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The Prince: The Turbulent Reign of Justin Trudeau
“…this is a compelling examination of Justin’s time in office.” -Hello! Canada
"The Prince is a fast-paced, highly readable political narrative informed by interviews with more than 200 insiders, including Trudeau himself… The book carefully plots the downward trajectory of Trudeau’s time in power.” -Zoomer Magazine
“Maher delivers a full-length treatment of the Prime Minister and his government that is both comprehensive and insightful… Stephen Maher has delivered a thoroughly researched and fair-minded accounting of Justin Trudeau’s accomplishments and failings. If journalism is the first draft of history, The Prince is a convincing second draft.” -The Globe and Mail
“It deftly captures what went on behind the scenes in Trudeau’s big successes, along with his big failures. The book’s strengths are in Maher’s interviews with top political players who speak candidly about what it’s really like in political Ottawa’s backrooms. The book is a must-read for anyone interested in politics and the prime minister.” -The Hill Times
The first comprehensive biography of Justin Trudeau as prime minister—an honest, compelling story of his government’s triumphs and failures, based on interviews with over 200 insiders and Trudeau himself.
As one of the longest-surviving prime ministers and son of the legendary Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau, Justin Trudeau is near royalty in Canada. But how did this former high school teacher with no noteworthy accomplishments put together a team that managed to take over the Liberal Party and bring it from third place to a majority government in 2015? The Prince shows just that. In this first comprehensive history of the Justin Trudeau government, veteran journalist Stephen Maher takes readers behind the scenes of a tumultuous decade of Canadian politics. Through hundreds of interviews with political insiders, he describes how Trudeau—a Canadian prince—had the famous name, the political instincts, the work ethic, and the confidence to overcome errors in judgment and build a global brand, winning in the boxing ring and on the debate stage. And then things changed as key people left the Trudeau team and the government lost direction.
Trudeau is an enigmatic figure—a politician who has been in the public eye since childhood and seeks attention but has always concealed his actual feelings from those around him. He has shown admirable strength and skill, deftly handling Donald Trump in trade deals and international meetings and in leading Canada through the COVID-19 pandemic. He has delivered substantial results for people within his political coalition—the most successful attack on poverty in a generation, real progress on climate change, and a sustained application of money and political capital to Indigenous reconciliation. Even as the government overcame major challenges, however, errors in judgment and personality conflicts wasted political capital. Trudeau has struggled to manage his own office, with devastating consequences, and alienated people outside his coalition, to the point where he can’t hold a public event without protesters screaming curses at him.
The Prince takes readers behind the curtain as the government goes from triumph to embarrassment and back again, revealing the people, the conflicts, and the struggles both in the government and on the opposition benches. Above all, it traces why this ambitious government led by a global media darling is now so unpopular it is in danger of imminent collapse.
"The Prince is a fast-paced, highly readable political narrative informed by interviews with more than 200 insiders, including Trudeau himself… The book carefully plots the downward trajectory of Trudeau’s time in power.” -Zoomer Magazine
“Maher delivers a full-length treatment of the Prime Minister and his government that is both comprehensive and insightful… Stephen Maher has delivered a thoroughly researched and fair-minded accounting of Justin Trudeau’s accomplishments and failings. If journalism is the first draft of history, The Prince is a convincing second draft.” -The Globe and Mail
“It deftly captures what went on behind the scenes in Trudeau’s big successes, along with his big failures. The book’s strengths are in Maher’s interviews with top political players who speak candidly about what it’s really like in political Ottawa’s backrooms. The book is a must-read for anyone interested in politics and the prime minister.” -The Hill Times
The first comprehensive biography of Justin Trudeau as prime minister—an honest, compelling story of his government’s triumphs and failures, based on interviews with over 200 insiders and Trudeau himself.
As one of the longest-surviving prime ministers and son of the legendary Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau, Justin Trudeau is near royalty in Canada. But how did this former high school teacher with no noteworthy accomplishments put together a team that managed to take over the Liberal Party and bring it from third place to a majority government in 2015? The Prince shows just that. In this first comprehensive history of the Justin Trudeau government, veteran journalist Stephen Maher takes readers behind the scenes of a tumultuous decade of Canadian politics. Through hundreds of interviews with political insiders, he describes how Trudeau—a Canadian prince—had the famous name, the political instincts, the work ethic, and the confidence to overcome errors in judgment and build a global brand, winning in the boxing ring and on the debate stage. And then things changed as key people left the Trudeau team and the government lost direction.
Trudeau is an enigmatic figure—a politician who has been in the public eye since childhood and seeks attention but has always concealed his actual feelings from those around him. He has shown admirable strength and skill, deftly handling Donald Trump in trade deals and international meetings and in leading Canada through the COVID-19 pandemic. He has delivered substantial results for people within his political coalition—the most successful attack on poverty in a generation, real progress on climate change, and a sustained application of money and political capital to Indigenous reconciliation. Even as the government overcame major challenges, however, errors in judgment and personality conflicts wasted political capital. Trudeau has struggled to manage his own office, with devastating consequences, and alienated people outside his coalition, to the point where he can’t hold a public event without protesters screaming curses at him.
The Prince takes readers behind the curtain as the government goes from triumph to embarrassment and back again, revealing the people, the conflicts, and the struggles both in the government and on the opposition benches. Above all, it traces why this ambitious government led by a global media darling is now so unpopular it is in danger of imminent collapse.
387 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 28, 2024
50 people are currently reading
341 people want to read
About the author
Stephen Maher
11 books26 followersStephen Maher is an award-winning journalist who has uncovered scandals, reported from Newfoundland outports, remote indigenous communities, jails, warships, hospitals, parliamentary chambers, Afghanistan and Haiti. His second novel, Salvage, was short-listed for awards by the Crime Writers of Canada and The International Thriller Writers.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews
April 17, 2025
4.2 "a most excellent overview with helpful and balanced analysis" stars !!!
I am only going to write a short review for this one. Having some knowledge of politics and Canadian history will be helpful in deepening a reader's understanding.
Mr. Maher does not delve deeply into Trudeau's psychology or developmental history. The narrative focuses on a very helpful and balanced analysis of Trudeau's governance of my nation of Canada. Sequentially and helpfully guides the reader on a journey of what has transpired in Canada under Trudeau and the decisions and direction we have gone in this country. This book solidified my intuitive understandings of how we got to as a nation (will take at least a generation or two under wise and compassionate leadership to get our nation back on track...my opinion).
Trudeau is not a villain but unfortunately he is vain, quietly arrogant, often hypocritical and panders to special interest groups rather than taking care of Canada as a whole. I believe that he feels that he did an excellent job in guiding Canada through some challenging times. I guess I beg to differ....
I am only going to write a short review for this one. Having some knowledge of politics and Canadian history will be helpful in deepening a reader's understanding.
Mr. Maher does not delve deeply into Trudeau's psychology or developmental history. The narrative focuses on a very helpful and balanced analysis of Trudeau's governance of my nation of Canada. Sequentially and helpfully guides the reader on a journey of what has transpired in Canada under Trudeau and the decisions and direction we have gone in this country. This book solidified my intuitive understandings of how we got to as a nation (will take at least a generation or two under wise and compassionate leadership to get our nation back on track...my opinion).
Trudeau is not a villain but unfortunately he is vain, quietly arrogant, often hypocritical and panders to special interest groups rather than taking care of Canada as a whole. I believe that he feels that he did an excellent job in guiding Canada through some challenging times. I guess I beg to differ....
January 13, 2025
As Canada prepares for some turbulent times south of the border, it would be remiss not to talk about some of the political fallout within our own borders as well. An election is sure to occur by October 2025 and I wanted to do a little Election Prep for Canada, as I have done for US presidential elections in years past. We have a prime minister who has resigned due to some really poor polling numbers and a salivating Leader of the Opposition wanting to topple the tower right away for his own benefit. This entire experience could be extra fun, as there are whispers from on high in Washington that the upcoming election could be the last for Canada as a sovereign country before we become the 51st state. Let’s see where this reading journey takes us!
Stephen Maher delivers a wonderfully comprehensive biography of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Pulling no punches and tapping into his vast knowledge and well-linked journalism, Maher effectively argues that Trudeau used his popular name to woo Liberals who were seeking to reinvent themselves and the party, rather than choose a well-grounded political figure. Working swiftly to gain favour, Trudeau was big on charisma and tried to show himself as new age and willing to work with the masses. However, once in power, Trudeau relied on others to do the leading while he basked in the glory. Refusing to accept pushback on his work, his senior advisors had to shove to ensure the PM got the answers he wanted or fudge the truth to make others look poorly. A well-documented book that I could not stop reading and quite apt at explaining the recent disintegration of a man whose name should have been enough to crown him victor for long periods. Maher delivers and keeps the reader well informed along the way!
From the outset, Justin Trudeau relied on his father's reputation to garner support and success with Canadians and more specifically, the Liberal Party of Canada. Pierre Elliott Trudeau, one of Canada's most well-known and policy-driven prime ministers, made quite the impact on the country he led from the late 1960s until the mid-80s. Stephen Maher begins the piece looking at the Trudeau family and their stardom that followed them for a number of reasons. Using his father's name and connection to Canada, a younger Justin sought to make waves by running as a Member of Parliament, with likely aspirations of following in his father’s footsteps.
Maher examines this rise to power and how Trudeau was able to grab the reins, pushing political long-timers out of the way in order to create a snazzy new approach to politics and the Liberal brand when Justin ran for and win the party’s leadership. With that firmly established, it was time to eke out a victory of some sort, trying to resurrect a bumbling party from the basement back to power. With keen insights and seeking to curry favour with others, Trudeau made great inroads, using a star team and well-placed events to show Canadians he was there for them.
After pulling off a shocking win in the 2015 election, Justin Trudeau became prime minister and an international symbol for change. He was lauded around the world as being fresh and ready to work, with a photogenic family and ideas that flowed with ease. Trudeaumania was back, though perhaps not in the same way it had been for his father. Still, Justin sought to tackle many of the issues Canadians had, hoping to make a difference and ensure they were heard. As Maher argues, the honeymoon was long and drawn-out, with many ready to accept this new approach, so long as it garnered results. It did, for a time, as Trudeau stood up to the likes of Trump, the Chinese, and even some of his own detractors, but the rose-coloured glasses soon tinted things in other ways that Trudeau and the Liberals would not like.
In the latter portion of the book, Maher begins to examine the hidden issues that did not always make it into the public domain until the mid had been tossed. There are a few key events discussed where Trudeau was seen as pushing off his leadership roles with caucus and cabinet colleagues to others. Trudeau, an admitted introvert, would not enjoy one-on-one meetings, preferring to meet in larger groups where he could dilute his role. Save for fiery speeches directing people or rallying them to a cause, Trudeau wanted senior officials in the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) or bureaucrats to handle things. Those he did handle went sour quickly. He appeared to want to promote feminism and the indigenous population in Canada, but appears to have bullied his choice for Minister of Justice when she did not follow his directives, choosing to want the legal ramifications to play out. Other instances occurred when Trudeau and his first Minister of Finance differed on approaches, where speaking out against the views of the PM proved to be the kiss of death. Tie that into some international foibles and a poorly executed plan for COVID-19, which helped solidify the ongoing issues Trudeau had leading the country and keeping his party together.
Maher rounds out the discussion with some poignant analysis on the electoral woes of the Conservative Party of Canada, who were to be the largest thorns in the side of Trudeau. They failed to consolidate when needed and could not drum up enough support across the country to ensure a Liberal demise. Too fragmented, the party could not jump on many of the Liberal gaffes. mostly headlined by Trudeau himself. Extended COVID mandates, a truckers convoy that led to the use of the Emergencies Act, and even some ball dropping when it came to recognising the role Canada played in indigenous treatment. Nothing could or would work to dethrone Trudeau or those closest to him. However, there was something brewing and the nine lives Trudeau had were coming to an end. Added issues and an ongoing fracturing of the Liberal core in caucus and cabinet left many wondering if it was time for a change. Trudeau had lost his lustre, both at home and amongst the international community. It was not clear if he could get it back.
It appeared that arrogance and an infallibility complex left the prime minister unwilling to see the truth until it was too late and the knives had come out within his party. We shall soon see how it all plays out, as Trudeau has left the building, with a new leader (and prime minister) set to be chosen by the party soon, and an election on the horizon for later in 2025.
Stephen Maher does a formidable job with this piece, which elucidates not only the rise to power of Justin Trudeau, but also his slow and convincing fall from grace. In this well-documented biography, Maher presents a comprehensive history of Trudeau during a tumultuous period of Canadian politics. Drawing intriguing parallels between Trudeau and his father, the book is aptly titled, as Justin is surely the prince to his father's political monarchy, though the reign was shorter and filled with more trapdoors, or so it would seem. Great chapters lead the reader through the story, from a young man who was trying to break from his father's shadow through to the Canadian prime minister who relied too much on Canadians accepting his rule as completely without error. Narcissistic and demanding the utmost fidelity, Maher argues that Trudeau dug his own grave, especially when the Conservative Party found a leader able to tame his antics. Using numerous interviews and strong sentiments relayed in honest sentiments, Maher makes his points with ease and keeps the reader in the middle of the action. I can only hope that the next chapter in Canadian politics is just as intense!
Kudos, Mr. Maher, for this stunning look at the man many hoped would breathe new life into Canadian politics.
Like/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
Stephen Maher delivers a wonderfully comprehensive biography of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Pulling no punches and tapping into his vast knowledge and well-linked journalism, Maher effectively argues that Trudeau used his popular name to woo Liberals who were seeking to reinvent themselves and the party, rather than choose a well-grounded political figure. Working swiftly to gain favour, Trudeau was big on charisma and tried to show himself as new age and willing to work with the masses. However, once in power, Trudeau relied on others to do the leading while he basked in the glory. Refusing to accept pushback on his work, his senior advisors had to shove to ensure the PM got the answers he wanted or fudge the truth to make others look poorly. A well-documented book that I could not stop reading and quite apt at explaining the recent disintegration of a man whose name should have been enough to crown him victor for long periods. Maher delivers and keeps the reader well informed along the way!
From the outset, Justin Trudeau relied on his father's reputation to garner support and success with Canadians and more specifically, the Liberal Party of Canada. Pierre Elliott Trudeau, one of Canada's most well-known and policy-driven prime ministers, made quite the impact on the country he led from the late 1960s until the mid-80s. Stephen Maher begins the piece looking at the Trudeau family and their stardom that followed them for a number of reasons. Using his father's name and connection to Canada, a younger Justin sought to make waves by running as a Member of Parliament, with likely aspirations of following in his father’s footsteps.
Maher examines this rise to power and how Trudeau was able to grab the reins, pushing political long-timers out of the way in order to create a snazzy new approach to politics and the Liberal brand when Justin ran for and win the party’s leadership. With that firmly established, it was time to eke out a victory of some sort, trying to resurrect a bumbling party from the basement back to power. With keen insights and seeking to curry favour with others, Trudeau made great inroads, using a star team and well-placed events to show Canadians he was there for them.
After pulling off a shocking win in the 2015 election, Justin Trudeau became prime minister and an international symbol for change. He was lauded around the world as being fresh and ready to work, with a photogenic family and ideas that flowed with ease. Trudeaumania was back, though perhaps not in the same way it had been for his father. Still, Justin sought to tackle many of the issues Canadians had, hoping to make a difference and ensure they were heard. As Maher argues, the honeymoon was long and drawn-out, with many ready to accept this new approach, so long as it garnered results. It did, for a time, as Trudeau stood up to the likes of Trump, the Chinese, and even some of his own detractors, but the rose-coloured glasses soon tinted things in other ways that Trudeau and the Liberals would not like.
In the latter portion of the book, Maher begins to examine the hidden issues that did not always make it into the public domain until the mid had been tossed. There are a few key events discussed where Trudeau was seen as pushing off his leadership roles with caucus and cabinet colleagues to others. Trudeau, an admitted introvert, would not enjoy one-on-one meetings, preferring to meet in larger groups where he could dilute his role. Save for fiery speeches directing people or rallying them to a cause, Trudeau wanted senior officials in the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) or bureaucrats to handle things. Those he did handle went sour quickly. He appeared to want to promote feminism and the indigenous population in Canada, but appears to have bullied his choice for Minister of Justice when she did not follow his directives, choosing to want the legal ramifications to play out. Other instances occurred when Trudeau and his first Minister of Finance differed on approaches, where speaking out against the views of the PM proved to be the kiss of death. Tie that into some international foibles and a poorly executed plan for COVID-19, which helped solidify the ongoing issues Trudeau had leading the country and keeping his party together.
Maher rounds out the discussion with some poignant analysis on the electoral woes of the Conservative Party of Canada, who were to be the largest thorns in the side of Trudeau. They failed to consolidate when needed and could not drum up enough support across the country to ensure a Liberal demise. Too fragmented, the party could not jump on many of the Liberal gaffes. mostly headlined by Trudeau himself. Extended COVID mandates, a truckers convoy that led to the use of the Emergencies Act, and even some ball dropping when it came to recognising the role Canada played in indigenous treatment. Nothing could or would work to dethrone Trudeau or those closest to him. However, there was something brewing and the nine lives Trudeau had were coming to an end. Added issues and an ongoing fracturing of the Liberal core in caucus and cabinet left many wondering if it was time for a change. Trudeau had lost his lustre, both at home and amongst the international community. It was not clear if he could get it back.
It appeared that arrogance and an infallibility complex left the prime minister unwilling to see the truth until it was too late and the knives had come out within his party. We shall soon see how it all plays out, as Trudeau has left the building, with a new leader (and prime minister) set to be chosen by the party soon, and an election on the horizon for later in 2025.
Stephen Maher does a formidable job with this piece, which elucidates not only the rise to power of Justin Trudeau, but also his slow and convincing fall from grace. In this well-documented biography, Maher presents a comprehensive history of Trudeau during a tumultuous period of Canadian politics. Drawing intriguing parallels between Trudeau and his father, the book is aptly titled, as Justin is surely the prince to his father's political monarchy, though the reign was shorter and filled with more trapdoors, or so it would seem. Great chapters lead the reader through the story, from a young man who was trying to break from his father's shadow through to the Canadian prime minister who relied too much on Canadians accepting his rule as completely without error. Narcissistic and demanding the utmost fidelity, Maher argues that Trudeau dug his own grave, especially when the Conservative Party found a leader able to tame his antics. Using numerous interviews and strong sentiments relayed in honest sentiments, Maher makes his points with ease and keeps the reader in the middle of the action. I can only hope that the next chapter in Canadian politics is just as intense!
Kudos, Mr. Maher, for this stunning look at the man many hoped would breathe new life into Canadian politics.
Like/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
July 3, 2024
In 1963, the journalist Peter C Newman released Renegade in Power: The Diefenbaker Years , a chronicle of the recently defeated Diefenbaker Conservative government. The book was the first of its kind in Canada, a “chronicle of the unmaking of the Prime Minister,” a gossipy dissection of a Prime Minister’s personality, virtues, and flaws. Columnist Robert Fulford said that Newman “wrote in public the way everyone in Ottawa talked in private, and helped change the way Canadians saw their government" Source. The book was also a bestseller, with 100,000+ copies sold in a country of about 19 million people at the time. Diefenbaker remained the Conservative leader after the book came out, but he never made it back to power.
I’m sure Stephen Maher had Newman’s book in mind when he wrote The Prince: The Turbulent Reign of Justin Trudeau. Maher’s book feels like a political obituary, a chronicle of the unmaking of a Prime Minister, even though it’s being released while this Prime Minister is still in power. This book won’t have the same impact as Newman’s, because books in general do not have the same impact, but The Prince stands for now as the best chronicle of the Justin Trudeau government. It’s worth your time regardless of your political leaning. For what it’s worth, I voted for the Liberal Party in each of the last 3 elections. My political leanings are (still) liberal, but I’m frustrated with this government's dysfunction and propensity for making avoidable mistakes too.
Maher conducted 200+ interviews for this book, including an interview with Justin Trudeau. I can tell that Gerry Butts and Erin O’Toole were important sources. Like Newman’s book, I think he has probably captured how people talk about Trudeau behind closed doors. Maher takes Trudeau seriously, gives him credit where credit is due (Canada Child Benefit, NAFTA renegotiation), but it’s clear that he doesn’t rate Trudeau seriously as an intellectual or even a capable manager/administrator.
At first I was a little skeptical of The Prince metaphor--There are epigraphs of Machiavelli before every chapter--but it becomes clear that Maher doesn’t see Trudeau as a Machiavellian Prince. When he uses the term Prince, it’s in the sense of a privileged individual with a powerful father, not easily accessible to his subjects, who acts like the normal rules don’t apply to him. I’m sure Maher needed a theme to tie everything together, but I think the rest of the work was persuasive enough that we didn’t really need that.
The biggest revelation for me is that Trudeau didn’t have recurring 1 on 1s with his Cabinet Ministers and that often they didn’t even have his direct contact details; Trudeau preferred that his ministers went through his staff. Some reporting structure is necessary of course, but it’s clear that this distance between Trudeau and his ministers resulted in a lot of hard feelings and dysfunction. It’s Managerial 101 that you have regular 1 on 1s with your direct reports. You get the sense reading this book that Trudeau is not particularly invested in the day to day of policy making and prefers to focus on the big picture communications.
Here is a good passage that sums up Trudeau’s fatal flaw (in Maher’s view) and the breadth of opinions about Trudeau:
“This aversion to confrontation—private or public—has damaged the government, alienating key ministers who Trudeau failed to engage. All his life, Trudeau has been surrounded by people trying to get close to him and has had to establish boundaries, but Morneau, Wilson-Raybould, and others weren’t trying to spend time with Justin Trudeau because he’s a celebrity. They needed to establish a rapport with their boss, the prime minister of Canada, and his remove made that impossible. He is kind and indulgent to members of the team around him, to people he trusts, but he maintains his distance from MPs and staffers he doesn’t know. I was repeatedly surprised in researching this book to learn that he had never had meaningful exchanges with people in his orbit—MPs and staffers who have made important contributions to the country and his government. “He’s not a nice guy,” one of them said to me and shrugged. Others find that view astonishing, pointing to many acts of personal kindness.”
Maher gives a good overview of everything you would expect (pipelines, SNC Lavelin, blackface scandals, COVID, NAFTA, China, India, ect). I was most impressed how well he describes the irritating affect Trudeau has on white men “of a certain age.” I’m only half-joking when I say I understand my father better after reading this book. I’ve never had any patience for people that act like Trudeau is an evil person. That seems silly and overly simplistic to me. I will accept though that he can come across as phony sometimes. He just rubs some people—unfortunately for him, too many people according to the latest polls—the wrong way.
I thought Maher did an excellent job making the case that everything started to go downhill after SNC Lavelin. It seems that Gerry Butts leaving was a real blow to the government’s ability to set their agenda, be proactive, and communicate its efforts to improve inequality. After Butts left, Maher argues that the Trudeau government left a gap on inequality and affordability that Poilievre has exploited.
Alright, let’s talk about Poilievre. While Maher is clearly no big fan of Trudeau, I would argue that the portrait he gives of Poilievre is even more damning. Maher says he “stood out as unusually combative, smug, and partisan.” Maher found “his harsh recitations chilling because he gave the impression that he would deliver the attacks no matter what the words said, so fierce and remorseless was his partisanship.” He gives Poilievre credit for his clear messaging but points out how Poilievre has exaggerated “the economic impact of the carbon tax to the point of dishonesty.” I didn’t find anything in here to suggest that Poilievre will be a great administrator, but it looks like he will be our next prime minister.
The Poilievre fans in my orbit don’t seem to know much about his policies, but they sure like to recite his “clever” jokes and digs at Trudeau. If Stephen Maher called his Trudeau book The Prince, what will he call his Poilievre book? The Troll, The Jester, The Huckster? I don’t know, but I bet it will be a good book.
I’m sure Stephen Maher had Newman’s book in mind when he wrote The Prince: The Turbulent Reign of Justin Trudeau. Maher’s book feels like a political obituary, a chronicle of the unmaking of a Prime Minister, even though it’s being released while this Prime Minister is still in power. This book won’t have the same impact as Newman’s, because books in general do not have the same impact, but The Prince stands for now as the best chronicle of the Justin Trudeau government. It’s worth your time regardless of your political leaning. For what it’s worth, I voted for the Liberal Party in each of the last 3 elections. My political leanings are (still) liberal, but I’m frustrated with this government's dysfunction and propensity for making avoidable mistakes too.
Maher conducted 200+ interviews for this book, including an interview with Justin Trudeau. I can tell that Gerry Butts and Erin O’Toole were important sources. Like Newman’s book, I think he has probably captured how people talk about Trudeau behind closed doors. Maher takes Trudeau seriously, gives him credit where credit is due (Canada Child Benefit, NAFTA renegotiation), but it’s clear that he doesn’t rate Trudeau seriously as an intellectual or even a capable manager/administrator.
At first I was a little skeptical of The Prince metaphor--There are epigraphs of Machiavelli before every chapter--but it becomes clear that Maher doesn’t see Trudeau as a Machiavellian Prince. When he uses the term Prince, it’s in the sense of a privileged individual with a powerful father, not easily accessible to his subjects, who acts like the normal rules don’t apply to him. I’m sure Maher needed a theme to tie everything together, but I think the rest of the work was persuasive enough that we didn’t really need that.
The biggest revelation for me is that Trudeau didn’t have recurring 1 on 1s with his Cabinet Ministers and that often they didn’t even have his direct contact details; Trudeau preferred that his ministers went through his staff. Some reporting structure is necessary of course, but it’s clear that this distance between Trudeau and his ministers resulted in a lot of hard feelings and dysfunction. It’s Managerial 101 that you have regular 1 on 1s with your direct reports. You get the sense reading this book that Trudeau is not particularly invested in the day to day of policy making and prefers to focus on the big picture communications.
Here is a good passage that sums up Trudeau’s fatal flaw (in Maher’s view) and the breadth of opinions about Trudeau:
“This aversion to confrontation—private or public—has damaged the government, alienating key ministers who Trudeau failed to engage. All his life, Trudeau has been surrounded by people trying to get close to him and has had to establish boundaries, but Morneau, Wilson-Raybould, and others weren’t trying to spend time with Justin Trudeau because he’s a celebrity. They needed to establish a rapport with their boss, the prime minister of Canada, and his remove made that impossible. He is kind and indulgent to members of the team around him, to people he trusts, but he maintains his distance from MPs and staffers he doesn’t know. I was repeatedly surprised in researching this book to learn that he had never had meaningful exchanges with people in his orbit—MPs and staffers who have made important contributions to the country and his government. “He’s not a nice guy,” one of them said to me and shrugged. Others find that view astonishing, pointing to many acts of personal kindness.”
Maher gives a good overview of everything you would expect (pipelines, SNC Lavelin, blackface scandals, COVID, NAFTA, China, India, ect). I was most impressed how well he describes the irritating affect Trudeau has on white men “of a certain age.” I’m only half-joking when I say I understand my father better after reading this book. I’ve never had any patience for people that act like Trudeau is an evil person. That seems silly and overly simplistic to me. I will accept though that he can come across as phony sometimes. He just rubs some people—unfortunately for him, too many people according to the latest polls—the wrong way.
I thought Maher did an excellent job making the case that everything started to go downhill after SNC Lavelin. It seems that Gerry Butts leaving was a real blow to the government’s ability to set their agenda, be proactive, and communicate its efforts to improve inequality. After Butts left, Maher argues that the Trudeau government left a gap on inequality and affordability that Poilievre has exploited.
Alright, let’s talk about Poilievre. While Maher is clearly no big fan of Trudeau, I would argue that the portrait he gives of Poilievre is even more damning. Maher says he “stood out as unusually combative, smug, and partisan.” Maher found “his harsh recitations chilling because he gave the impression that he would deliver the attacks no matter what the words said, so fierce and remorseless was his partisanship.” He gives Poilievre credit for his clear messaging but points out how Poilievre has exaggerated “the economic impact of the carbon tax to the point of dishonesty.” I didn’t find anything in here to suggest that Poilievre will be a great administrator, but it looks like he will be our next prime minister.
The Poilievre fans in my orbit don’t seem to know much about his policies, but they sure like to recite his “clever” jokes and digs at Trudeau. If Stephen Maher called his Trudeau book The Prince, what will he call his Poilievre book? The Troll, The Jester, The Huckster? I don’t know, but I bet it will be a good book.
June 2, 2024
I reviewed this at https://miramichireader.ca/2024/05/th....
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January 19, 2025Gained a fortuitous amount of respect for Trudeau after reading this. He was elected when I was in the ninth grade, and has been prime minister the entire time I have been politically aware/since have developed political consciousness — so it was nice to read an overview of his term as I’ve seen it unfold growing up. Very well researched and written book, love Stephen Maher.
July 1, 2024
Interesting perspective of Trudeau. Storyline follows the foibles of Trudeau over several elections and various opponents. Renegotiation of NAFTA was a strong win for country. Especially liked the tact of tariffs to match those US imposed for lumber & dairy. A list of bourbon, dill pickle, maple syrup etc to stir Republicans in position of influence impacting their personal or state businesses to settle negoations. Indigenous negotiations by far the most progress made by any government to date but this is an issue with no end. Easy to follow for a political book. Pollievre will be a problem but don't think Trudeau is the person to defeat him.
July 22, 2024
Probably the best political biography of Trudeau's time in power and the costs of it all. Maher gives praise where it's due, but is highly critical in others. Some will say it's not balanced, but having worked in the Trudeau Government for 5 years for back bench MPs, I would say it's fairly accurate.
The errors and mistakes have largely been of their own making, destroying goodwill and any progress along the way. I think it shines a light on that Trudeau isn't performative like many think, but deeply guarded after a lifetime in the public eye.
I highly recommend this book.
The errors and mistakes have largely been of their own making, destroying goodwill and any progress along the way. I think it shines a light on that Trudeau isn't performative like many think, but deeply guarded after a lifetime in the public eye.
I highly recommend this book.
November 3, 2024
We all need a hagiographer who is as sycophantic to us as Maher is to Justin Trudeau.
Parts couldn't have been written more favourably by the comms team from the PMO.
p. 74 "Justin Trudeau's first Cabinet came from central casting, reflecting the diversity and breadth of Canada." That's some good journalisming. lol
Maher weirdly defends the corrupt tactics of those close to Trudeau.
p. 143 "Government by cabinet is back" he said. Over time, however, the unelected people in Trudeau's orbit started to exert more control, and Wilson-Raybould kept pushing back. But the ones she resented were the same people who wrote the platform, arranged for her nomination, and engineered a majority election victory."
The defense of the corrupt is stunning. "arranged for her nomination" is shameful on its own. The quid pro quo is terrible. This defense completely ignores the fact that no one should have exerted control over SNC-Lavalin.
The hagiography can be laugh out loud ridiculous. p. 185 Freeland "spoke to (the Mexicans) in a ton that would make your blood run cold,"says Butts. lololololololol What sort of journalist takes such ridiculous hyperbole seriously? She gave them the sternest talking to possible!!!
Maher gets a pretty critical fact wrong p. 287 "Pierre Poilievre first came to my attention in 2004, when we were both new to Ottawa ... In those days, he was dating Jenni Byrne, an up-and-comer in the PMO." Uhhh, the Liberals were in power every day of 2024. OLO =/= PMO. Actually two different things. Kinda like the two sides of a coin.
The following is the cherry on the top of this turd sundae tells you all you need to know about Andrew's view of personal liberty, civility in public discourse and the way Trudeau handled covid. The first "friend" Maher thanked is Amir Attaran. lol
Parts couldn't have been written more favourably by the comms team from the PMO.
p. 74 "Justin Trudeau's first Cabinet came from central casting, reflecting the diversity and breadth of Canada." That's some good journalisming. lol
Maher weirdly defends the corrupt tactics of those close to Trudeau.
p. 143 "Government by cabinet is back" he said. Over time, however, the unelected people in Trudeau's orbit started to exert more control, and Wilson-Raybould kept pushing back. But the ones she resented were the same people who wrote the platform, arranged for her nomination, and engineered a majority election victory."
The defense of the corrupt is stunning. "arranged for her nomination" is shameful on its own. The quid pro quo is terrible. This defense completely ignores the fact that no one should have exerted control over SNC-Lavalin.
The hagiography can be laugh out loud ridiculous. p. 185 Freeland "spoke to (the Mexicans) in a ton that would make your blood run cold,"says Butts. lololololololol What sort of journalist takes such ridiculous hyperbole seriously? She gave them the sternest talking to possible!!!
Maher gets a pretty critical fact wrong p. 287 "Pierre Poilievre first came to my attention in 2004, when we were both new to Ottawa ... In those days, he was dating Jenni Byrne, an up-and-comer in the PMO." Uhhh, the Liberals were in power every day of 2024. OLO =/= PMO. Actually two different things. Kinda like the two sides of a coin.
The following is the cherry on the top of this turd sundae tells you all you need to know about Andrew's view of personal liberty, civility in public discourse and the way Trudeau handled covid. The first "friend" Maher thanked is Amir Attaran. lol
June 7, 2025
The Prince is a detailed book that chronicles the major events that took place while Trudeau was in office as the Prime Minister. I was looking for a book that detailed Trudeau's controversial tenure as PM and I got it with this. This book doesn't dive deep into policy decisions but instead focuses on the main events and controversies that characterize Trudeau's time as PM.
I wanted a book like this because I was 15 when Trudeau was elected and 24 when he resigned. For over a third of my life he's been Canada's leader. I remember the first few years were quite positive. His rise and election win were unprecedented, and brought a deep wave of optimism to Canadians who were tired of Harper. Trudeau couldn't fail - until he did, repeatedly and severely.
The book is generous but nuanced in its favour and sanction. There are things Trudeau and co did well and did poorly, but many things are just very nuanced. For example, Maher praises the federal government's response to COVID-19 with the cash programs and vaccine procurement, but also argues that the injections were excessive and did play a role (not the main role) in the inflationary crisis post-COVID.
Beyond just the events, you also get a sense of how the PM's office (PMO) is organized, which stems from Trudeau's privileged upbringing. Trudeau, for all his charisma and presence, is private and isolated, and he carried that management style to the PMO. There are many anecdotes about how hard it would be for cabinet ministers to get an audience with the PM. I'm sure time will further vindicate that this management style contributed to greater difficulties.
Stephen Maher, I think, is not a fan of Trudeau, but I think saying he's anti-Trudeau would be extreme, and he does give him the benefit of the doubt on multiple occasions or acknowledges that certain events would have happened regardless of who was PM. As someone who is a little more warm to Trudeau, I think the criticism is even handed. He's a solid writer with deep connections and understanding of Canadian politics, and I appreciate the perspective he brings.
One of the fun things about this book is that it was published in May 2024. It came out at a time when the Liberals under Trudeau were surely going to face a generational defeat in a general election and Poilievre was surely going to ride a blue wave into a very strong Conservative majority. Trump was just the former President, not current or future, and trade disputes with Canada were not going to destroy the economy. Now, Carney won the Liberal leadership, led the Liberals to a fourth term with a very comfortable minority, and Canada faces significant economic disruption from an even more emboldened Trump. I think the perspective Maher brings at that time is reasonable, but now has poorly aged.
Overall, this book is a great contemporary read of nearly all of Trudeau's time in office. It's written with an even hand and delivered a lot of information. I look forward to seeing what kinds of books will be written about Trudeau and this period of Canadian history in the next several years.
I wanted a book like this because I was 15 when Trudeau was elected and 24 when he resigned. For over a third of my life he's been Canada's leader. I remember the first few years were quite positive. His rise and election win were unprecedented, and brought a deep wave of optimism to Canadians who were tired of Harper. Trudeau couldn't fail - until he did, repeatedly and severely.
The book is generous but nuanced in its favour and sanction. There are things Trudeau and co did well and did poorly, but many things are just very nuanced. For example, Maher praises the federal government's response to COVID-19 with the cash programs and vaccine procurement, but also argues that the injections were excessive and did play a role (not the main role) in the inflationary crisis post-COVID.
Beyond just the events, you also get a sense of how the PM's office (PMO) is organized, which stems from Trudeau's privileged upbringing. Trudeau, for all his charisma and presence, is private and isolated, and he carried that management style to the PMO. There are many anecdotes about how hard it would be for cabinet ministers to get an audience with the PM. I'm sure time will further vindicate that this management style contributed to greater difficulties.
Stephen Maher, I think, is not a fan of Trudeau, but I think saying he's anti-Trudeau would be extreme, and he does give him the benefit of the doubt on multiple occasions or acknowledges that certain events would have happened regardless of who was PM. As someone who is a little more warm to Trudeau, I think the criticism is even handed. He's a solid writer with deep connections and understanding of Canadian politics, and I appreciate the perspective he brings.
One of the fun things about this book is that it was published in May 2024. It came out at a time when the Liberals under Trudeau were surely going to face a generational defeat in a general election and Poilievre was surely going to ride a blue wave into a very strong Conservative majority. Trump was just the former President, not current or future, and trade disputes with Canada were not going to destroy the economy. Now, Carney won the Liberal leadership, led the Liberals to a fourth term with a very comfortable minority, and Canada faces significant economic disruption from an even more emboldened Trump. I think the perspective Maher brings at that time is reasonable, but now has poorly aged.
Overall, this book is a great contemporary read of nearly all of Trudeau's time in office. It's written with an even hand and delivered a lot of information. I look forward to seeing what kinds of books will be written about Trudeau and this period of Canadian history in the next several years.
May 5, 2024
Standard, delightfully gossipy, political fin-de-siècle fare. And a helpful reminder of just how much external stuff was thrown at this Prime Minister.
March 23, 2025
What a good summary of Trudeau’s reign. Helped me understand Canadian Politics as an immigrant
June 25, 2024
An engrossing, well-paced, thorough, and balanced examination of Trudeau's time in office. 1 star off because I found the timeline and narrative disjointed at times. The chronology of events got lost amid the jumping around and many important players. Overall, highly recommend!
June 14, 2024
Very timely book
July 13, 2024
The Prince is a good, ripping read that provides interesting context and background on the events of Justin Trudeau's life, political career and of the Liberal government he has lead.
July 25, 2024
Great read for anyone who wants to gain Insight into Canadian politics!
August 21, 2024
A brief glance at the 6 p.m. news would provide greater insight into JT’s life and political career than this book.
September 24, 2024
The quality of writing was poor, but the subject matter was interesting.
November 16, 2024
Surprisingly well-balanced.
November 21, 2024
Critical reflection on the political career of Justin Trudeau. The political leader of a generation.
May 28, 2024
I think the book's research was started before the fatal decay in the polls two years earlier, and it's not helped by some odd views by the author, who thought that Trudeau might be less great as his father, but as important as Brian Mulroney, and he started to see that wasn't exactly happening as time wore on.
The book is great for behind the scenes, interviews, if you can take them at face value.
.........
His view is a big cringeworthy
Question: How will Trudeau’s record as prime minister go down in history?
Answer: When I started working on the book, in October 2022, I thought he would be seen as more significant than Jean Chrétien or Stephen Harper, less significant than his father, perhaps on the same level as Brian Mulroney. Since that time, the government has been struggling terribly, so I am less certain.
[you know right here, this is not going to a deep critical work]
Question: What’s your biggest take-away from the book?
Answer: Politics is hard. I am impressed by almost all of the people I interviewed from Trudeau’s government. They are intelligent, resourceful. A lot of them have game in one way or another. And in spite of their hard work, the government is in a state of permanent near-crisis. Running the country is hard.
Question: How long did it take you to write your book?
Answer: Sixteen months. I signed the contract on Oct. 11, 2022, and the manuscript was finalized on Feb. 12, 2024.
Question: Machiavelli’s book’s main thesis is that immoral acts are justified if they can help achieve political glory. Do you think Trudeau has done that? Is that your message?
Answer: That is not my message. Many people who know Trudeau think he is narcissistic, but I don’t see him as Machiavellian and manipulative. He can be ruthless—you don’t get to be prime minister without ruthlessness—but he is less prone to score-settling, for instance, than his predecessors.
///////
So, he's not a manipulative guy.
//////
The Globe and Mail
The majority of Canadians have intensely negative responses to both Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, according to a new Nanos Research poll that finds the credibility of both politicians low.
Even as Mr. Poilievre far outpaces Mr. Trudeau in public opinion surveys, almost six in 10 respondents in the Nanos poll say the Conservative Leader elicits negative emotions or responses such as dishonesty, deceit, fear and anger when they hear him speak.
The results are even worse for Mr. Trudeau in the poll, conducted for The Globe and Mail between April 28 and May 1.
More than seven in 10 Canadians say that hearing the Prime Minister speak prompts feelings or responses such as stupid, anger, rage, disgust and ineptitude.
Respondents gave Mr. Trudeau an average credibility rating of 3.7 out of 10, while Mr. Poilievre scored 3.9.
Among those who gave positive responses in the Nanos poll, about three in 10 people said hearing the Conservative Leader speak prompted emotions such as hope, promise, and confidence. For the Prime Minister, almost two in 10 people said he elicited feelings such as honesty, trust, and passion.
For Mr. Trudeau, women rated him as higher on the credibility scale, at 4.2 out of 10, than men, who pegged his credibility at 3.3. His highest credibility rating by region was in Quebec at 4.4, his lowest was in the Prairies at 3.
People are still listening to the Prime Minister’s message. Of the Nanos poll’s respondents, 42 per cent said they regularly pay attention to what he is saying, and 45 per cent said they occasionally do. Just 13 per cent said they never do.
///////
Politico
Journalist STEPHEN MAHER has had a busy year and a half. He crisscrossed Eastern Canada and worked the phone to nab some 200+ interviews, including with JUSTIN TRUDEAU, in a bid to tell the definitive tale of the Trudeau years.
In his new 400~ pager of a book, “The Prince: The Turbulent Reign of Justin Trudeau,” the PM and his inner circle open up about his life and even about those politically fraught vacations, plus Maher gives a behind-the-scenes blow-by-blow of how the SNC-Lavalin scandal broke and developed.
It’s a pretty exhaustive account of Trudeau’s time in power — though, of course, the story is not over yet.
Maher tells Playbook he banged much of it out on his sailboat in the Caribbean, where he had access to Starlink internet.
.........
→ You write: “With his carefully guarded inner self, his stage-managed and scripted public appearances, and his unusual upbringing, Trudeau is hard to read. But he reveals himself through his actions.” What did a decade of Trudeau reveal to you?
That he has a princely character. He is unlike other people. In some ways, he’s like a child star. From the time that he was born, he was surrounded by people yearning to get close to him. And so he has had to set up barriers and construct a persona, what one person who knows him well calls a mask of affability. This makes him quite different from other recent prime ministers and from other provincial politicians. He is passionate about the country. He believes that he knows Canada and is protecting it — his vision of Canada. People who are critical of him see narcissism in that. I’ll leave that ultimately to readers to decide.
→ What part of the book are you most proud of?
The SNC-Lavalin chapter, which I spent more time researching. I felt it raised important issues in a sort of 3-D chess kind of way — issues of competence, of values, human rights issues, legal issues, Indigenous issues, all overlapping in this slow-motion train wreck.
→ Is there anything you didn’t unearth in your research but sought out in the beginning?
There are some things around Canada’s relations with India and China and foreign interference that I tried to get answers to, but you can’t push that hard when the people with the information have taken oaths to keep the information secret.
The book is great for behind the scenes, interviews, if you can take them at face value.
.........
His view is a big cringeworthy
Question: How will Trudeau’s record as prime minister go down in history?
Answer: When I started working on the book, in October 2022, I thought he would be seen as more significant than Jean Chrétien or Stephen Harper, less significant than his father, perhaps on the same level as Brian Mulroney. Since that time, the government has been struggling terribly, so I am less certain.
[you know right here, this is not going to a deep critical work]
Question: What’s your biggest take-away from the book?
Answer: Politics is hard. I am impressed by almost all of the people I interviewed from Trudeau’s government. They are intelligent, resourceful. A lot of them have game in one way or another. And in spite of their hard work, the government is in a state of permanent near-crisis. Running the country is hard.
Question: How long did it take you to write your book?
Answer: Sixteen months. I signed the contract on Oct. 11, 2022, and the manuscript was finalized on Feb. 12, 2024.
Question: Machiavelli’s book’s main thesis is that immoral acts are justified if they can help achieve political glory. Do you think Trudeau has done that? Is that your message?
Answer: That is not my message. Many people who know Trudeau think he is narcissistic, but I don’t see him as Machiavellian and manipulative. He can be ruthless—you don’t get to be prime minister without ruthlessness—but he is less prone to score-settling, for instance, than his predecessors.
///////
So, he's not a manipulative guy.
//////
The Globe and Mail
The majority of Canadians have intensely negative responses to both Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, according to a new Nanos Research poll that finds the credibility of both politicians low.
Even as Mr. Poilievre far outpaces Mr. Trudeau in public opinion surveys, almost six in 10 respondents in the Nanos poll say the Conservative Leader elicits negative emotions or responses such as dishonesty, deceit, fear and anger when they hear him speak.
The results are even worse for Mr. Trudeau in the poll, conducted for The Globe and Mail between April 28 and May 1.
More than seven in 10 Canadians say that hearing the Prime Minister speak prompts feelings or responses such as stupid, anger, rage, disgust and ineptitude.
Respondents gave Mr. Trudeau an average credibility rating of 3.7 out of 10, while Mr. Poilievre scored 3.9.
Among those who gave positive responses in the Nanos poll, about three in 10 people said hearing the Conservative Leader speak prompted emotions such as hope, promise, and confidence. For the Prime Minister, almost two in 10 people said he elicited feelings such as honesty, trust, and passion.
For Mr. Trudeau, women rated him as higher on the credibility scale, at 4.2 out of 10, than men, who pegged his credibility at 3.3. His highest credibility rating by region was in Quebec at 4.4, his lowest was in the Prairies at 3.
People are still listening to the Prime Minister’s message. Of the Nanos poll’s respondents, 42 per cent said they regularly pay attention to what he is saying, and 45 per cent said they occasionally do. Just 13 per cent said they never do.
///////
Politico
Journalist STEPHEN MAHER has had a busy year and a half. He crisscrossed Eastern Canada and worked the phone to nab some 200+ interviews, including with JUSTIN TRUDEAU, in a bid to tell the definitive tale of the Trudeau years.
In his new 400~ pager of a book, “The Prince: The Turbulent Reign of Justin Trudeau,” the PM and his inner circle open up about his life and even about those politically fraught vacations, plus Maher gives a behind-the-scenes blow-by-blow of how the SNC-Lavalin scandal broke and developed.
It’s a pretty exhaustive account of Trudeau’s time in power — though, of course, the story is not over yet.
Maher tells Playbook he banged much of it out on his sailboat in the Caribbean, where he had access to Starlink internet.
.........
→ You write: “With his carefully guarded inner self, his stage-managed and scripted public appearances, and his unusual upbringing, Trudeau is hard to read. But he reveals himself through his actions.” What did a decade of Trudeau reveal to you?
That he has a princely character. He is unlike other people. In some ways, he’s like a child star. From the time that he was born, he was surrounded by people yearning to get close to him. And so he has had to set up barriers and construct a persona, what one person who knows him well calls a mask of affability. This makes him quite different from other recent prime ministers and from other provincial politicians. He is passionate about the country. He believes that he knows Canada and is protecting it — his vision of Canada. People who are critical of him see narcissism in that. I’ll leave that ultimately to readers to decide.
→ What part of the book are you most proud of?
The SNC-Lavalin chapter, which I spent more time researching. I felt it raised important issues in a sort of 3-D chess kind of way — issues of competence, of values, human rights issues, legal issues, Indigenous issues, all overlapping in this slow-motion train wreck.
→ Is there anything you didn’t unearth in your research but sought out in the beginning?
There are some things around Canada’s relations with India and China and foreign interference that I tried to get answers to, but you can’t push that hard when the people with the information have taken oaths to keep the information secret.
November 11, 2024
This is a pretty comprehensive account of Justin Trudeau's personality and government. Stephen Maher is a well respected journalist and he covers well Trudeau's strengths and weaknesses. The strengths include great faith in himself which gives him the drive to continue to relish politics, and his commitment to progressive values.His governments have reduced child poverty, been serious about indigenous reconciliation, handled Donald Trump well when the President threatened to rip up the Nafta free trade agreement ( now soon to be returned to office Trump may attack free trade again) and did a decent job in steering Canada through the Covid pandemic, especially in providing economic security.The weaknesses include an inability to have any personal relationships with his Ministers and caucus leaving it to his staff to engage( with some of his strongest ministers leaving as a result), an inability to implement on file after file, a fairly disastrous foreign policy and defence record, no discipline in fiscal policy, and a sense of entitlement and hubris that have led to several ethical breaches. This book is a balanced account of our current Prime Minister but Maher believes Trudeau's time is up and he will not be Prime Minister much longer.
September 14, 2024
Stephen Maher's review of Justin Trudeau's reign of error over his "post-national" state is good, considering its perspective.
Maher writes from a centre-left perspective; a Chretien Liberal frustrated by Trudeau's ability to always miss an opportunity, yet also admiring his "sunny ways" perspective. He grudgingly admires some of Trudeau's opponents, yet can't help reverting to standard-issue Liberal smears on everyone from the inoffensive Andrew Scheer to the hopelessly naive Freedom Convoy.
But, you've gotta admit: he has kick-ass sources. Maher gets everyone from Butts to Wilson-Raybould on the record. The result is a damning indictment of a failed prince; a man who grabbed the prize he felt was his birthright, held it long past when he should have, and, in the end, made much of the country hate his guts.
I've proclaimed Trudeau DOA too many times to replicate the same mistake again. But, in the end, he will go down as the most divisive and least successful PM in Canadian history for a reason. When he falls, people will cheer, and The Prince makes it at least somewhat clear as to the why. Recommended reading.
Maher writes from a centre-left perspective; a Chretien Liberal frustrated by Trudeau's ability to always miss an opportunity, yet also admiring his "sunny ways" perspective. He grudgingly admires some of Trudeau's opponents, yet can't help reverting to standard-issue Liberal smears on everyone from the inoffensive Andrew Scheer to the hopelessly naive Freedom Convoy.
But, you've gotta admit: he has kick-ass sources. Maher gets everyone from Butts to Wilson-Raybould on the record. The result is a damning indictment of a failed prince; a man who grabbed the prize he felt was his birthright, held it long past when he should have, and, in the end, made much of the country hate his guts.
I've proclaimed Trudeau DOA too many times to replicate the same mistake again. But, in the end, he will go down as the most divisive and least successful PM in Canadian history for a reason. When he falls, people will cheer, and The Prince makes it at least somewhat clear as to the why. Recommended reading.
July 27, 2024
Unfortunately for Canada, it has elected a narcissistic, smug, out of touch person to run the government.
Trudeau’s strength is playing the political game to win elections. He is a fake virtue signalling hypocrite whose actions reveals explicitly that he does not walk the talk.
Trudeau is above the law. His ethical violations are unprecedented and who knows what’s more!
The liberal government since 2015 has pulled Canada down. We are now a laughingstock worldwide. Foreign countries not Canadian citizens decide the results of our elections.
Internally, the government is mired in bureaucracy, unable to tackle basic economic needs of Canadian and “ think the press release is the work product”!
This is an interesting book that you might well read if you want to understand more the politics in Canada.
You cannot accuse the writer of bias because he tried to draw the most possible positive picture of “The Prince”- in a Machiavellian terms. However, Trudeau’s inanity and ineptitude is clear as the sunshine!
Trudeau’s strength is playing the political game to win elections. He is a fake virtue signalling hypocrite whose actions reveals explicitly that he does not walk the talk.
Trudeau is above the law. His ethical violations are unprecedented and who knows what’s more!
The liberal government since 2015 has pulled Canada down. We are now a laughingstock worldwide. Foreign countries not Canadian citizens decide the results of our elections.
Internally, the government is mired in bureaucracy, unable to tackle basic economic needs of Canadian and “ think the press release is the work product”!
This is an interesting book that you might well read if you want to understand more the politics in Canada.
You cannot accuse the writer of bias because he tried to draw the most possible positive picture of “The Prince”- in a Machiavellian terms. However, Trudeau’s inanity and ineptitude is clear as the sunshine!
June 10, 2024
This was a bit of an odd book as it felt like more of a run down of the key political events of the past 8 years than an insiders account (it reads like the author isn't that well connected - he's no Bob Woodward - and I suspect is main source is a certain fellow Atlantic Canadian) and it isn't much of a study of Trudeau himself either (the author briefly ponders if he's a narcissist, but never comes back to it).
It also seems like the author is predisposed towards the Liberals, or at least predisposed towards not liking the Cons. Many of his comments are one-sided in that regard.
Overall not a bad read, but there are only about 10-12 key facts presented here that you wouldn't already know I'd you've followed Canadian politics.
It also seems like the author is predisposed towards the Liberals, or at least predisposed towards not liking the Cons. Many of his comments are one-sided in that regard.
Overall not a bad read, but there are only about 10-12 key facts presented here that you wouldn't already know I'd you've followed Canadian politics.
August 6, 2024
Books that are an account of a sitting PM and one I have lived through, can be difficult to read as I have a bias on Trudeau’s time in office. Maher presents a POV of Trudeau, his rise and unraveling as a political leader. As another reviewer states, it’s an obituary of his time as PM in advance of no longer being PM.
Living through JT’s reign, there is lots to be learned about JT, the back room conversations and unnamed sources add much to understanding the ways and means of a Trudeau government and how a next government might control PMO and Cabinet.
The Prince shows Trudeau as Trudeau wants to be seen, but also shows Trudeau as Trudeau sees himself, which is a contradiction from the public view. It is interesting that Trudeau has been able to balance these two selfs and not cause himself more damage to his persona.
Living through JT’s reign, there is lots to be learned about JT, the back room conversations and unnamed sources add much to understanding the ways and means of a Trudeau government and how a next government might control PMO and Cabinet.
The Prince shows Trudeau as Trudeau wants to be seen, but also shows Trudeau as Trudeau sees himself, which is a contradiction from the public view. It is interesting that Trudeau has been able to balance these two selfs and not cause himself more damage to his persona.
January 13, 2025
It took me a couple of months to get through this book, so it was a coincidence that I finished it in the same week that Justin Trudeau announced his resignation. What I thought was a refresher on an ongoing story turned into a political obituary.
As such, the author came to bury his subject, not to praise him. I'm not Trudeau's biggest fan, but I thought he was a reasonable, moderate leader with good intentions for improving the state of the world, though with a penchant for screw-ups that harmed the economy and his own reputation.
The book does well at covering the major events of Trudeau's term in power, with an emphasis on the miscues. The author interviewed a number of insiders for the book, as well as Trudeau himself, so there's quite a bit of new information to be found.
As such, the author came to bury his subject, not to praise him. I'm not Trudeau's biggest fan, but I thought he was a reasonable, moderate leader with good intentions for improving the state of the world, though with a penchant for screw-ups that harmed the economy and his own reputation.
The book does well at covering the major events of Trudeau's term in power, with an emphasis on the miscues. The author interviewed a number of insiders for the book, as well as Trudeau himself, so there's quite a bit of new information to be found.
July 20, 2024
Candid, credible and current biography.
I was impressed with this thorough and balanced assessment of Justin Trudeau’s time in office. I have never been an admirer of the man, whom I perceive as shallow and self-important, and feel that the media have been biased in his favour. This portrayal convincingly contradicts some of my instinctive biases, yet accurately criticizes Trudeau for his mistakes and mannerisms, and the harm he has caused Canada on the world stage. The book feels more genuine than anything else I’ve read. It’s also surprisingly up to date, as of this writing (July 2024).
I was impressed with this thorough and balanced assessment of Justin Trudeau’s time in office. I have never been an admirer of the man, whom I perceive as shallow and self-important, and feel that the media have been biased in his favour. This portrayal convincingly contradicts some of my instinctive biases, yet accurately criticizes Trudeau for his mistakes and mannerisms, and the harm he has caused Canada on the world stage. The book feels more genuine than anything else I’ve read. It’s also surprisingly up to date, as of this writing (July 2024).
December 21, 2024
Not worth the time, he does generally cover most of Trudeau's faults and virtues; however there is a clear bias supporting him(with the exception of the Nova Scotia mass shooter).
This book isn't strong enough to be recommendable for a conservative to challenge their worldview in a credible fashion.
It also does not challenge a liberal world view, unless gently recognizing faults is a challenge.
Lastly this book presents itself under the same name as Nicolo Machiavelli's yet does not have leadership advice, critiques or share it's spirit.
This book isn't strong enough to be recommendable for a conservative to challenge their worldview in a credible fashion.
It also does not challenge a liberal world view, unless gently recognizing faults is a challenge.
Lastly this book presents itself under the same name as Nicolo Machiavelli's yet does not have leadership advice, critiques or share it's spirit.
July 16, 2025
I’m pretty fed up with politics, especially the shit show south of us, but I’d borrowed the book from a friend and needed to get through it. I have to admit that I found it to be an interesting and balanced assessment of Justin Trudeau’s time as Canada’s Prime Minister. He certainly had his foibles, but is a talented guy who accomplished much! I think it helped me to read it after April 28th (2025) knowing that PP had been eliminated from the running 😁
PS - I liked the way Stephen Maher wrapped things up at the end.
PS - I liked the way Stephen Maher wrapped things up at the end.
February 21, 2025
"That is how Ottawa felt then, like a Camelot on the Rideau, with a handsome Prince leading the restoration of progressive Canada." (77-78)
This book was super hard to rate, I found it at times all over the place and not in order. i thought though the facts and scandals were really well written about. I thought it had amazing insights.
This book was a medium read; as I read it in about 3 days!
I would recommend this book to anyone into Canadian history.
This book was super hard to rate, I found it at times all over the place and not in order. i thought though the facts and scandals were really well written about. I thought it had amazing insights.
This book was a medium read; as I read it in about 3 days!
I would recommend this book to anyone into Canadian history.
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