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The author chronicles with detail Harper's political beginnings, his stint--and his ensuing disenchantment--with the Mulroney Progressive Conservatives, the events that led to him becoming a key architect of the Reform party, and his rescue of the Canadian Alliance, which led to the merger with the Progressive Conservatives to create the new Conservative Party that he led into federal elections against Paul Martin's Liberals. With a different leader at the top but Harper behind the scenes, Canadians might very well have elected a Conservative government in 2004: one cannot help but feel from Johnson's account that Harper would be better appreciated as a back-room policy director, a role he may not relish, but may be essential if he is to continue in politics. --Eric Wilson --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
Review
— Calgary Herald
“The book does a formidable job of exploring Stephen Harper’s mind. It is a first-rate intellectual history. . . . A well-constructed study that shines light on a fogbound public figure at a time when it is most important to know him.”
— Globe and Mail
“This is an important book for political junkies and others who are trying to understand recent Canadian political history.”
— Halifax Chronicle-Herald
“Thoughtful, thorough and often surprising. . . . the book rests its premises on solid ground.”
— London Free Press
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Most helpful customer reviews
21 of 24 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Highly Recommended,
By
This review is from: Stephen Harper and the Future of Canada (Hardcover)
I will summarize what's in this book so you can decide for yourself whether or not it's worth reading, because it isn't a book for everyone. It covers very little about Harper's personal life. It makes little or no mention of his wife and kids and only describes his upbringing briefly so you can get an idea of his background. So, if you're looking for a warm and fuzzy book to get to know "Steve" and the ins and outs of his daily life, this is not a book for you. This is for someone who has an interest in the political history of the last 20 years centered around Harper. It attempts to detail what got Mr. Harper into politics, and how his political ideology was formed. It then describes where he stands on the issues in politics from the Mulroney years through to the Martin years. If you're not familiar with the Reform party, you will learn a lot about it and the other leaders of it, such as Manning and Day. The author attempts to make Harper's thoughts clear on the major issues on the political scene over the last 20 years with many direct quotes from Harper's speeches and documents. If your political history is weak you may learn a bit about the Meech lake/Charlottetown accords, the separatist movement during these years, Mulroney, Chretien, Manning, and so on. I found the author very fair and objective for the most part. A lot of the minor details that people contest in this book are irrelevant anyway. To gain something from this book you don't need to accept the author's views on Harper and the events; you can weed through the quotes and information, do your own research from there, and figure it out yourself.
11 of 14 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
Book has added bonus...,
By Derek Butler (St. John's, NL) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Stephen Harper and the Future of Canada (Hardcover)
...of providing great perspective on Canada's development to date, and, via Harper's trajectory, the foundations for strengthening and bettering it. There is perhaps no other Canadian politician - Trudeau being the exception, but in the other direction- of our or any recent generation with a such a developed philosophical and economic vision for taking Canada to the next level. Entirely apart from its treatment of Harper - readers will be impressed - this book is necessary reading for, in the cliched expression of too many others - "anyone who cares about Canada" - where we have come from, where we are, and where we are going.
10 of 13 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Don't wait ! Read this now and make up your own mind.,
By A Customer
This review is from: Stephen Harper and the Future of Canada (Hardcover)
One thing I find odd about the story of Prime Minster Harper is how while his name is known to all Canadians, and they often have an emotional response to how they feel about him, the responses are often rooted in one historical moment or another, but rarely on the complete flow of his public and private life. Johnson's timely book helps bring much needed perspective to that flow, asking questions like: in what areas has Harper been consistent, what style he has brought to all the jobs he has held, what is his relationship with religious and social conservatives. Johnson helps us to develop a deeper understanding of Harper's motives and their underlying principles that can help Canadians decide for themselves what kind of era we are entering. I highly recommend this book to all Canadians across the political spectrum. People who think they know enough about him, pro or con, will be surprised.
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