Canada and the United States: Ambivalent Allies

by John Herd Thompson, Stephen J. Randall

From the American Revolution to NAFTA to the Helms-Burton Act, CANADA AND THE UNITED STATES offers a current, thoughtful assessment of relations between the two countries. Despite oft-repeated platitudes about a "special relationship", the authors argue that what is striking is the great extent to which American policy toward Canada conforms to U.S. policy toward the rest of the world. 10 illustrations.

Genres: Canada, Nonfiction, History

Hardcover

First published August 1, 1994

Reviews

[Catalin Negru · Rating 4 out of 5]

Key takeaways:

- The book is long and probably boring for someone who is not used to a dense style of writing, presented heavily from a Canadian point of view.
- For Canadians, annexation to the United States has often served as a kind of scarecrow, used especially during political campaigns.
- Canada has preserved its British heritage as a counterbalance to American influence.
- The book discusses different types of relationships the two countries have had throughout history—military, economic, and social—as well as the challenges associated with them.
- The relationship between the two countries has been heavily one-sided: while Canadians are deeply interested in their relations with the U.S. and are careful not to be absorbed by the gravitational pull of their southern superpower, Americans generally do not pay much attention to their northern neighbors.
- Generally, the U.S. has viewed Canada as a younger ally who must follow the path of the “bigger brother.” However, although during the Cold War Canada was firmly on the U.S. side, in practice the most powerful unifying force between the two countries has been money.
- Although the book starts with the founding of the U.S. and Canada hundreds of years ago, as expected, a good portion of it is dedicated to modern times.

[Tom Axworthy · Rating 4 out of 5]

In our time of Trump annexation threats, it is very useful to have an impartial historical review of Canadian- American relations and Ambivalent Allies fulfills this task admirably. John Thompson, from Winnipeg is perhaps best known as a historian of Western Canada, but he taught Canadian history at prestigious Duke University for many years and had a keen appreciation of the strengths and foibles of the United States.He was also the history advisor to the Heritage Minutes and Ambivalent Allies has a penchant for dramatic illustration.One of my favorites was that after the 19th century when the threat of US invasion was very real , military planners well into the 20th century continued to plan possible invasions.At one point the War Department of the US in preparing its invasion plans needed maps of Western Canada and wrote to Ottawa to obtain them! Franklin Roosevelt's Declaration at Queens University in 1938 that the US would not sit idle if Canada was threatened by Hitler paved the way for the wartime alliance between the two nations and thankfully the invasion maps were rolled up.As well as political and military history Ambivalent Allies covers labour, commercial and cultural history( including baseball, a particular passion of John Thompson)and ends with an excellent bibliography essay on the best academic works on the subject. We live in an era of fake news and alternative facts and it is a relief to read a history based on judgment and understanding.

[Nick Solheim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Canada and the United States provides the reader with a comprehensive understanding of the relationship between the United States and Canada — From the perspective of the Canadians. The authors make this American reader squirm with an uncomfortable recounting of numerous American diplomatic faux pas and ignorance of our northern neighbor.

The book begins with following the not-yet-confederated colonies struggle with the nascent United States, the former being invaded by the Americans twice in fifty years following the American Revolution. The authors then quickly move to Canada’s lackluster growth throughout the Industrial Revolution, and settling into the relationship of a “middle power” moving into the 20th century.

The bulk of this work focuses on the 20th century and the ebb and flow of the American-Canadian relationship. You will sympathize with a Canada trying to “find itself” in the shadow of its overbearing neighbor, as well as cringe at bumps in the road like the Diefenbaker-Kennedy years. It is worth noting that the version of the book I read only goes up to the passage of NAFTA and the beginning of the Clinton years.

For those of you who do not have the desire to read Conrad Black’s Rise to Greatness to read every intricacy of the history of the relationship situated on the 49th Parallel, this book may provide another option without sacrificing historical breadth.

[Wesam · Rating 5 out of 5]

As interesting, engaging, and entertaining a book as can reasonably be written on the subject.

[George · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is often a painful book for an American to read, but I found it balanced and convincing. Lots of footnotes to support the authors' arguments. A must read for any American interested in Canada!