Canada and Quebec: One Country, Two Histories

by Robert Bothwell

Relations between Canada and Quebec have never been easy. Beginning with the Conquest and working through the many political permutations before Confederation and since, there has always been conflict between the two governments and, in particular, between two points of view. The rebellions of 1837-8, conscription, the Quiet Revolution, language laws, the FLQ crisis and endless constitutional wrangles such as Meech Lake are just a sampling of the issues that have divided the nation. The cast of characters has been fascinating, too: Pierre Trudeau, Brian Mulroney, Robert Bourassa, and Rene Levesque have all played centre stage. In the wake of a razor-thin majority for federalist forces in the referendum of 1995, the issue of separation continues to be complicated by the division of the huge national debt, the possibility of further territorial partition within a separate Quebec, the rights of First Nations people, and the spectre of separatist movements in Eastern Europe in recent years. Through interviews with a wide variety of politicians, journalists, and academics, Robert Bothwell skilfully weaves together a coherent account of the relationship between Canada and Quebec. We hear from Jean Chretien, Sharon Carstairs and Ovide Mercredi; Lise Bissonnette and Graham Fraser; Michael Bliss and Ramsay Cook; and many more. The text is an absorbing collage of personal accounts and considered opinions, one that acquaints us with the many different facets of this complicated yet crucial question: how did Canada and Quebec get to this impasse, and where do we go from here?

Genres: Canada, History, Nonfiction, Politics

296 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 1995

About the author

Robert Bothwell is a professor of Canadian history, and the foremost scholar on Canadian Cold War participation, as well as a frequently published author.

Bothwell completed his BA at the University of Toronto and his PhD at Harvard University. He is currently Director of the University of Toronto's International Relations program at Trinity College, where he is a fellow, and a professor of Canadian political and diplomatic history. Bothwell holds the May Gluskin Chair in Canadian History. His research interests include modern Canadian history and political, diplomatic and military history. Bothwell is an expert on Canada-U.S. relations.

Reviews

[Tatiana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eye opener. Good thing the British Empire is a thing of the past.

[Jonathan Grim · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wish I would have been more familiar with interviewees before starting this book. I didn't realize it was simply a transcript of a 12-part radio program discussing the historical relationship between Quebec and English-speaking Canada. I learned a lot and some of the stories were quite interesting. I was hoping for more of an academic overview of the topic, but I enjoyed this read for what it is.

[Katrinka · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really good general survey. I'm going to follow it up with a more traditional (and up-to-date) dates/figures/specifics text, but I thoroughly enjoyed—and learned a lot from—the book.

[Teghan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oh Robert Bothwell, how you haunted me throughout my undergraduate degree....though not as much as Jack Granatstein.

A really good journey through the history of Canada and how Quebec plays into that history. I read this book over four years - a chapter at a time - so my reading of it was skewed by that and I cannot give an honest review of the book. It was an accessible read and Bothwell isn't the most boring writer on the block and the book is definitely unique in its subject matter.