Canada and Quebec: One Country, Two Histories [Paperback]

Robert Bothwell (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1999

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?

Editorial Reviews

Review

This book is a vital resource for anyone seeking a comprehensive sequential account of Quebec's relationships with the rest of Canada ... For a conventional but updated understanding of Quebec's relationship with the rest of Canada, the book has few rivals. - Timothy Thomas, Canadian Journal of Political Science But here is also the history of historians, the attempt to tell the story in all its paradox, the gap between intent and result, between hope and power, on the odd chance that a generous look at the past will make us a little more generous about the future. This book does just that. - Stephen Schecter, Montreal Gazette What Canada and Quebec does best is to expose the sources of misunderstanding between Canadians and Quebeckers. The overall impression is that throughout their history Canada and Quebec have been out of pace with one another ... a timely reminder that previous misconceptions and errors need not lead to the biggest mistake of all -- one which, unlike the others, is irrevocable. - Eric McGeer, Quill & Quire

About the Author

Robert Bothwell is a professor in the Department of History at the University of Toronto. He is the author of numerous books, including Canada and the United States: The Politics of Partnership (1992); with J.L. Granatstein, Pirouette: Pierre Trudeau and Canadian Foreign Policy (1990); and, with Ian Drummond and John English, Canada, 1900-1945 (1987) and Canada since 1945: Power, Politics and Provincialism, 2nd ed.(1989).

Product Details

• Paperback: 296 pages
• Publisher: UBC Press; Revised edition (June 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0774806532
• ISBN-13: 978-0774806534
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #209,879 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars history live!, May 22, 2000

By 

"fanny_bailleul" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Canada and Quebec: One Country, Two Histories (Paperback)

This book helps me to get a first a view of Canada-Quebec relations history in a very lively way which never bored me although I was discovering the subject. It shows the "problematique" of the subject and by presenting the different point of views it enables the reader to appreciate its complexity.