Against the Current: Selected Writings

by Pierre Elliott Trudeau

Gerard Pelletier has brought together a wide variety of excerpts and articles to make up this collection. It includes representative pieces from Trudeau's youth, selections from previously published books and journals, as well as speeches, interviews, letters written to newspapers, and classic essays from his time as a founding contributor to the magazine Cite libre. From beginning to end, whether writing about Utopia or the constitutional compromises wrought by his political opponents, Trudeau demonstrates that he has had no equal, counterpart, or successor in Canadian public life.

Genres: Politics, History, Nonfiction

340 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1996

About the author

Le plus célèbre diplômé de l’Université de Montréal. Outre des études de droit à l’UdeM, Pierre Elliott Trudeau a étudié à l’Université Harvard, à l'École des Sciences Politiques de Paris et à la London School of Economics. Farouche opposant du gouvernement de Maurice Duplessis dans les années 50, il fonde, de concert avec d’autres intellectuels, la revue Cité libre et défend fermement les droits des travailleurs québécois. En 1961, il revient à l’Université de Montréal en devenant l’un des quatre premiers chercheurs du Centre de recherche en droit public (CRDP). Il enseignera à la Faculté de droit jusqu’à son entrée en politique en 1965.

Premier ministre du Canada de 1968 à 1979 et de 1980 à 1984, Pierre Elliott Trudeau a marqué la vie politique canadienne de la seconde moitié du XXe siècle. On lui doit entre autres l’adoption de la Loi sur les langues officielles, la Charte canadienne des droits et libertés, et la Loi constitutionnelle de 1982 qui confirmait l’indépendance légale du Canada.

Libre penseur et ardent défenseur des droits de la personne, Pierre Elliott Trudeau a signé de nombreux articles qui témoignent d’une grande rigueur de pensée. En 1987, l’Université de Montréal le faisait docteur honoris causa pour son exceptionnelle contribution à la vie intellectuelle et politique canadienne. Cet honneur s’ajoutait à l’Ordre du mérite des diplômés de l’UdeM, qui lui a été décerné en 1974. Depuis 2000, le prix Pierre-Elliott-Trudeau est décerné à un étudiant de maîtrise ou de doctorat de l’UdeM qui se distingue par la qualité de ses travaux sur la justice sociale, le fédéralisme canadien ou les droits et libertés.

Reviews

[Daniel Kukwa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one appeals to my philosophical side...especially since it seems that's all I have left in my political leanings. Classic Canadian Liberal rantiness is completely OK with me...and if it's fine by you, you'll have no problem with this collection.

[N.N. Heaven · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid compilation of a great variety of the Former Prime Minister's writings from the 1940's to the late 20th Century. Some of the lengthy pieces do tend to drag on. More often then not though the book resonates to the reader. The writings of Trudeau are fascinating. It is enlightening to see how many issues he wrote of in the 50's and 60's are still affecting Canada and the world today. You can also see alot of his son Justin in the writing of his father. An important historical reference of the writings of one of the great Statesmen of the 20th Century. For fans of PET, Justin and political junkies.

My Rating: 4 stars

[Nile · Rating 4 out of 5]

Don't let the time it took for me to finish this book fool you (I took time off to read other things) it was a very good read. Obviously it was somewhat drier than his memoirs but some of the pieces were really interesting and very well written.