While Canada Slept: How We Lost Our Place in the World (Paperback)

Customers buy this book with The Unfinished Canadian: The People We Are by Andrew Cohen

+

Price For Both: $28.03

Show availability and shipping details

• This item: While Canada Slept: How We Lost Our Place in the World by Andrew Cohen

  In Stock.
  Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
  Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details
  

• The Unfinished Canadian: The People We Are by Andrew Cohen

  In Stock.
  Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
  Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details
  

Fire and Ice by Michael Adams 3.0 out of 5 stars (12)  $12.44

The Vanishing Country: Is It Too Late to Save Canada? by Mel Hurtig 4.0 out of 5 stars (8)  $19.95

The Last Days of Europe: Epitaph for an Old Continent by Walter Laqueur 4.3 out of 5 stars (18)  $10.17

China: Fragile Superpower by Susan L. Shirk 4.1 out of 5 stars (27)  $11.53

Why I Hate Canadians by Will Ferguson 4.0 out of 5 stars (12)  $11.96

› Explore similar items

Review
?Relentlessly chronicles just how far this country has fallen from global grace.?
?Ottawa Citizen

?In well-crafted prose and on a foundation of extensive knowledge of our diplomatic history, Cohen recounts a tale of how we have created? a make-believe foreign policy.?
?Richard Gwyn, Toronto Star

?A trenchant critique of modern Canadian foreign policy.?
?Time Magazine

?Cohen?s contribution is invaluable. A book full of? rich detail, written with passion and engaging prose.? A must read for all of those who wish to understand the roots of Canada?s global outlook.?
?Globe and Mail

?Mr. Cohen? has hit the bull?s-eye.?
?Jeffrey Simpson, Globe and Mail

?There could hardly be a better time for While Canada Slept, Andrew Cohen?s cogent and sobering survey of this country?s long slide into the margins of global importance.? A powerful indictment of how we?ve neglected our role in the world.?
?Victoria Times-Colonist

?Provocative and persuasive.? [Cohen?s] arguments are persuasive and ably defended in a book that is brisk, on the mark and wonderfully readable.?
?London Free Press

?Persuasive and compelling.? A long-awaited wake-up call to Canadians who have for years been blinded in a glare of self-satisfaction about their own international importance.?
?Halifax Chronicle-Herald

?Cohen has pulled together a well-written, engaging and timely book. This is clearly a must-read for all Canadians interested in our glorious past and in Canada having an influential voice in the world once again.?
?Montreal Gazette

?The articulation of foreign policy and the integration of its various elements (diplomatic, aid, military and financial) should be high on [the next prime minister?s] list of his or her policy challenges. If so, much will be owed to Andrew Cohen for this passionate, informative, entertaining and mostly convincing volume.?
?David Malone, Literary Review of Canada



From the Hardcover edition. -- Review

Review
“Relentlessly chronicles just how far this country has fallen from global grace.”
–Ottawa Citizen

“In well-crafted prose and on a foundation of extensive knowledge of our diplomatic history, Cohen recounts a tale of how we have created… a make-believe foreign policy.”
–Richard Gwyn, Toronto Star

“A trenchant critique of modern Canadian foreign policy.”
–Time Magazine

“Cohen’s contribution is invaluable. A book full of… rich detail, written with passion and engaging prose.… A must read for all of those who wish to understand the roots of Canada’s global outlook.”
–Globe and Mail

“Mr. Cohen… has hit the bull’s-eye.”
–Jeffrey Simpson, Globe and Mail

“There could hardly be a better time for While Canada Slept, Andrew Cohen’s cogent and sobering survey of this country’s long slide into the margins of global importance.… A powerful indictment of how we’ve neglected our role in the world.”
–Victoria Times-Colonist

“Provocative and persuasive.… [Cohen’s] arguments are persuasive and ably defended in a book that is brisk, on the mark and wonderfully readable.”
–London Free Press

“Persuasive and compelling.… A long-awaited wake-up call to Canadians who have for years been blinded in a glare of self-satisfaction about their own international importance.”
–Halifax Chronicle-Herald

“Cohen has pulled together a well-written, engaging and timely book. This is clearly a must-read for all Canadians interested in our glorious past and in Canada having an influential voice in the world once again.”
–Montreal Gazette

“The articulation of foreign policy and the integration of its various elements (diplomatic, aid, military and financial) should be high on [the next prime minister’s] list of his or her policy challenges. If so, much will be owed to Andrew Cohen for this passionate, informative, entertaining and mostly convincing volume.”
–David Malone, Literary Review of Canada

" Excellent … This is an exceptionally easy book to read – popular but built on scholarship and masterly in its smooth transitions."
–Douglas Fisher, Legion Magazine



From the Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
inthe world, post war era Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
United States, United Nations, External Affairs, Lester Pearson, Third World, Norman Robertson, Hume Wrong, Second World War, Escott Reid, Cold War, Persian Gulf, White Paper, University of Toronto, Colombo Plan, Mackenzie King, International Criminal Court, First World War, Korean War, George Bush, Mike Pearson, Jean Chretien, Great Britain, South Africa, Canadian Forces, Maple Leaf Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Surprise Me!

Search Inside This Book:

If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store. Learn more

7 Reviews 5 star:  (2) 4 star:  (4) 3 star:  (1) 2 star:    (0) 1 star:    (0)           Average Customer Review 4.1 out of 5 stars (7 customer reviews)		Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
Most Helpful Customer Reviews   4 of 4 people found the following review helpful: 4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, June 16, 2004 By  P. Smy (Spain) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)    I wish every Canadian politician would read this book. I was afraid at first that Cohen would be a bit too partisan - he has presented before House of Commons Special Comittee's - but it is not. It is firstly a guideline to how Canada can attempt to pull itself out of it's (our!) apathetic slump. Secondly it is a fascinating, all be it partial, history of Canada's famed Diplomatic and International dealings. Please buy a copy and send it to your MP. Oh, and I don't know what that other reviewer was talking about - a good section of the book deals with the world changing and thereby Canada's role changing. Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)   4 of 4 people found the following review helpful: 4.0 out of 5 stars Great narrative, but could use a little more context, August 14, 2003 By  Graduate student (Brookline, MA) - See all my reviews This review is from: While Canada Slept: How We Lost Our Place in the World (Hardcover) This book was a good read, and provided a great overview of Canada's post-war foreign policy. Cohen also nicely incorporates the thoughts and lives of Hume Wrong, Norman Robertson and Lester Pearson into the narrative. As I suspect most will sheepishly admit, I had never heard of the first two! At just over 200 pages, this book doesn't waste your time, and you get a lot out of it. My only complaint with the book is that it could have had more context for some of the discussions. For instance, Cohen describes how Canada's foreign aid is too thinly distributed across to many countries and programs. While this is true, Canada is hardly unique in this regard. The entire development community and the World Bank can all be accused of this to a great extent (see, for instance, William Easterly's "The Elusive Quest for Growth" and recent article "The Cartel of Good Intentions" in Foreign Policy, plus Jessica Einhorn's "The World Bank's Mission Creep" in Foreign Affairs). As the definition of "development" expands, it's hard not to spend on health, education, governance, legal reform, etc., etc. Otherwise you could well be accused of the simple, narrow-minded economic policy interventions of the past, and with a fair amount of justification. Similarly, Cohen also describes a staff retention crisis at the foreign affairs department. This was eye-opening, but I also had no sense of how specific these problems of retention of good staff were to the department or whether they reflected the problems all organizations have had in the past decade or so training and retaining good professional staff. The situation does sound serious though, and he documents it well. All in all, a good, quick read. I recommend it highly. Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)   3 of 3 people found the following review helpful: 4.0 out of 5 stars A thoughtful read for any Canadian, April 3, 2004 By  Matthew B. Routley (Toronto, Ontario, Canada) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)    I would recommend this book to any Canadian interested in our nation's place in the world. This book examines the foundation behind many of our national myths and demonstrates the decline in our stature and influence. The book isn't simply a litany of problems, it also suggests what could be done to improve the situation. At the very least, these issues deserve a national debate, not the gradual decline through neglect that is currently happening. Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this) Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review › See all 7 customer reviews...		Ad feedback   Most Recent Customer Reviews 5.0 out of 5 stars Where did it all go wrong? This book is an excellent overview of what happened to make Canada a much less admired country in the eyes of countries who felt Canada was going to be one of the leaders... Read more Published 16 months ago by J. Guild 5.0 out of 5 stars Worth The Read Thought it was amazing. Every politician today should read this book and try to do something about Canada's sinking. READ THIS! It'll open your eyes. Read more Published on January 27, 2005 by Sylphide 4.0 out of 5 stars Cohen demonstrates that Canada's military is in Crisis This critique of Canadian foreign policy will humble readers who are under the impression that Canada has a notable place in the world comparable to its illustrious past. Read more Published on December 28, 2003 by Christopher Linstead 3.0 out of 5 stars Whine for a Nation Cohen does a reasonably good job of recapping the facts of Canada's decline as a middle power since the end of the Second World War. Read more Published on December 25, 2003 by Graymac Search Customer Reviews Only search this product's reviews › See all 7 customer reviews...

• Books > Business & Investing > Economics > International
• Books > History > Americas > Canada
• Books > History > World
• Books > Nonfiction > Politics > International > Relations