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The personal letters of a public man: The family letters of John G. Diefenbaker
Few will disagree that John Diefenbaker was one of Canada's most "human" leaders, a man of the people with few pretensions. Now and for the first time, thanks to these family letters, we can see the Chief complete -- as son and brother, as lover and husband and, of course, always as politician and public figure. From the Introduction by - J.L. Granatstein, Toronto, 1985
This book contains two hundred and fifty letters from the more than 65,000 documents found in the Family Series of the John G. Diefenbaker Papers. Diefenbaker confided in his two wives, his parents, and his brother about some of his fears, doubts, and ambitions, but it requires careful reading of these letters coupled with a thorough knowledge of the man and his times to glean any insights into the private side of his character. All too frequently the letters contain little if any information. As John admitted in 1946 to his brother Elmer in a rare candid statement, "Edna (his first wife) says that I write the same kind of letter to her as I do to mother and to you. It is without any information. However, if I only write when I can think of something to write about, there would never be a letter."
From a review by Doug Whyte, Federal Archives Division, Public Archives of Canada, Winter, 1985-86
This book contains two hundred and fifty letters from the more than 65,000 documents found in the Family Series of the John G. Diefenbaker Papers. Diefenbaker confided in his two wives, his parents, and his brother about some of his fears, doubts, and ambitions, but it requires careful reading of these letters coupled with a thorough knowledge of the man and his times to glean any insights into the private side of his character. All too frequently the letters contain little if any information. As John admitted in 1946 to his brother Elmer in a rare candid statement, "Edna (his first wife) says that I write the same kind of letter to her as I do to mother and to you. It is without any information. However, if I only write when I can think of something to write about, there would never be a letter."
From a review by Doug Whyte, Federal Archives Division, Public Archives of Canada, Winter, 1985-86
255 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1985
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