What do you think?
Rate this book
Trudeau #2
Trudeau Transformed: The Shaping of a Statesman 1944-1965
This groundbreaking biography, now in paperback, continues the story begun in Young Trudeau , taking Canada's legendary Prime Minister from his pro-fascist youth all the way to his entry into federal politics as a crusading Liberal democrat.
When he went to Harvard in 1944, Pierre Trudeau was twenty-five, a recent graduate of the University of Montreal Law School; true to his elite Catholic-French education, he had been till recently pro-fascist, and he disliked democracy. Years of graduate study at Harvard, then the Sorbonne, then the London School of Economics exposed him to new ideas, as did his hitchhiking travels around the world. Returned to Quebec as a new man, he engaged in educating workers and other jobs that made him a famous defender of federal democracy. He entered Parliament in 1965, within three years of rocketing, Obama-like, to the very top.
When he went to Harvard in 1944, Pierre Trudeau was twenty-five, a recent graduate of the University of Montreal Law School; true to his elite Catholic-French education, he had been till recently pro-fascist, and he disliked democracy. Years of graduate study at Harvard, then the Sorbonne, then the London School of Economics exposed him to new ideas, as did his hitchhiking travels around the world. Returned to Quebec as a new man, he engaged in educating workers and other jobs that made him a famous defender of federal democracy. He entered Parliament in 1965, within three years of rocketing, Obama-like, to the very top.
544 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2011
2 people are currently reading
51 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
February 6, 2013
This is a very detailed study of Pierre Trudeau during these 21 years. The emphasis throughout is on the political developments and changes within Trudeau and of his surrounding world.
I wish to emphasize the word “detailed”. John English wrote two volumes on Trudeau’s life; the first volume of about five hundred pages covered 1919 thru 1968. The first two volumes of Max and Monique Nemni go up to 1965 and combined together they amount to over eight hundred pages. In some ways the books of Nemni and English are complimentary. The English biography has more on Trudeau’s friendships, particularly with women. In the Nemni volumes we get a much closer picture of Quebec life with its inward political stagnation during the 1940’s and 1950’s.
The Nemni’s write with a great deal of enthusiasm and do an excellent work on making one feel the transitions that Trudeau underwent in his political-philosophical thought processes – first at Harvard, then Paris and in London under the tutelage of Harold Laski at the London School of Economics. When Trudeau studied at Harvard amid the tumult of the final months of the Second World War he began to realize how cloistered his upbringing had been in Quebec. His thinking began to take on a more democratic perspective and moved completely away from his previous nationalist-corporatist philosophy.
The book gives us a first-hand look at the theocratic Quebec state of the era with both Duplessis and the Roman Catholic Church at the helm. They controlled the province as their own fiefdom – there was censorship, education of French Canadians was dominated by the Church, elections were rigged and Duplessis intimidated, psychologically and physically, opponents, particularly unions. Quebec had never embraced democracy like the rest of English Canada.
Trudeau during the 1950’s was severely reprimanded by both the clergy and political figures for articles he wrote in “Cite Libre”. His journalism lacerated the infringement of the Church on the educational system. It was heretical of him to question the role of the Church in Quebec. Trudeau attacked Quebec’s insularity, which was preventing it from becoming a liberal democracy. Only in the 1960’s with the death of Duplessis and the ousting of his Union Nationale party did change begin in the province.
The effects of Harvard, Paris and London transformed Trudeau’s thinking to the primacy of the individual in society. The role of the state is to protect the rights of the individual from being infringed on by the wider society, from corporations, from the Church and from the state itself. The function of a democratic state is to establish laws for the protection of individual rights. Trudeau’s entire life became a campaign against the concept of the nation-state – where the nationality, whether it be race, ethnicity or religion, gives primary meaning to the state. It is why he was so opposed to the separatist-sovereignty movement in Quebec which he viewed as a retrograde nationalist movement whose aim was to re-establish a state similar to that of the Duplessis years. For Trudeau nationalism in any form was antithetical to his world-view – it was an ideology that made the individual subservient to the nation – like Nazism did in Germany. In a federation, such as Canada, several nationalities should be able to flourish. The constitution was there for the individual, not the ethnic grouping. The primary founding languages of Canada, English and French, were to be entrenched in the federal constitution.
The authors attempt successfully, I feel, to remove several myths about Trudeau. From an early age Trudeau saw himself as destined to enter politics. All the courses he took in law, economics and political science in Quebec and elsewhere pointed in that direction. He was not just a dilettante or playboy as many have tried to make him out to be. He was not aimless; he was a person in motion - his thoughts constantly spinning and absorbing new ideas. With his choice of words Trudeau always had a combative personality. He was not afraid to challenge established thought, with individuals in government, religion, or the media. By doing so, he made friends and enemies, sometimes in quick succession. Quebecers found this out very early in the 1950’s, English Canada would come to learn more of him in the 1960’s.This book by the Nemni’s captures the spirit and era of Pierre Elliot Trudeau.
I wish to emphasize the word “detailed”. John English wrote two volumes on Trudeau’s life; the first volume of about five hundred pages covered 1919 thru 1968. The first two volumes of Max and Monique Nemni go up to 1965 and combined together they amount to over eight hundred pages. In some ways the books of Nemni and English are complimentary. The English biography has more on Trudeau’s friendships, particularly with women. In the Nemni volumes we get a much closer picture of Quebec life with its inward political stagnation during the 1940’s and 1950’s.
The Nemni’s write with a great deal of enthusiasm and do an excellent work on making one feel the transitions that Trudeau underwent in his political-philosophical thought processes – first at Harvard, then Paris and in London under the tutelage of Harold Laski at the London School of Economics. When Trudeau studied at Harvard amid the tumult of the final months of the Second World War he began to realize how cloistered his upbringing had been in Quebec. His thinking began to take on a more democratic perspective and moved completely away from his previous nationalist-corporatist philosophy.
The book gives us a first-hand look at the theocratic Quebec state of the era with both Duplessis and the Roman Catholic Church at the helm. They controlled the province as their own fiefdom – there was censorship, education of French Canadians was dominated by the Church, elections were rigged and Duplessis intimidated, psychologically and physically, opponents, particularly unions. Quebec had never embraced democracy like the rest of English Canada.
Trudeau during the 1950’s was severely reprimanded by both the clergy and political figures for articles he wrote in “Cite Libre”. His journalism lacerated the infringement of the Church on the educational system. It was heretical of him to question the role of the Church in Quebec. Trudeau attacked Quebec’s insularity, which was preventing it from becoming a liberal democracy. Only in the 1960’s with the death of Duplessis and the ousting of his Union Nationale party did change begin in the province.
The effects of Harvard, Paris and London transformed Trudeau’s thinking to the primacy of the individual in society. The role of the state is to protect the rights of the individual from being infringed on by the wider society, from corporations, from the Church and from the state itself. The function of a democratic state is to establish laws for the protection of individual rights. Trudeau’s entire life became a campaign against the concept of the nation-state – where the nationality, whether it be race, ethnicity or religion, gives primary meaning to the state. It is why he was so opposed to the separatist-sovereignty movement in Quebec which he viewed as a retrograde nationalist movement whose aim was to re-establish a state similar to that of the Duplessis years. For Trudeau nationalism in any form was antithetical to his world-view – it was an ideology that made the individual subservient to the nation – like Nazism did in Germany. In a federation, such as Canada, several nationalities should be able to flourish. The constitution was there for the individual, not the ethnic grouping. The primary founding languages of Canada, English and French, were to be entrenched in the federal constitution.
The authors attempt successfully, I feel, to remove several myths about Trudeau. From an early age Trudeau saw himself as destined to enter politics. All the courses he took in law, economics and political science in Quebec and elsewhere pointed in that direction. He was not just a dilettante or playboy as many have tried to make him out to be. He was not aimless; he was a person in motion - his thoughts constantly spinning and absorbing new ideas. With his choice of words Trudeau always had a combative personality. He was not afraid to challenge established thought, with individuals in government, religion, or the media. By doing so, he made friends and enemies, sometimes in quick succession. Quebecers found this out very early in the 1950’s, English Canada would come to learn more of him in the 1960’s.This book by the Nemni’s captures the spirit and era of Pierre Elliot Trudeau.
June 20, 2021
On ne peut sous évaluer l'immense service rendu par le couple Nemni à notre connaissance du père du Canada moderne. Leur accès aux archives du jeune adulte Trudeau et à quelques correspondances complémentaires éclaire comme jamais auparavant son évolution intellectuelle.
Un gros merci.
Un gros merci.
November 9, 2015
The finishing saga-- Quite enjoyed reading it on my camping trip! Described some of the behind the scenes reasons between Trudeau's Canada-- the reason why he wanted Canada to stay together to become stronger, -- also, squashing the rumors behind Trudeau's "NDP" roots. Trudeau was truly a rebel, though not enough to deny to be a dipper, despite criticizing Pearson's government once. A good read if you have the time for it.
October 20, 2012
en anglais
Probably the best biography of Trudeau prior to his election as Prime Minister. A careful study of Trudeau's thoughts and ideas. Does an excellent job of contextualizing his beliefs in reaction to events around him.
Between this and Young Trudeau, we now have the two fundamental biographies of Trudeau's life.
Probably the best biography of Trudeau prior to his election as Prime Minister. A careful study of Trudeau's thoughts and ideas. Does an excellent job of contextualizing his beliefs in reaction to events around him.
Between this and Young Trudeau, we now have the two fundamental biographies of Trudeau's life.
November 1, 2011
tome deux d une biographie qui devrait en compter trois. on va ici de 1944 a 1966 environ . tout un pan de la vie de trudeau . encore meilleur que le tome premier.plus detaille.
February 26, 2013
Fascinating look at the evolution of the political thought of Pierre Trudeau before he became the loved or despised PM we know.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews