Jean Chretien: The Scrapper Who Climbed His Way to the Top

by Nate Hendley

This is the "warts and all" story of Jean ChrŽtien, Canada's 20th prime minister. He failed to eliminate the GST. He almost lost Canada to the separatists. And many people feel he could have prevented the sponsorship scandal. But if confronted with these and other "failings," Jean ChrŽtien would So what! The story of the feisty "little guy from Shawinigan" is still one of triumph, hard work, and determination. Dyslexia affected his speech and a childhood illness paralyzed one side of his face. Being teased and laughed at eventually turned him into a schoolyard scrapper. Neither flashy nor smooth, Jean sure could sound funny at times. He still holds the dubious honour of being misunderstood in both of Canada's official languages. But he had the smarts to get into power, stay in charge, and get a lot done. Not bad for a kid who was always in trouble at school, eh?

54 pages, Hardcover

First published August 1, 2005

About the author

My name is Nate Hendley and I am a Toronto-based journalist, writer, and speaker.

My latest book, Atrocity on the Atlantic is a full account of the torpoedo attack on Canadian hospital ship, Llandovery Castle, in the First World War. Sinking hospital ships violated international treaties, so the sub commander had his deck gun shell lifeboats containing survivors to kill any witnesses to his war crime. One lifeboat with two-dozen survivors escaped to bear witness.

The sinking was condemned by the public, press, and politicians, around the world. In 1921, the attack was prosecuted at the Leipzig War Crimes Trials (the little-known attempt to bring German war criminals to justice after the Great War). In its ruling, the Leipzig court set a legal precedent that guided subsequent war crime prosecutions, including the Nuremberg Trial.

Sadly, for all the impact it had, the Llandovery Castle tragedy soon faded from memory.

As published by Dundurn Press, my book details the attack, profiles medical staff on board the ship, and discusses the long wake of a forgotten war crime that continues to influence international law.

My last book, The Beatle Bandit, was about Matthew Kerry Smith, a troubled young man who robbed a Toronto-area bank in 1964 disguised in a Halloween mask and a "Beatles" wig. A bank patron tried to intervene and was killed in a gunfight with Smith. This murderous heist fueled a nationwide debate about guns, capital punishment, and the death penalty.

As published by Dundurn Press, The Beatle Bandit won the Crime Writers of Canada Award of Excellence for Non-Fiction 2022. It was also nominated for the Toronto Heritage Book Awards 2022.

I have written several other books, primarily in the true-crime genre. Previous books have focused on organized crime, Bonnie and Clyde, gang bosses Al Capone and Dutch Schultz, wrongful murder convictions, and cons and hoaxes, among other topics.

For more information about my books and background, visit my website at http://www.natehendley.ca

I host a blog, which can be viewed at https://crimestory.wordpress.com/

I am a member of the Canadian Freelance Guild (CFG) and the Crime Writers of Canada (CWC).

I live next-door to Jeanne, world's greatest girlfriend.

I do public presentations based on my books. For more information, contact me at: nhendley@sympatico.ca.