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Memoirs: 1939-1993

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This autobiography traces Brian Mulroney's rise from modest beginnings in Baie-Comeau, Quebec, a small town on the North Shore of the St. Lawrence River. He became a lawyer and corporate executive in Montreal, and rose through the ranks of the Progressive Conservative Party to become Leader of the Opposition in 1983.

In September 1984, Mulroney became Canada's eighteenth prime minister in a smashing election win, as the Tories captured the largest number of seats (211) that any party had won in any election in Canadian history.

After Mulroney became prime minister, he quickly discovered how abysmal Canada's finances were after 15 years of the ultra-free spending Pierre Elliott Trudeau. Mulroney proved not to be as conservative as his contemporaries Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan--he instituted a national sales tax, and refused to cut spending as drastically as some were calling for him to do. Even though he did not do as much as he could have done, he did manage to pull Canada back from the ledge of near-bankruptcy and put the nation on a more secure economic footing.

Mulroney was a staunch ally of Reagan and Thatcher in the fight against Soviet Communism. He negotiated the Free Trade Agreement with the United States, and became a good friend of George H.W. Bush. The two leaders worked together closely following Saddam Hussein's invasion of Kuwait in 1990 and during the subsequent Gulf War in 1991.

The prime minister also did his utmost to get the Meech Lake Accord ratified to ensure that Canada did not fragment. It seems that the accord did not pass because, given Canada's vastness and diversity, the only way to bring Quebec into the Constitution would have been a messy solution that would have made no region of the country sufficiently happy, and in the end not everyone was prepared to sign off on such a solution. The accord was not ratified, although it seems that Mulroney did everything humanly possible to bring ratification about. Fortunately, the secession plebiscite later held in Quebec in October 1995, more than two years after Mulroney left office, did not pass.

Americans will remember Prime Minister Mulroney for his support during the Cold War and during the Gulf War, and for his calm, assured, dignified manner. He also delivered a great eulogy at President Reagan's funeral in June 2004.

And as with any great biography, scattered throughout this book are numerous keen insights into the human condition, making this a long, but rewarding, read.

Becoming Prime Minister of Canada is no small feat. "Brian Mulroney Memoirs" are the official memoirs of the eighteenth Canadian Prime Minister, serving from 1984 until 1993. Raised in Quebec, Mulroney lead a long and eventful life, one filled with activism throughout his career and going into his involvement in politics. Covered in detail are his years during his tenure in office as Prime Minister, having a strong partnership with the Reagan administration. The scope of his memoirs ends with his time in office, with a little aftermath of how Mulroney now spends his life, retired from politics. "Brian Mulroney Memoirs" is a riveting read, an absolute must addition to community library biography and memoirs collections, especially those focused on important public figures.

mr mulroney used these pages to settle old feuds with trudeau and others . . somewhat vindicative .