachronism who sought to maintain his privileged status through corruption, favors at court, and the illicit pursuit of commerce in the West. A deft analysis and reexamination of official administrative and military sources have made Frontenac the classic study of a complex and historically misrepresented governor.

432 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 2003

About the author

William John Eccles, commonly known as W.J. Eccles, was a historian of Canada.

Born in England, Eccles's family immigrated to Canada in the 1920s. He studied at McGill University under historian Edward Robert Adair and at the Sorbonne in Paris. In 1953, he joined the faculty at the University of Manitoba. Four years later, he joined the faculty at the University of Alberta. Then in 1963, he was appointed to a professorship at the University of Toronto. He retired from the University of Toronto in 1983.

In 1979, the Royal Society of Canada awarded him the J. B. Tyrrell Historical Medal for his contributions to the history of Canada. [wikipedia]

Reviews

[Czarny Pies · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the great goals of British born William Eccles was to explain to English and French-Canadian historians that the governors of New France were not middle class civil servants but nobles who understood that they belonged to a warrior caste and had a world outlook that was profoundly European. Prior to Eccles almost all Canadian historians had conceived of the leaders of New France as being similar in mentality to the French Canadians they encountered in their contemporary society. The result was that Canadian undergraduates and high school students received a grossly inaccurate view of Canada's first leaders.

Eccles succeeded in changing the viewpoint of the historical profession. As a result such excellent books as David Hackett Fischer's Champlain's Dream are regularly appearing enhancing our understanding of this formative phase of Canada. The general public however still sees New France as being essentially identical to contemporary Quebec. This is perhaps not surprising as it is very difficult for North Americans to appreciate how Europe's past is so greatly different from theirs.

Eccles presents Frontenac as a courtier with an innate talent for warfare, impeccable courtesy and excellent negotiating skills. This book represents a landmark in Canadian historiography and 55 years after its original publication remains as the best work available in any language on one of New France's greatest governors.

[Jack Heath]

Synopsis: Frontenac became Governor General of New France in 1672. He promoted western expansion. A towering figure in Canadian history.