Stephen Harper

by John Ibbitson

The  authoritative biography of Stephen Harper .


As one of the important prime ministers in the life of our nation, Stephen Harper reshaped Canada into a more conservative country, a transformation that his opponents tacitly admit will never be reversed. Under its 22nd prime minister, Canada showed the world a plainer, harder face. Those who praise Harper point to the Conservatives' skillful economic management, the impressive new trade agreements, the tax cuts and the balanced budget, the reformed immigration system, the uncompromising defence of Israel and Ukraine, and the fight against terrorism. Critics--pointing to punitive punishments, muzzled scientists, assaults on the judiciary, and contempt for parliament--accuse the Harper government of being autocratic, secretive, and cruel.
     But what about the man? In this definitive new biography, The Globe and Mail 's John Ibbitson explores the life of the most important Canadian of our times--his suburban youth, the crisis that caused Stephen Harper to quit university for three years, the forces that shaped his tempestuous relationship with Reform Leader Preston Manning, how Laureen Harper influences her husband, his devotion to his children--and his cats. Ibbitson explains how this shy, closed, introverted loner united a fractured conservative movement, defeated a Liberal hegemony, and set out to reshape the nation. With unparalleled access to sources, years of research and writing, and a depth of insight that has made him one of the most respected voices in journalism, John Ibbitson presents an intimate, detailed portrait of a man who has remained an enigma to supporters and enemies alike. Now that enigma is revealed, in a masterful exploration of Stephen Harper, the politician and the man.

Genres: Politics, Biography, Canada, Nonfiction, History

464 pages, Paperback

First published August 4, 2015

About the author

John Ibbitson (born 1955 in Gravenhurst, Ontario) is a Canadian writer and journalist. He is currently Ottawa Bureau Chief for The Globe and Mail. He has written three books on Ontario and Canadian politics - Promised Land: Inside the Mike Harris Revolution (1997), Loyal No More: Ontario's Struggle for a Separate Destiny, and The Polite Revolution: Perfecting the Canadian Dream (McClelland & Stewart, 2005).

His latest young-adult novel, "The Landing," was winner of the 2008 Governor General's Award for children's literature. His latest political work, "Open & Shut: Why America Has Barack Obama and Canada Has Stephen Harper" was published in May 2009. It was written while he was in Washington, covering American politics and society for the Globe.

He graduated from the University of Toronto in 1979 with a B.A. in English. After university, he pursued a career as a playwright, his most notable play being Mayonnaise, which debuted in December 1980 at the Phoenix Theater in Toronto. The play went on to national production and was adapted to a TV broadcast in 1983. In the mid-1980s, Ibbitson switched over to writing young-adult fiction, including the short YA science-fiction novel, Starcrosser (1990). He also wrote two full-length novels, 1812: Jeremy's War and The Night Hazel Came to Town. "The Landing" followed in 2008.

Apart from his Governor-General's citation, Ibbitson has been nominated for several awards for other works, including a Governor General's Award nomination for 1812. Hazel received a nomination for the Trillium Book Award and the City of Toronto Book Award. His journalism has also been nominated for a National Newspaper Award.

Ibbitson entered the University of Western Ontario in 1987, graduating with an M.A. in journalism one year later, and joined the Ottawa Citizen, where he worked as a city reporter and columnist. He covered Ontario politics from 1995 to 2001, working for The Ottawa Citizen, Southam News, The National Post and the Globe and Mail. In August 2001, Ibbitson accepted the post as Washington bureau chief at The Globe and Mail, returning to Canada one year later to take up the post of political affairs columnist. He moved back to Washington as a columnist in May 2007, returning to Ottawa in September 2009.

Reviews

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the advance copy I was waiting for all year. Ibbitson is one of the best writers on Canadian politics out there (along with Paul Wells) and this promised to become THE biography of Stephen Harper.

Now that the publication date is being moved up, the promise is fulfilled just in time for the general election. If Harper wins, this book will explain how he became one of Canada's longest serving Prime Ministers. If he loses, this will become his political obituary. It's that important.

The book has two parts: pre-premiership and premiership. It's that first part that's fascinating, because it's the story of Harper that's never been told. Ibbitson's obviously spoken to everyone who knows Harper in order to put together a portrait of a notoriously private man. Someone who's a disaffected Trudeau père Liberal; who has a strong anti-establishment streak fostered at brief his tenure at Trinity; whose late father still influences his thinking and policies; who jettisons friends and allies when needed; but who has a grand strategic vision for his party and country. Part two is an oft-told story of a contentious and polarizing government, but Ibbitson's strength is to keep on the biographical lenses and tell it from a new perspective.

So, love him or hate him, you won't understand him unless you read this.

[Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Veteran Globe and Mail columnist John Ibbitson has written a first-rate biography of one of Canada's most controversial prime ministers. Few Canadians, it seems, are indifferent to Stephen Harper. Many think he has been an effective and successful leader of our country, but many others simply loathe the man.

Ibbitson’s treatment of Harper is scrupulously fair and even-handed, from youth in suburban Toronto to maturity as Conservative Party leader and prime minister, now embroiled in a very close election race. Harper’s character traits, good and bad, are presented in depth and with great insight. Likewise, his political successes and strengths, and failures and weaknesses, are fully discussed.

As I finished the book, I felt that I have come to know and appreciate Stephen Harper as a person and as a politician (although by no means do I agree with many of his policies).

This book is a must-read for anyone interested in Canadian politics.

[I received this book as a GoodReads Giveaway.]

[H Wesselius · Rating 2 out of 5]

I panned "The Big Shift" written by the same author, This is marginally better but still horribly one sided and blinded by what appears to be a love affair for Harper, his ideology or his methodology or all of the above. Ibbitson continues his fascination with the Conservative resentment for the so-called Laurentian elites. Resentment emerges as the motivating factor behind Harper's drive to eliminate the Liberals and shrink the federal government. Thus, this biography is mainly a work psycho-history. Surely there are better basis for an autobiography of a political figure.

Reading an account of Harper's political life during the recent election, the short comings of Ibbitson are even more apparent. Much of what he claims in the Big Shift and assumes in this biography didn't play out in the election campaign and results. Harper revealed himself to be a small minded man with no greater ambition than to simply win and his hubris allowed the Liberals to regain their prominence. Ibbitson again, in love with his subject, missed the mark.

[Joel Olson · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you have ever wanted to discover the why, in how Stephen Harper makes decisions and his approach to things in politics this is the book.

Personally, I was very much always a Harper fan, but for those that find themselves in the other camp, there is much clarity into how government works and doesn't work.

[Wendy · Rating 5 out of 5]

In" Stephen Harper" which I won through Goodreads/First Reads John Ibbitson writes with candour about Canada's former Prime Minister from his childhood to his rise in the political arena and his term in office. The biography portrays Stephen Harper as a family man devoted to his children and to his supportive wife Lauren and as a politician with strengths and weaknesses, dedicated to building a "conservative Canada".

It is a well-structured, comprehensive picture of a "political street fighter" who experiences highs and lows, triumphs and failures during his time as Prime Minister. After reading this book I've come to appreciate a Stephen Harper who is only human and governed to the best of his ability.

[Marshall Chapman · Rating 5 out of 5]

My first 5-star review on Goodreads. This may be the best book I’ve ever read, certainly the best biography. Ibbitson is tough, but fair - very fair. He covers Harper’s political career with the utmost impartiality, covering political successes and victories as well as scandal and downturns on the same page. The research is extensive and covers Harper’s political rivals in great detail as well. 10/10. I learned plenty and thoroughly enjoyed the read.

[Martin Rollins · Rating 4 out of 5]

John Ibbitson's Stephen Harper is a well-balanced biography that candidly looks at our last Prime Minister's positive and negative attributes. Ibbitson does not gloss over the fact that Harper can be mean, overly secretive and a 'control freak'. Nor does the author mince words concerning some of Harper's most discreditable decisions and approaches: the abolition of the long form census, the blatant disregard for parliamentary accountablility, and his utter contempt for the judiciary. Ibbitson, however, unlike many of his colleagues who routinely portray Harper as the devil incarnate, also delves into the former PM's signigicant contributions. Harper tightened up a rather lax criminal justice system, made many important trade deals, and beefed up the Canadian military after decades of Liberal neglect. Harper also provided a fairly steady economic hand during the Great Recession of 2008 and 2009. The first half of the book is particularly strong as Ibbitson recounts Harper's youth in suburban Toronto, and his early years as an adopted Westerner and one of the founding members of the Reform Party. For all of Harper's faults and shortcomings- and, of course, there are more than a few- the man does deserve credit for reuniting the pieces of the Conservative puzzle (i.e. patching back together the Western populists, the Quebec soft nationalists, and the Ontario suburban Tories). I highly recommend Ibbitson's work to anyone interested in learning more about our recently defeated Prime Minister

[Jupiter's Fury · Rating 5 out of 5]

when I first picked up this book, I was a little wary. Harper is one of the most polarizing Prime Ministers, and I feared this would be a smear job. I was pleasantly surprised by how fair Ibbitson was. He praises Harper when he deserves recognition, and reveals his downfalls and mistakes without holding back. Such balance was a breath of fresh air in the usually charged dialogue surrounding Harper.

You really come away from this biography understanding Harper the man better, which is exactly what Ibbitson set out to do. I devoured the first half of the book, reading about how Harper grew up and his rise to power. As one of the most introverted and secretive politicians, this expose was fascinating, and allowed me better insight on why Harper does the things he does. Harper accomplished a lot in his 9 years of power, and reading this book I came to really appreciate his leadership. He made some stupid decisions but overall he left Canada better than he found it, and I think history will be kind to him. This is what Ibbitson ultimately concludes too. If you're into Canadian politics, this book is a must-read. I could barely put it down, and I'm already eager to read Ibbiston's other book "The Big Shift".

[Delaney · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read the first half of the book and skimmed the last for a paper I was working on. Its well written and offers insight into who Stephen Harper is and how he became Prime Minister of Canada (and of course what he did afterwards). As someone who is not fond of him and was not a fan of his government it was interesting to learn more about him. Not a book I think everyone needs to read but it is well written.

[Jacob Kojfman · Rating 4 out of 5]

John Ibbitson masterfully captures an individual as complex and nuanced as Stephen Harper in under 400 pages. More importantly, he presents a very balanced view as the man who may go on to be regarded as Canada's most controversial prime minister. Having spent a year sabbatical from his post at the Globe & Mail, Ibbitson shows he left no stone unturned in researching this tome.

The book is broken into three parts. The final part discusses the Harper premiership. This is the part that is most balanced, so readers hoping for a scathing indictment of Harper and the Tories will be sorely disappointed. As a Liberal Party member, even I had to appreciate all the positive things that Harper accomplished in his 10+ years as prime minister, such as the multitude of trade deals.

It was the first part of the book that I found so fascinating. As an introvert, I can relate to Harper, and the fact that he ascended to the highest office in the land is an accomplishment of his own. There has not been enough written on Harper's upbringing and Ibbitson sets the stage for how Harper's policies have been shaped.

No matter your political stripes or personal feelings about the man, this book is worth a read if you have any interest in politics, biographies and especially if you want to have a better understanding of what has influenced Harper as PM.

[Yannick Serres · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5 not for the man he is, but for the quality of the book.

As a Quebecker, I already didn't really like what Stephen Harper represents. With this book, I dislike him even more.

I learned a lot in this biography and that is the reason I'm giving the BOOK a good rating. It is well structured and easy enough to follow and understand. I am not a fan of politic, but it's always nice to know a little about the people making really important decisions for the good of all.

Stephen Harper has done great things, he has signed some free trade agreements, he has been able to get the Canada through the recession and he has stayed away from our life. In counterpart, he has neglected Quebec, he has troubled the relations with other countries and he ruled as a dictator. I can't vote for the conservator, but I can even less vote for Mr. Harper.

I really suggest everyone to read this book to learn more about the man and his past. It will enlighten your decision this fall when you'll be ask to vote.

Big thanks to John Ibbitson and Random House of Canada for giving me the chance to read this book through Goodreads giveaways.

[T · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very balanced. I particularly liked the first 200 pages, discussing Harper's upbringing and slow rise to power.

The stuff from 2011-2015 can feel, at times, like you're just reading a couple dozen newspaper articles stitched together. Event A happened, then Event B, then Event C. Gets a little tiresome/feels like I'm being smothered by pages upon pages of newsprint.

There are decent insights into foreign policy, Indigenous reconciliation, and, generally, Harper's view of the world.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gives some interesting insights into Harper's background and personality. Ibbitson has a particular ideological bent that is quite obvious throughout the book. Which is fine; that's his right, but since it's a perspective I disagree with pretty vehemently, I was distracted by mentally arguing with the author for much of the book. Your mileage may vary, depending on your outlook.

[Jacob Travis · Rating 4 out of 5]

An insightful read into how Harper has become the man and PM that he is today. Well worth the read

[Robert Jeens · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ibbitson gives his honest opinion of Stephen Harper’s time as Prime Minister of Canada and what led him to that role. The book is the product of a year of research and Ibbitson is a writer skillful enough to write about a serious topic without taking himself too seriously. It is an easy read for anyone interested in the topic.
Harper had superior political strategic skills. By the 1980s, he had diagnosed what he thought was wrong with Canadian politics, and the book shows how he implemented his vision. Unfortunately, Stephen Harper was often dour, vindictive and mean. He treated his political opponents as enemies.
Stephen Harper is a Liberal from the suburbs of Toronto who moved to Calgary and became a Western Reform conservative with the fanaticism of a convert. He worked as a legislative assistant to a Progressive Conservative Member of Parliament in the Mulroney government. Disillusioned, he was involved in the birth of the Reform Party and worked as a legislative assistant to the first Reform MP before he became elected in his own right. In all this, I think Harper’s biggest accomplishment was, with Preston Manning, forming the Reform Party and destroying the old Progressive Conservative Party and then later, with Peter Mackay, merging with the old Progressive Conservative Party to make a new party with the Progressive taken out of it.
And I think he had a point. As an Ontarian and a general supporter of the Laurentian elite, I think that Canada needs strong spokespeople for Western interests, the resource industry, and who care less for Quebec. And as a liberal, I think that we need conservatives to keep us from our more trendy but ill-considered impulses.
The other big accomplishment of Harper’s was to find a central place for immigrants in Canada’s new conservatism. Harper realized that many new immigrants to Canada were more conservative on issues such as crime, refugees, and the welfare state than many native-born Canadians and so he discarded the racist or ethnically inclined elements of his coalition to actively welcome the contributions of these new Canadians. It was an example to the world.
Ten years later, I can say that I more or less hated Harper when he was in power, but now I have what I would consider a more balanced approach. He was a masterful politician, as politics is understood as a means of getting and exercising power. Moreover, Harper skillfully brought Canada through the 2008 economic crisis. Our banking system did not collapse and the recession in Canada was not nearly as deep or long-lasting as south of the border. Credit for that also belongs to the Liberal Finance Minister Paul Martin, as they both ensured that Canada’s banking system remained boring, stable and profitable. Harper kept the social conservatives in general and anti-abortionists in particular on a short leash. And he understood the problem with Canada’s Supreme Court. It goes on its own way with no real oversight. He rightly apologized for the residential schools for aboriginal children, but also made the chiefs’ pay public. There is more in the book.
Here is what I think he was still wrong about. Harper and the Conservatives were notoriously secretive, gagging government scientists from speaking out about climate change, for example. On climate change generally, he was a disaster. He decentralized the already decentralized Canadian federation, making it ever weaker. Harper fought with Elections Canada, trying to suppress the vote. When Obama killed the Keystone pipeline, he should have seen it for the blessing it was. Canada needs political will to move east-west instead of north-south. Harper was very jealous of President Obama because he knew Obama was more popular in Canada than he was. Further on foreign policy, he supported Israeli settlers over the rights of the Palestinians. He started hard on China but then made up. Maybe he should not have. Finally, when Putin launched the first invasion of Ukraine in 2014, Harper spoke tough but continued to underfund the military.
Ibbitson says that Harper permanently made Canada a more conservative place. I am not so sure about that. I think that Harper made the Conservative Party a more conservative place and Canada more polarized. Anyway, I enjoyed the book. Ten years gives some perspective, but maybe not enough. Now our nine years of Trudeau are almost over, and I think that all prime ministers have a best-before date. I think that, overall, though I would not have admitted at the time, Harper left Canada a stronger, more prosperous place. On the other hand, it is now a more politically nasty place, and he deserves much of the blame for that. The Laurentian elite is not dead, but now it has to share power.

[Sandi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was supplied with an advance reader copy through Goodreads. Usually I have only a passing interest in politics, and am not particularly enthralled with the PC party (though I have voted across the political spectrum). This balanced, insightful perspective on Stephen Harper was extremely well-written, and interested me to keep reading through to the end. I would recommend this book to anyone to read, to find out more about the workings of Canadian politics, and/or to gain perspective on an often enigmatic former prime minister.

[Alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a relative newby to studying political history, I thoroughly enjoyed John Ibbitson’s perspective on former Prime Minister Stephen Harper. Some great lessons identified on keys to political/campaign success that if not learned can result in failure. As well, a great foundation to better understanding, “Just who is Stephen Harper”? Highly recommend.

[James Todd · Rating 5 out of 5]

An informative biography that outlines the notoriously elusive Stephen Harper. The biography provides insights to his upbringing, his involvement in the Reform party and his role in the creation of the Conservative Party of Canada. All Canadians, whether liberal or conservative, should read this book.

[John Newton · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book was a good read overall and it was engaging. I would suggest anyone interested in Canadian Politics read it. The author is a huge fan of Harper overall, so be prepared for the bias. I personally do not like Harper or his policies. I did learn a bunch of things about Harper I wasn't aware of before, so that is was rather interesting.

[Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

A well written book chronicling the life of Stephan Harper and his rise to Canada’s Prime Minister. This is a book that regardless of political persuasion is worth reading to help understand Canada’s political history during those years. John Ibbottson is a terrific writer, very thorough, and presents his material in understandable manner.

[Lauren Wallace · Rating 5 out of 5]

"This book is a biography. While situating the life of Canada's twenty-second prime minister in the life of Canada, it seeks first and last to understand the man himself." (X)

I would like to thank Penguin Random house for proving me with an advance copy of this book!

For someone who wasn't the biggest Harper fan, but after reading this book, I began to understand him a little better. This book was really easy to fully grasp, even without a love of Canadian politics. This book displayed the full picture of his up and downs in politics!

This book was a medium read, was I read it in about 2 days!

I would recommend this book to anyone into Canadian Politics!

[Kevin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Went into it knowing very little about Harper and emerged feeling like I know quite a bit. Reads well and seems relatively balanced too. Would recommend.

[David Akin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read by my friend John. Highly recommend.

[Jyotsna · Rating 5 out of 5]

A comprehensive and inspiring story of Stephen Harper's rise to Prime Minister of Canada. Would highly recommend for anyone who is interested in learning a little more about Canada's domestic political dynamics.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anyone who wants to understand who Harper is and what motivates him needs to read this biography. I also read Ibbitson's "Big Shift" and found that book equally hard to put down. Regardless of what your view of Harper is, please just remove those partisan lenses for the roughly 400 pages of Harper's political world that you are about to enter. Unlike some readers, I do not find Ibbitson partisan at all in this book. Harper is a complex character not amenable to painting with broad strokes. I find Ibbitson sympathetic to Harper and the Conservative government at times but it is always followed by a critical examination. Some people confuse this book for an endorsement of Harper. It is not. The book is a critical look into a man's complex political rise from an ordinary Toronto boy to a Western policy wonk and then finally to a clever (yet conniving) politician. As I near the end of this book, I am more convinced than ever that he is a master at politics but beneath that tough exterior is a person who has had a big chip on his shoulder - forever an outsider breaking into a world dominated by the Laurentian elite (to use that term by Ibbitson). Judging by the citations, lots of research went into this book. Another excellent work by Ibbitson.

[Marisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Political junkies - beware. Whether you are a fan of Stephen Harper or not, this political tome is hard to put down.

My favourite part of the book is the first half, where author John Ibbitson examines Harper the man. He is by all accounts a moody, micro-managing loner - someone who had trouble working for or even with other people. The author writes in a compelling way of the forces from his youth and early adulthood that helped shape his character and his core political beliefs.

I also particularly enjoyed the section that recalls how Harper cannily engineered the merger of the Reform/Democratic Alliance party and the Progressive Conservative party into the right wing coalition that formed government for a decade. Say what you will, Harper is an extremely smart and street smart politician.

There is a lot more here, and it's pretty addictive. With the swearing-in of our new Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, I enjoyed this frank and honest (and frankly quite balanced) portrait of a man who - whether you like him or not - has left an indelible imprint on the Canadian political landscape.

[Aaron Shaw · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an excellent read about our now former prime-minister. Ibbitson does a great job at telling the stories of both Stephen Harper the person (referred to in the book as Steve Harper) and Stephen Harper the politician.

While overall a strong endorsement and praise of Harper there is also an equal amount of criticism too. The book takes us from Harper's early days of a Liberal supporter through to his evolution into Canada's first truly conservative leader. Tales of the struggle to unite the right under one brand read like the script of a movie or tv show, giving Canadian politics a bit of interest. The cast of characters in the life of our 22nd Prime Minister is truly rich.

Ibbitson also did a great job of juxtaposing the Canadian political climate of different eras to the impact those climates had on Stephen Harper's personal life throughout the book and therefore giving us a better picture on why he governed the way he did, ultimately making Harper more relatable to the average Canadian.

This was definitely a good read.

[Hippogriff · Rating 4 out of 5]

This can't have been an easy biography to write, since it is well-known that Harper is a secretive introvert and Ibbitson never fails to emphasize this fact. Nevertheless, I was impressed with the first part of the book, which follows Harper's formative years leading up to PM-ship.

However, I have a hard time believing the narrative that the author tries to drive home, namely that the coalition of 905 and Western voters is here to stay. All in all, Ibbitson has delivered a companion book to THE BIG SHIFT, starring Stephen Harper, and I think his thesis was invalidated with the results of the recent election.

[Stephen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unlike most books about Stephen Harper, this one doesn't make him out as a calculating, evil kitten-killer (Stephen Harper, for the record, LOVES cats). It's not a hagiography either, and I think Ibbitson is fairly successful at being both critical and complimentary. I think Harper gets a bit of an easy ride in certain spots, but on the whole the book is balanced. It answers the question of why Stephen Harper is the way he is and what makes him tick.

[Anne Derkat · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won this book from Goodreads.

A fascinating read. Full of details of Harper's life, the crisis, the relationships, his brilliance, his strengths and weaknesses, how he has dealt with people and events his whole life. A marvelous in depth look at a complicated man done by an author who has obviously done a great deal of research.

I wish that every voter could read this book before the October election.