Great Canadian Lives: A Cultural History of Modern Canada Through the Art of the Obit

by Sandra Martin

Award-winning Globe and Mail journalist Sandra Martin captures the life and times of 50 extraordinary Canadians, whose achievements, follies, and dreams have shaped the country we call home.

Martin’s witty essays on the cult and craft of obituary writing, from the ancient Greeks to a wired up 24/7 world, explode the myths and celebrate the art of our oldest biographical form.

Great Canadian Lives tells the political, social, and cultural history of modern Canada from WW1 to the Charter, from Pierre Trudeau to Jack Layton ― one fascinating life at a time.

Genres: Canada, Nonfiction

448 pages, Paperback

First published June 14, 2014

Reviews

[Una Rose]

I'm a fan of Canadiana and well written obituaries so this book was a definite must read for me. I found it fasinating and fun, despite its subjects all being dead. It featured people from a vast swath of Canada culture, and increased my knowledge of who has in part created the country and country we live in. Very enjoyable and interesting reading.

[Jb]

Good material related to a number of famous Canadians.