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The Worldly Years: The Life of Lester B. Pearson, 1949-1972
"His life changed that of his nation."
John English illuminates the years of Lester Pearson's greatest eminence, and vividly explores his life and times. His period as prime minister was to prove one of the most decisive in our history, and his policies helped shape Canada’s foremost international statesman. The Lester Pearson who emerges from the account of these momentous years—from the Korean War, through the tumultuous sixties to his death in 1972—is a complex, paradoxical figure.
A man uneasy with ambition, who shunned the flamboyance of his arch-rival Diefenbaker, Pearson nevertheless competed for the most glittering prize in Canadian political life. World recognition brought him the Nobel Peace Prize, yet in his battle to maintain independence for his country he deliberately incurred the wrath of its powerful traditional allies, particularly Lyndon Johnson whom he heartily disliked. He was oddly unprepared personally to take on Canada’s highest political office, and led the Liberal Party to the worst defeat in its history, yet went on to sponsor astonishing, far-reaching changes in Canadian society—bilingualism, biculturalism, medicare, modern Canadian nationalism, and co-operative federalism--all innovations of the Pearson years. And while he has been called our greatest prime minister, other see him as the leader of a government that created many of Canada’s discontents, and crises and scandals that swirled about him. Most paradoxically of all perhaps, this unassuming man became a national icon, winning a lasting place in the hearts and minds of a generation of Canadians.
In this second volume of his award-winning biography, John English has had remarkable access to Pearson’s personal and political papers, drawing on the letters and diaries and private papers of a host of his contemporaries, and on personal interviews with his family and friends, rivals and foes alike. The result is a compellingly readable—a richly detailed portrait of Canada and of a remarkable Canadian whose impact was immense.
John English illuminates the years of Lester Pearson's greatest eminence, and vividly explores his life and times. His period as prime minister was to prove one of the most decisive in our history, and his policies helped shape Canada’s foremost international statesman. The Lester Pearson who emerges from the account of these momentous years—from the Korean War, through the tumultuous sixties to his death in 1972—is a complex, paradoxical figure.
A man uneasy with ambition, who shunned the flamboyance of his arch-rival Diefenbaker, Pearson nevertheless competed for the most glittering prize in Canadian political life. World recognition brought him the Nobel Peace Prize, yet in his battle to maintain independence for his country he deliberately incurred the wrath of its powerful traditional allies, particularly Lyndon Johnson whom he heartily disliked. He was oddly unprepared personally to take on Canada’s highest political office, and led the Liberal Party to the worst defeat in its history, yet went on to sponsor astonishing, far-reaching changes in Canadian society—bilingualism, biculturalism, medicare, modern Canadian nationalism, and co-operative federalism--all innovations of the Pearson years. And while he has been called our greatest prime minister, other see him as the leader of a government that created many of Canada’s discontents, and crises and scandals that swirled about him. Most paradoxically of all perhaps, this unassuming man became a national icon, winning a lasting place in the hearts and minds of a generation of Canadians.
In this second volume of his award-winning biography, John English has had remarkable access to Pearson’s personal and political papers, drawing on the letters and diaries and private papers of a host of his contemporaries, and on personal interviews with his family and friends, rivals and foes alike. The result is a compellingly readable—a richly detailed portrait of Canada and of a remarkable Canadian whose impact was immense.
577 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 27, 1992
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
January 19, 2017
The Worldly Years , covering the years 1949-1972, is the second volume of John English's biography of Lester Pearson. It is not nearly as good as the outstanding first volume which tells the story of Pearson's education and career as a diplomat prior to entering politics.
The first third of The Worldly Years maintains the same level of excellence as achieved in volume one, the Shadow of Heaven as it covers Pearson's years as Minister of External Affairs. This portion of the book has a strong section on Pearson's actions during the Suez Crisis for which he earned his Nobel Prize. It also has an interesting discussion on the Herbert Norman suicide, a Canadian diplomat who committed suicide when he was accused of being a communist by members of the McCarthy hearings. As long English is writing in the area of diplomatic history, English he is in top form. When Pearson loses the External Affairs portfolio as a consequence of the electoral defeat of the Liberals in the 1957 election, the book goes off the rails. For the period after 1957, the best section in the book is the one devoted to de Gaulle's visit to Canada in 1967 during which he shouted the separatist slogan "Vive le Québec libre!" before a crowd in Montréal.
There are also some highly entertaining moments in the last quarter of the book where English relates Lester Pearson's encounters with American President Lyndon Baines Johnson. English describes Johnson haranguing Pearson with obscenities over Pearson's public opposition the American involvement of the VietNam. He also tells the tale of how Johnson when driving Pearson around his Texas ranch would leave his car to urinate urging Pearson to do likewise. Given that Pearson and Johnson's wives were in the following car, Pearson was particularly loath to do so.
Unfortunately outside of the field of foreign relations, English's book provides neither comedy nor insight. I found that English's portrait of Lester Pearson as Prime Minister was too much like that of Peter C. Newman who presented Pearson as a ditherer who had trouble managing his cabinet and who lacked the personal dynamism to promote his own accomplishments.
In fact the events of Pearson's term in office show hime to have been a great leader who got many important laws passed. While Pearson did make a number of errors in managing his ministers in his early years as Prime Minister, he subsequently put together a very strong cabinet that served his successor Pierre Elliot Trudeau very well.
Forty-nine years after Pearson stepped down as Prime Minister in 1968, the current Federal Liberals are still running on Pearson's legislative accomplishments and foreign policy. Among many other things, Pearson's government passed laws giving Canada free healthcare, old age pensions, student loans and bilingualism in the federal civil service. Pearson vigorously supported NATO and the UN. However, he resisted unilateral American actions keeping Canada out of the Viet Nam war. The Federal Liberals in 2017 continue to promote themselves as the creators and defenders of the programs of the Pearson era. Pearson's accomplishments were great. English perhaps not wishing to fall into the trap of giving his subject extravagant praise, falls into the opposite trap of not giving him enough.
In a general pattern, English fails to credit Pearson for either continuing the good work of someone else or starting something that someone else had to finish. John Diefenbaker began trading with Communist China in defiance of the American trade boycott. Pierre Elliot Trudeau ultimately recognized Mao's regime. English gives Pearson no credit for having overseen a growth in the trade relation with China during the interim.
Similarly, English does not mention that the work on the bill that would ultimately decriminalize homosexuality began while Pearson was still in office. In fact, English consistently fails to show the remarkable continuity between the Trudeau and Pearson administrations.
John English's Worldly Years is a very earnest and competent book that anyone interested in the era should enjoy, but it lacks the brilliance of the first volume. It often focuses on the trivial giving only cursory glances at essentials. It is very much worth reading but it is a real comedown from the outstanding volume.
The first third of The Worldly Years maintains the same level of excellence as achieved in volume one, the Shadow of Heaven as it covers Pearson's years as Minister of External Affairs. This portion of the book has a strong section on Pearson's actions during the Suez Crisis for which he earned his Nobel Prize. It also has an interesting discussion on the Herbert Norman suicide, a Canadian diplomat who committed suicide when he was accused of being a communist by members of the McCarthy hearings. As long English is writing in the area of diplomatic history, English he is in top form. When Pearson loses the External Affairs portfolio as a consequence of the electoral defeat of the Liberals in the 1957 election, the book goes off the rails. For the period after 1957, the best section in the book is the one devoted to de Gaulle's visit to Canada in 1967 during which he shouted the separatist slogan "Vive le Québec libre!" before a crowd in Montréal.
There are also some highly entertaining moments in the last quarter of the book where English relates Lester Pearson's encounters with American President Lyndon Baines Johnson. English describes Johnson haranguing Pearson with obscenities over Pearson's public opposition the American involvement of the VietNam. He also tells the tale of how Johnson when driving Pearson around his Texas ranch would leave his car to urinate urging Pearson to do likewise. Given that Pearson and Johnson's wives were in the following car, Pearson was particularly loath to do so.
Unfortunately outside of the field of foreign relations, English's book provides neither comedy nor insight. I found that English's portrait of Lester Pearson as Prime Minister was too much like that of Peter C. Newman who presented Pearson as a ditherer who had trouble managing his cabinet and who lacked the personal dynamism to promote his own accomplishments.
In fact the events of Pearson's term in office show hime to have been a great leader who got many important laws passed. While Pearson did make a number of errors in managing his ministers in his early years as Prime Minister, he subsequently put together a very strong cabinet that served his successor Pierre Elliot Trudeau very well.
Forty-nine years after Pearson stepped down as Prime Minister in 1968, the current Federal Liberals are still running on Pearson's legislative accomplishments and foreign policy. Among many other things, Pearson's government passed laws giving Canada free healthcare, old age pensions, student loans and bilingualism in the federal civil service. Pearson vigorously supported NATO and the UN. However, he resisted unilateral American actions keeping Canada out of the Viet Nam war. The Federal Liberals in 2017 continue to promote themselves as the creators and defenders of the programs of the Pearson era. Pearson's accomplishments were great. English perhaps not wishing to fall into the trap of giving his subject extravagant praise, falls into the opposite trap of not giving him enough.
In a general pattern, English fails to credit Pearson for either continuing the good work of someone else or starting something that someone else had to finish. John Diefenbaker began trading with Communist China in defiance of the American trade boycott. Pierre Elliot Trudeau ultimately recognized Mao's regime. English gives Pearson no credit for having overseen a growth in the trade relation with China during the interim.
Similarly, English does not mention that the work on the bill that would ultimately decriminalize homosexuality began while Pearson was still in office. In fact, English consistently fails to show the remarkable continuity between the Trudeau and Pearson administrations.
John English's Worldly Years is a very earnest and competent book that anyone interested in the era should enjoy, but it lacks the brilliance of the first volume. It often focuses on the trivial giving only cursory glances at essentials. It is very much worth reading but it is a real comedown from the outstanding volume.
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December 25, 2021Simply terrific. Have not yet read the first volume of English' biography and I likely will get to Pearson's three-volume memoir before I come back to English but looking forward to both ...
October 31, 2017
An interesting account by a writer who seems informed, sympathetic, yet critical. The ending seemed rather abrupt with little discussion of Pearson's ongoing significance--perhaps that is telling in itself and Pearson's legacy was overshadowed by his more flamboyant successors on both sides of the political aisle.
August 24, 2017
Very good study on the life of our Prime Minister, who was unique, in that he came from academia and the public service, not law school and politics.
October 1, 2012
After about 800 pages with Mike, his death hit me surprisingly hard given its inevitability. A great Canadian; a mostly great biography.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews