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Private Demons: The Tragic Personal Life of John A. Macdonald
The first book to expose the turbulent personal life of this fascinating Father of Confederation.
Prime Minister Sir John A. Macdonald once remarked, “I had no boyhood,” an understatement if there ever was one. Indeed, John A.’s Dickensian childhood, filled with poverty, alcoholism, and the beating death of his five-year-old brother at the hands of a drunken babysitter (a friend of his father, Hugh’s), set the stage for a political power grab that has seen no equal in Canadian history.
In Private Demons, bestselling author Patricia Phenix explores through Macdonald’s family journals, diaries, and never-before-seen letters the troubled man behind Canada’s most successful politician. Phenix describes a man of myriad contradictions: patient, yet prone to settle fights with his fists; ethical, yet capable of pilfering corporate profits to pay private debts; shy, yet wildly flirtatious; sociable, yet so desirous of solitude he built escape hatches into the walls of his homes. She also examines reports that Macdonald’s depression became so deep that he once attempted suicide. Ultimately, in an obsessive need to escape his childhood demons, he sacrificed friends, family members, and financial security to achieve his single greatest ambition — to design and control the destiny of Canada.
Private Demons paints a vivid portrait of nineteenth-century society while exploring the amazingly tumultuous domestic life of our most famous prime minister.
Prime Minister Sir John A. Macdonald once remarked, “I had no boyhood,” an understatement if there ever was one. Indeed, John A.’s Dickensian childhood, filled with poverty, alcoholism, and the beating death of his five-year-old brother at the hands of a drunken babysitter (a friend of his father, Hugh’s), set the stage for a political power grab that has seen no equal in Canadian history.
In Private Demons, bestselling author Patricia Phenix explores through Macdonald’s family journals, diaries, and never-before-seen letters the troubled man behind Canada’s most successful politician. Phenix describes a man of myriad contradictions: patient, yet prone to settle fights with his fists; ethical, yet capable of pilfering corporate profits to pay private debts; shy, yet wildly flirtatious; sociable, yet so desirous of solitude he built escape hatches into the walls of his homes. She also examines reports that Macdonald’s depression became so deep that he once attempted suicide. Ultimately, in an obsessive need to escape his childhood demons, he sacrificed friends, family members, and financial security to achieve his single greatest ambition — to design and control the destiny of Canada.
Private Demons paints a vivid portrait of nineteenth-century society while exploring the amazingly tumultuous domestic life of our most famous prime minister.
344 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2006
24 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
July 30, 2022
I have set out to review the lives of the 23 Prime Ministerial terms in Canada from 1867 (Confederation) until now. I will need to do a couple each month to complete my project in a year.
John A. Macdonald is the first P.M. and the the third P.M. following Confederation of the Dominion of Canada. Yes, there were Prime Ministers before 1867, to oversee Upper Canada and Lower Canada, and Western Canada.
As the title explains, this book looks at the "Tragic Personal Life of John A. Macdonald" which is likely not as he envisioned being recorded at any time in posterity. John A. was a brilliant young man, self-made to begin with. Without a formal education apart from the typical one-room school houses in rural Ontario (Upper Canada), he 'apprenticed' to become a lawyer at about 14 years old, learning in a law office during the day about the Law, and studying in the evenings towards eventually writing the exams that would allow him to earn a living as a lawyer. He passed the exams and was legally accepted into the Bar at age 22 (although he was already doing a little law work under the counter prior to that). So, we know about his brilliance pretty close to the beginning of the book, and of his charm and charisma. But before we are introduced to John A., the ambitious politician-in-waiting, we meet John A. the young child who witnesses the brutal and fatal beating of his little brother by a drunken caregiver. And we hear about how that child's life was so under-valued (i.e., children as chattel) that it is hard to see where it was recorded, where the little fellow was buried, and whether or not the caregiver was appropriately charged and sentenced. Quite obviously, John A. was not treated to any psychological help at the time, and it seems evident that he carried this violent death and his guilt at not being able to have saved his little brother, throughout his life.
This is the sort of book about a politician that I like to read-- the political activities being a sideline to his actual raison d'etre, which was, it seems to me, to survive with dignity, to take care of his sprawling family, and to leave a legacy of over-achievement to perhaps, make up for his many failings (in truth, most were the failings of his society-- the way things were), and to be admired, looked after, rewarded, and to have quite egregious behaviours overlooked, when necessary.
Throughout the book-- so much research went into it that it makes my head spin-- we see John A. on the wagon, and fallen off the wagon, consistently throughout his adult life. He was also a work-aholic who often was often stricken with illness as a result. Sometimes he didn't seem to have the energy to do much, and would be find lying in fields, dreaming. He often seemed to revive.
His ambition to build the railroad from sea to shining sea, to unite all of Canada, was largely achieved during his lifetime (although several of the provinces didn't enter Confederation until after he died-- Newfoundland and Labrador, not until 1949.)
His story is exhausting to read, or for someone in their 70s it is. Because of his family obligations (you can read this excellent, albeit exhausting book, to find out what they were), and additional debts, he was constantly 'hustling' (they didn't call it that in those days, but you know what I mean). His first wife, Isabella, a cousin from Scotland, sucked up a great deal of his money with her many illnesses, most of which were not diagnosable by the doctors around her at the time. Her morphine addiction also cut into their ability to get ahead. She was not in any way an optimally-equipped Political spouse. It is likely that John A. was not faithful to her, and they spent a great deal of time apart, but they were together and had two babies, one that lived into adulthood. She died and his second wife was more along the lines of being a 'partner' for him. Nonetheless, it was a rough row to hoe back in those days. The details are excellent, right down to all the hijinks, family communications (letters mostly), newspaper reports, political cartoons of the era, and the travels back and forth between Britain and Canada, and sometimes to the US.
There was nothing mentioned about the Indian Residential School system or "The Indian Act" in this story. These are the current outstanding associations with John A. and his cronies. Much was made of his being a pretty popular guy in spite of his drunkenness, and debilitating old age. He served as Prime Minister for about 30 years. I am not sure if that longevity has been rivaled by any other PM in Canada? I guess I will find out as I make my way through the rest of the Prime Ministers.
John A.'s longest surviving direct relative was his granddaughter, Isabella "Daisy" Macdonald (daughter of his son from his first marriage, Hugh John Macdonald). Daisy married in 1915, had 2 sons, and died in 1959. Neither of her sons had children.
John A. Macdonald is the first P.M. and the the third P.M. following Confederation of the Dominion of Canada. Yes, there were Prime Ministers before 1867, to oversee Upper Canada and Lower Canada, and Western Canada.
As the title explains, this book looks at the "Tragic Personal Life of John A. Macdonald" which is likely not as he envisioned being recorded at any time in posterity. John A. was a brilliant young man, self-made to begin with. Without a formal education apart from the typical one-room school houses in rural Ontario (Upper Canada), he 'apprenticed' to become a lawyer at about 14 years old, learning in a law office during the day about the Law, and studying in the evenings towards eventually writing the exams that would allow him to earn a living as a lawyer. He passed the exams and was legally accepted into the Bar at age 22 (although he was already doing a little law work under the counter prior to that). So, we know about his brilliance pretty close to the beginning of the book, and of his charm and charisma. But before we are introduced to John A., the ambitious politician-in-waiting, we meet John A. the young child who witnesses the brutal and fatal beating of his little brother by a drunken caregiver. And we hear about how that child's life was so under-valued (i.e., children as chattel) that it is hard to see where it was recorded, where the little fellow was buried, and whether or not the caregiver was appropriately charged and sentenced. Quite obviously, John A. was not treated to any psychological help at the time, and it seems evident that he carried this violent death and his guilt at not being able to have saved his little brother, throughout his life.
This is the sort of book about a politician that I like to read-- the political activities being a sideline to his actual raison d'etre, which was, it seems to me, to survive with dignity, to take care of his sprawling family, and to leave a legacy of over-achievement to perhaps, make up for his many failings (in truth, most were the failings of his society-- the way things were), and to be admired, looked after, rewarded, and to have quite egregious behaviours overlooked, when necessary.
Throughout the book-- so much research went into it that it makes my head spin-- we see John A. on the wagon, and fallen off the wagon, consistently throughout his adult life. He was also a work-aholic who often was often stricken with illness as a result. Sometimes he didn't seem to have the energy to do much, and would be find lying in fields, dreaming. He often seemed to revive.
His ambition to build the railroad from sea to shining sea, to unite all of Canada, was largely achieved during his lifetime (although several of the provinces didn't enter Confederation until after he died-- Newfoundland and Labrador, not until 1949.)
His story is exhausting to read, or for someone in their 70s it is. Because of his family obligations (you can read this excellent, albeit exhausting book, to find out what they were), and additional debts, he was constantly 'hustling' (they didn't call it that in those days, but you know what I mean). His first wife, Isabella, a cousin from Scotland, sucked up a great deal of his money with her many illnesses, most of which were not diagnosable by the doctors around her at the time. Her morphine addiction also cut into their ability to get ahead. She was not in any way an optimally-equipped Political spouse. It is likely that John A. was not faithful to her, and they spent a great deal of time apart, but they were together and had two babies, one that lived into adulthood. She died and his second wife was more along the lines of being a 'partner' for him. Nonetheless, it was a rough row to hoe back in those days. The details are excellent, right down to all the hijinks, family communications (letters mostly), newspaper reports, political cartoons of the era, and the travels back and forth between Britain and Canada, and sometimes to the US.
There was nothing mentioned about the Indian Residential School system or "The Indian Act" in this story. These are the current outstanding associations with John A. and his cronies. Much was made of his being a pretty popular guy in spite of his drunkenness, and debilitating old age. He served as Prime Minister for about 30 years. I am not sure if that longevity has been rivaled by any other PM in Canada? I guess I will find out as I make my way through the rest of the Prime Ministers.
John A.'s longest surviving direct relative was his granddaughter, Isabella "Daisy" Macdonald (daughter of his son from his first marriage, Hugh John Macdonald). Daisy married in 1915, had 2 sons, and died in 1959. Neither of her sons had children.
November 26, 2012
Great book-opened up a whole new side of John A. for me!
August 18, 2022
This book spends quite a bit of time on John A.s private life which I appreciated in the sense that I knew very little of that. I also learned history of Canada pre-confederation. For me this book was a more complete package of everything to do with John A.s life, personal, professional, political including things going on in England.
September 21, 2021
This was a wonderful overview of the former Prime Ministers life with a great perspective from the author. Well researched with more of a focus on the actual man than on parliamentary procedures.
October 19, 2013
Meh. I kinda thought maybe some topics were sensationalized/belaboured to sell this book. And certainly alot of the information was common knowledge, gossip I learned in junior-high social studies. I also have "John A., the Man Who Made Us", and I found some of the same information presented in a classier way, and more political history.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews