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Mémoires
Politics was always Brian Mulroney’s real love. As an undergraduate in Nova Scotia he amazed his friends by getting Prime Minister Diefenbaker on the phone, and he rose fast in the Tory ranks in Quebec as a young Montreal lawyer. He tried for the leadership of the party in 1976, losing to Joe Clark, then returned to win a rematch in 1983. The next year, he ran the most successful election campaign in Canadian history, winning 211 seats, and taking office in September 1984.
His first term in office was a stormy one, marked by the launch of the Meech Lake Accord and the Free Trade Agreement with the United States. In 1988, however, he was re-elected after a rollercoaster campaign, and his second term in office was just as controversial, featuring the Meech Lake and Charlottetown Accords — still a source of bitter regret for him, as opportunities missed.
This book falls into two main sections: first, his rise out of a working-class family in Baie-Comeau. Second, his immersion into the world of Ottawa politics, in opposition and then in power.
The years in power are dealt with in fascinating detail, and we receive his candid accounts of backstage dealings with Trudeau, Clark, and other Canadian leaders and on the international scene with Reagan, Thatcher, Mitterrand, Kohl, Gorbachev, Mandela, Clinton, and many more. This big book has a huge cast of major players.
Brian Mulroney is determined to make this the best prime minister’s memoirs this country has ever seen, and a full-time researcher has been helping him for three years. This account of his career is colourful and forthright, and a number of opponents will be sorry that theycaught his attention.
The manuscript is full of personal touches and reflects the fact that he wrote it by hand, reading it aloud for rhythm and impact. Studded with entries from his private journal, this book — by a son, brother, husband, and father — is deeply personal, and includes some surprisingly frank admissions.
The book establishes the scale of his achievements, and reveals him as a man of great charm. Memoirs will allow that little-known Brian Mulroney to engage directly with the reader. This book is full of surprises, as we fall under the spell of a great storyteller.
1344 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2007
17 people are currently reading
157 people want to read
About the author
Brian Mulroney
8 books4 followersMartin Brian Mulroney was a Canadian politician who served as the 18th prime minister of Canada from September 17, 1984, to June 25, 1993.
His tenure as prime minister was marked by the introduction of major economic reforms, such as the Canada-U.S. Free Trade Agreement and the Goods and Services Tax. Prior to his political career, he was a prominent lawyer and businessman in Montreal. He later ran for the Progressive Conservatives and won in a landslide in the 1984 Canadian federal election, defeating John Turner of the Liberals and Ed Broadbent of the NDP, not only winning every single province and territory but also capturing over 50% of the vote for the first time since 1958 and increasing his party's seats by 111, up to 211 seats, the highest amount of seats won by any party in Canadian history. The 6.3 million votes won by Mulroney also remained a record until the Liberals' victory in 2015.
Mulroney brought forth a constitutional reform, the Meech Lake Accord, in 1987, meant to persuade the government of Quebec to endorse the 1982 constitutional amendments. It was not ratified by the provincial governments of Manitoba and Newfoundland before the June ratification deadline, and thus met its demise in 1990. This loss led to another round of meetings in Charlottetown in 1991 and 1992. These negotiations culminated in Mulroney introducing the Charlottetown Accord, which would create extensive changes to the constitution, including recognition of Quebec as a distinct society. However, the agreement was defeated by a large margin in a national referendum in October 1992. The end of the Meech Lake Accord in 1990 created division in the country and sparked a revival of Quebec separatism, culminating in the creation and rise of the Bloc Québécois (BQ).
In foreign policy, Mulroney opposed the apartheid regime in South Africa and he met with many of the regime's opposition leaders throughout his tenure. His position put him at odds with the American and British governments, but also won him respect elsewhere. Mulroney's first term was marked by the Air India Flight 182 bombing in 1985, the largest mass killing in Canadian history. His response to the attack came under heavy criticism. The Mulroney government was also strongly against the U.S. intervention in Nicaragua under Reagan, and accepted refugees from El Salvador, Guatemala, and other countries with repressive regimes that were supported by the Reagan administration.
Mulroney made environmental protection a key focus of his government, and moved Canada to become the first industrialized country to ratify both the biodiversity convention and the climate change convention, which were agreed to at the United Nations Conference on the Environment. His government added significant new national parks (Bruce Peninsula, South Moresby, and Grasslands) and passed the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act and the Canadian Environmental Protection Act.
In his second term, Mulroney proposed the introduction of a national sales tax, the Goods and Services Tax (GST), to replace the Manufacturers' Sales Tax (MST). The unpopularity of the GST and the controversy surrounding its passage in the Senate, combined with the early 1990s recession and the collapse of the Charlottetown Accord, caused a stark decline in Mulroney's popularity, which induced him to resign and hand over his power to Kim Campbell, who became the 19th Prime Minister of Canada on June 25, 1993.
His tenure as prime minister was marked by the introduction of major economic reforms, such as the Canada-U.S. Free Trade Agreement and the Goods and Services Tax. Prior to his political career, he was a prominent lawyer and businessman in Montreal. He later ran for the Progressive Conservatives and won in a landslide in the 1984 Canadian federal election, defeating John Turner of the Liberals and Ed Broadbent of the NDP, not only winning every single province and territory but also capturing over 50% of the vote for the first time since 1958 and increasing his party's seats by 111, up to 211 seats, the highest amount of seats won by any party in Canadian history. The 6.3 million votes won by Mulroney also remained a record until the Liberals' victory in 2015.
Mulroney brought forth a constitutional reform, the Meech Lake Accord, in 1987, meant to persuade the government of Quebec to endorse the 1982 constitutional amendments. It was not ratified by the provincial governments of Manitoba and Newfoundland before the June ratification deadline, and thus met its demise in 1990. This loss led to another round of meetings in Charlottetown in 1991 and 1992. These negotiations culminated in Mulroney introducing the Charlottetown Accord, which would create extensive changes to the constitution, including recognition of Quebec as a distinct society. However, the agreement was defeated by a large margin in a national referendum in October 1992. The end of the Meech Lake Accord in 1990 created division in the country and sparked a revival of Quebec separatism, culminating in the creation and rise of the Bloc Québécois (BQ).
In foreign policy, Mulroney opposed the apartheid regime in South Africa and he met with many of the regime's opposition leaders throughout his tenure. His position put him at odds with the American and British governments, but also won him respect elsewhere. Mulroney's first term was marked by the Air India Flight 182 bombing in 1985, the largest mass killing in Canadian history. His response to the attack came under heavy criticism. The Mulroney government was also strongly against the U.S. intervention in Nicaragua under Reagan, and accepted refugees from El Salvador, Guatemala, and other countries with repressive regimes that were supported by the Reagan administration.
Mulroney made environmental protection a key focus of his government, and moved Canada to become the first industrialized country to ratify both the biodiversity convention and the climate change convention, which were agreed to at the United Nations Conference on the Environment. His government added significant new national parks (Bruce Peninsula, South Moresby, and Grasslands) and passed the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act and the Canadian Environmental Protection Act.
In his second term, Mulroney proposed the introduction of a national sales tax, the Goods and Services Tax (GST), to replace the Manufacturers' Sales Tax (MST). The unpopularity of the GST and the controversy surrounding its passage in the Senate, combined with the early 1990s recession and the collapse of the Charlottetown Accord, caused a stark decline in Mulroney's popularity, which induced him to resign and hand over his power to Kim Campbell, who became the 19th Prime Minister of Canada on June 25, 1993.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
March 9, 2021
This is a very insightful look into the role / workings of the Canadian Prime minister. Mr Mulroney is quite generous with his thoughts and ‘inside knowledge’ which makes for an interesting if at times a long read. I was not a fan while Brian was PM and I did struggle with his smugness then and somewhat in this book but one cannot deny his many accomplishments.
May 23, 2017
This book is a tome.
Memoirs is a title I'd been searching for ever since I read about its genesis and promotion in McClelland and Stewart super-editor Douglas Gibson's anthology/biography Stories about Storytellers. Even in that work, Gibson is quick to feign ignorance and claim he knew nothing about Mulroney's dealings with the Airbus scandal and simply wanted to help create an engaging tell-all memoir that gave the reader a better sense of who the former PM was.
In that regard, he succeeded. This is a massive brick of a book, clocking in at nearly 1,100 pages and teaching you just about everything you wanted to know about Mulroney: his thoughts on being PM, memories of major events, anecdotes about plenty of people, a thorough explanation of his life as a child (a good 200 pages are spent just on this alone), dealings with other politicians... you name it.
You definitely get a sense throughout the work that this was an earnest attempt by Mulroney to romanticize certain aspects of his life, from his whirlwind romance with Mila Pivnički (a woman fifteen years his junior) to his thoughts on various bills and acts he pushed through Parliament. Make no mistake: this is an exhaustive attempt to "set the record straight" about his reign as PM, and it's an engaging read if nothing else.
That said, the book feels bloated. Maybe it was always intended to be that way, but I found myself skimming through entire chapters to get to the heart of what he was saying. Perhaps this would be of more interest to a political junkie, but I found my eyes glossing over at points. This is definitely not the book to start with if you're getting into political biographies.
The second big issue is the nature of the aforementioned Airbus scandal. Memoirs effectively had its thunder stolen by Peter Newman's The Secret Mulroney Tapes, a tell-all expose that was released just weeks after the former and quickly knocked it off the top of the bestsellers list. Considering how crucial this scandal was and how it came to dominate and taint Mulroney's legacy, it's a bit disappointing that Memoirs seems to shunt it aside altogether.
Third, Mulroney spends a fair amount of time knocking Pierre Trudeau for a perceived "lack of moral fibre", claiming that he didn't deserve to be PM and generally trying to throw as much dirt on him as possible. Although I wouldn't go out of my way to defend Trudeau specifically (as he certainly has his share of detractors), Mulroney's venomous asides feel unneeded and just plain petty.
I debated whether to give the book 3 or 4 stars and ended up taking the higher grade. While there are a number of smaller problems that color the book and take a lot of the bite off some of the more contentious moments of Mulroney's reign, this is nonetheless an exhaustive account of his time in office and you always get the sense that he is telling this in his own words.
Worth a read for political junkies.
Memoirs is a title I'd been searching for ever since I read about its genesis and promotion in McClelland and Stewart super-editor Douglas Gibson's anthology/biography Stories about Storytellers. Even in that work, Gibson is quick to feign ignorance and claim he knew nothing about Mulroney's dealings with the Airbus scandal and simply wanted to help create an engaging tell-all memoir that gave the reader a better sense of who the former PM was.
In that regard, he succeeded. This is a massive brick of a book, clocking in at nearly 1,100 pages and teaching you just about everything you wanted to know about Mulroney: his thoughts on being PM, memories of major events, anecdotes about plenty of people, a thorough explanation of his life as a child (a good 200 pages are spent just on this alone), dealings with other politicians... you name it.
You definitely get a sense throughout the work that this was an earnest attempt by Mulroney to romanticize certain aspects of his life, from his whirlwind romance with Mila Pivnički (a woman fifteen years his junior) to his thoughts on various bills and acts he pushed through Parliament. Make no mistake: this is an exhaustive attempt to "set the record straight" about his reign as PM, and it's an engaging read if nothing else.
That said, the book feels bloated. Maybe it was always intended to be that way, but I found myself skimming through entire chapters to get to the heart of what he was saying. Perhaps this would be of more interest to a political junkie, but I found my eyes glossing over at points. This is definitely not the book to start with if you're getting into political biographies.
The second big issue is the nature of the aforementioned Airbus scandal. Memoirs effectively had its thunder stolen by Peter Newman's The Secret Mulroney Tapes, a tell-all expose that was released just weeks after the former and quickly knocked it off the top of the bestsellers list. Considering how crucial this scandal was and how it came to dominate and taint Mulroney's legacy, it's a bit disappointing that Memoirs seems to shunt it aside altogether.
Third, Mulroney spends a fair amount of time knocking Pierre Trudeau for a perceived "lack of moral fibre", claiming that he didn't deserve to be PM and generally trying to throw as much dirt on him as possible. Although I wouldn't go out of my way to defend Trudeau specifically (as he certainly has his share of detractors), Mulroney's venomous asides feel unneeded and just plain petty.
I debated whether to give the book 3 or 4 stars and ended up taking the higher grade. While there are a number of smaller problems that color the book and take a lot of the bite off some of the more contentious moments of Mulroney's reign, this is nonetheless an exhaustive account of his time in office and you always get the sense that he is telling this in his own words.
Worth a read for political junkies.
April 26, 2018
I really can't say much more than this. This book wasn't great but it wasn't bad either. It was just okay. Maybe there are others out there on the same subject matter that are better but this wasn't it.
March 6, 2025
Simply an astounding memoir by Canada’s greatest Prime
Minister that I am embarrassed to have not read in full sooner. He shares great insights with candour many of which remain prescient today (free trade, the importance of a strong personal relationship with the US president and other world leaders, fiscal discipline, protecting the environment, and so many more). I am proud to have been involved in his campaigns, to have worked in his first government and to have been his law partner and most importantly to have him as a friend. He is greatly missed.
Minister that I am embarrassed to have not read in full sooner. He shares great insights with candour many of which remain prescient today (free trade, the importance of a strong personal relationship with the US president and other world leaders, fiscal discipline, protecting the environment, and so many more). I am proud to have been involved in his campaigns, to have worked in his first government and to have been his law partner and most importantly to have him as a friend. He is greatly missed.
September 24, 2022
This book is certainly worth reading for any who cares to learn about Canadian history, and a somewhat neglected era at that. In many ways, the accomplishments of this particular Prime Minister have largely been glossed over in the historical record, likely as a result of the discomfort his success causes in liberal-leaning media. After all, a conservative Prime Minister holding the title (still to this day) of the greenest PM must not sit well with the party who seeks to lecture the rest on their malfeasance in this area.
Mulroney, of course, paints a picture of himself that is perhaps overly forgiving of faults (although he does admit to mistakes), and he spends too much time complaining about certain individuals that it sometimes comes across as whining (Trudeau senior ad nauseum). Yet, his perspective is a sound one, and Mulroney himself clearly had a great deal to offer, given the length of his reign.
His tenure should not be forgotten. I suspect the reason why his time is little talked about is that most of his accomplishments are now looked back upon as uncontroversially positive. In an age of feeble, whiney politics driven by social media and so-called social justice warriors, it is worth looking back to a time of solid administration and traditional leadership.
Mulroney, of course, paints a picture of himself that is perhaps overly forgiving of faults (although he does admit to mistakes), and he spends too much time complaining about certain individuals that it sometimes comes across as whining (Trudeau senior ad nauseum). Yet, his perspective is a sound one, and Mulroney himself clearly had a great deal to offer, given the length of his reign.
His tenure should not be forgotten. I suspect the reason why his time is little talked about is that most of his accomplishments are now looked back upon as uncontroversially positive. In an age of feeble, whiney politics driven by social media and so-called social justice warriors, it is worth looking back to a time of solid administration and traditional leadership.
February 24, 2019
I love reading political history and particularly about or by political leaders. This is one of the most tedious, uninteresting books I have ever read. It will remind you of how swallow, arrogant and defensive Mulroney is. The book is 100% about his ego and reminds me of what a thoughtless and uninspiring leader he was. Really not worth reading and in fact when my library loan expired (I was 70% done) I did not renew ... awful
March 8, 2021
The boy from Baie-Comeau, made it to The Hill.
In these pages Brian talks about NAFTA, 1st Gulf War, GST, Apartheid and the end of the Cold War.
One of my favourite quotes:
Pg. 436
“After I (Brian) had spoken, Ronald Regan saved the day when he suddenly took to his feet, closed his
leather folder, and announced, “I don’t want to be part of any club that doesn’t include Canada.”
Canada had prevailed, and the G-5 was folded into the G-7.”
In these pages Brian talks about NAFTA, 1st Gulf War, GST, Apartheid and the end of the Cold War.
One of my favourite quotes:
Pg. 436
“After I (Brian) had spoken, Ronald Regan saved the day when he suddenly took to his feet, closed his
leather folder, and announced, “I don’t want to be part of any club that doesn’t include Canada.”
Canada had prevailed, and the G-5 was folded into the G-7.”
July 31, 2023
Brian Mulroney is a consequential and controversial figure in Canadian history. His memoirs are very detailed and informative. He details his interactions with leaders both at home and abroad. He honestly addresses his relationship with his longtime friend Lucien Bouchard who ultimately split with Mulroney following the failure of the Meech Lake Accord. A absolute must read for anyone interested in Canadian history and politics.
June 18, 2009
Having read The Secret Mulroney tapes, it is fun to hear Brian Mulroney's version of events. Lots of very interesting insider stuff; he's a very engaging storyteller and you get a better handle on what he was hoping to achieve.
February 13, 2023
It is always interesting to read about history and get the perspective of people that were actually in the room. Although I have read that some feel Mulroney is self congratulatory, I would also acknowledge many things that were accomplished by him are still with us today.
October 25, 2017
One of the best books I've ready in a while. Recommend reading for anyone who loves politics.
July 23, 2025
Ce livre est de loin la plus grosse brique que j'ai lue et la plus longue. Elle est encore plus longue que les Misérables, mais bon... ça s'explique sans doute sur les 49 pages de notes de lectures que j'ai prise. Aucune autre option possible, car il y a tellement d'informations, tellement d'histoire et tellement de politique que juste lire d'un trait m'aurait fait oublié la majorité des informations.
Mulroney nous offre l'entièreté de ses mémoires écrites en 2007 qu'il commence avec son enfance à Baie-Comeau jusqu'à sa démission en 1993 comme Premier ministre du Canada. L'enfance et la formation universitaire passe très rapidement et on se concentre surtout sur les implications en politique de Mulroney qui ont commencé quand il étudiait en Nouvelle-Écosse.
Nous avons des anecdotes, des réflexions, des extraits de son journal personnel de l'époque, ses avis, ses opinions, y compris leurs évolutions entre le moment d'écrire son journal personnel et maintenant (2007). J'ai aussi découvert l'homme derrière le politicien ainsi que sa farouche loyauté et sa capacité à honorer et respecter ses adversaires. Il n'a pas hésité par exemple à offrir à Pierre Trudeau ou John Turner, ses rivaux libéraux, des postes à leur hauteur même s'ils étaient des adversaires farouches et qu'ils ont été mesquins avec lui.
Je crois que ce qui m'a le plus fasciné est le contraste énorme entre ce que les médias présentaient de lui à l'époque et la réalité. Il faut dire que même les médias ne sont pas aux faits de ce qui se passe dans les coulisses. D'ailleurs, pour nous en donner une idée, Mulroney nous offre aussi les notes personnelles qu'il avait prise lors des discussions autour des accords du Lac Meech et de Charlottetown.
Une des choses qui a été retenue au sujet de Mulroney est que l'Histoire a fini par lui donner raison et ses Mémoires nous expliquent concrètement de quelle manière. Il est à mon avis un des meilleurs dirigeants que le Canada a eu sur presque tous les points.
La seule chose que je déplore est qu'il ne nous parle pas du tout du jugement de Chantal Daigle concernant le droit à l'avortement qui est tombée dans sa cour alors qu'il était Premier ministre du Canada. Il a fait passer un projet de loi à l'époque suite à ce jugement qui a été renversé par le Sénat, mais il ne nous en glisse aucun mot malheureusement.
Outre cela, il s'est toujours fait le défenseur de causes sociales et humanitaires importantes comme les droits des homosexuels, la lutte contre l'apartheid, l'environnement (il est le PM le plus Green ayant été élu au moment d'écrire ses Mémoires, mais je ne sais pas si c'est encore vrai). Bref, un véritable progressiste-conservateur qui a su lié deux idéologies opposées pour en faire le meilleur des mondes. Il ne s'en fera pas de si tôt des gens comme lui à la tête du Canada.
Mulroney nous offre l'entièreté de ses mémoires écrites en 2007 qu'il commence avec son enfance à Baie-Comeau jusqu'à sa démission en 1993 comme Premier ministre du Canada. L'enfance et la formation universitaire passe très rapidement et on se concentre surtout sur les implications en politique de Mulroney qui ont commencé quand il étudiait en Nouvelle-Écosse.
Nous avons des anecdotes, des réflexions, des extraits de son journal personnel de l'époque, ses avis, ses opinions, y compris leurs évolutions entre le moment d'écrire son journal personnel et maintenant (2007). J'ai aussi découvert l'homme derrière le politicien ainsi que sa farouche loyauté et sa capacité à honorer et respecter ses adversaires. Il n'a pas hésité par exemple à offrir à Pierre Trudeau ou John Turner, ses rivaux libéraux, des postes à leur hauteur même s'ils étaient des adversaires farouches et qu'ils ont été mesquins avec lui.
Je crois que ce qui m'a le plus fasciné est le contraste énorme entre ce que les médias présentaient de lui à l'époque et la réalité. Il faut dire que même les médias ne sont pas aux faits de ce qui se passe dans les coulisses. D'ailleurs, pour nous en donner une idée, Mulroney nous offre aussi les notes personnelles qu'il avait prise lors des discussions autour des accords du Lac Meech et de Charlottetown.
Une des choses qui a été retenue au sujet de Mulroney est que l'Histoire a fini par lui donner raison et ses Mémoires nous expliquent concrètement de quelle manière. Il est à mon avis un des meilleurs dirigeants que le Canada a eu sur presque tous les points.
La seule chose que je déplore est qu'il ne nous parle pas du tout du jugement de Chantal Daigle concernant le droit à l'avortement qui est tombée dans sa cour alors qu'il était Premier ministre du Canada. Il a fait passer un projet de loi à l'époque suite à ce jugement qui a été renversé par le Sénat, mais il ne nous en glisse aucun mot malheureusement.
Outre cela, il s'est toujours fait le défenseur de causes sociales et humanitaires importantes comme les droits des homosexuels, la lutte contre l'apartheid, l'environnement (il est le PM le plus Green ayant été élu au moment d'écrire ses Mémoires, mais je ne sais pas si c'est encore vrai). Bref, un véritable progressiste-conservateur qui a su lié deux idéologies opposées pour en faire le meilleur des mondes. Il ne s'en fera pas de si tôt des gens comme lui à la tête du Canada.
January 18, 2023
Who knew Brian Mulroney could write so well. I came away with a new respect for the ex prime minister. Meticulous detail and amusing personal stories of a man with great vision for our country: free trade; HST - both vehemently criticized by the opposition parties who swore if elected they would tear the agreements up but never did because they were powerful improvements for Canada. Above all, I was impressed with his ability to build relationships, not just with the rich and famous, but with members of opposition parties as well. The story of Clyde Wells scuttling the Meech Lake agreement despite having been part of its creation is sad and a tragic loss for Canada. It is a shame that respected politicians such as Wells, Trudeau and Chretien could not put their egos and political ambitions aside to bring the constitution back to Canada with the inclusion of Quebec. History will record Mr. Mulroney to be one of our greatest prime ministers.
January 29, 2021
Avec ce livre, monsieur Mulroney semble prétendre que, sans lui, l'apartheid serait toujours en place, la Guerre froide ne serait pas terminée, et les présidents Reagan, Bush (père) et Clinton (sans compter Thatcher, Kohl et Mitterand) auraient été désemparés. Il est tellement imbu de lui-même qu'il cite comme exemple de son excellence des lettres de remerciements qui sont envoyées systématiquement aux autres dirigeants après chaque rencontre (bref, il prend la diplomatie des autres comme une preuve de sa propre grandeur). Utile à lire pour retrouver l'esprit politique qui sévissait au Canada de 1984 à 1993 (lorsque ses propres machinations ont presque mené le Canada à son éclatement), mais il faut vraiment persévérer pour endurer le ton de son auto-béatification jusqu'à la fin.
January 19, 2025
One of, if not the greatest political and historical biography I have ever read. If you can manage to get your hands on a copy, buy it. I already loved Brian Mulroney, but I have so much more respect for him after having seen the effort he put into writing this book.
February 26, 2018
okay read. Mulroney is pretty egotistical about his past.
September 19, 2018
I could not finish this book. I tired and tired but it was just sooo boring
August 21, 2012
Far too defensive and excusionary in tone. Not unlike Bill Clinton's own rather weighty tome. The author seeks to explain his actions, but has far too many axes to grind to make this a seem in any way the worthy contribution of a statesman.
October 21, 2019
Typeset in Fairfield by M&S, Toronto.
A great font that makes the book bearable.
A great font that makes the book bearable.
May 26, 2012
Meh - and I used to love the guy.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews