Read Ebook {PDF EPUB} Bennett The Rebel Who Challenged and Changed a Nation by John Boyko Bennett's New Deal. In the mid-1930s, at the height of the Great Depression, Prime Minister R.B. Bennett’s political demise seemed inevitable. He sought to reverse the tide running against his Conservative Party. In January 1935, he began a series of live radio speeches outlining a “New Deal” for Canada. He promised a more progressive taxation system; a maximum work week; a minimum wage; closer regulation of working conditions; unemployment insurance; health and accident insurance; a revised old-age pension; and agricultural support programs. But Bennett’s 11th-hour proposals were seen as too-little, too-late. He lost the 1935 election to William Lyon Mackenzie King and the Liberals. By 1933, the nadir of the Depression, R.B. Bennett seemed indecisive and ineffective. He became the butt of endless jokes. Economic Crisis. R.B. Bennett’s Conservative Party had won a majority government in August 1930. However, the Great Depression had been his government’s millstone since its rise to power. Bennett had tried to bring back prosperity using traditional economic tools, including high import tariffs. ( See also Protectionism.) By 1934, as the Depression and the burden of unemployment wore on, political discontent surfaced across the country. In Ontario and the West, the socialist Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF) emerged with its “Regina Manifesto.” It advocated unemployment and health insurance, farming price supports and public housing. At the other end of the political spectrum, the Social Credit movement blossomed and came to power in Alberta in 1935. It argued for increased purchasing power for consumers, via a $25-per month social dividend payment to every adult Albertan. Another new political party, Maurice Duplessis’s Union Nationale, began to make waves in Quebec. And there was criticism from within Bennett’s own cabinet that the Conservative government’s policies were creating easy profits for big business and hardship for others. Reforms Announced on Radio. Amidst these pressures, and with an election on the horizon, Bennett dramatically changed course. Modelling his strategy on United States President Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal, the prime minister took to the radio airwaves with a series of speeches outlining a New Deal for Canada. Bennett’s reforms promised a more progressive taxation system; a maximum work week; a minimum wage; closer regulation of working conditions; unemployment insurance; health and accident insurance; a revised old-age pension; and agricultural support programs. ( See also Social and Welfare Services.) Bennett’s New Deal legislation was largely unopposed by the other political parties; however, the reforms were not enacted in time for the October 1935 election. General Election. Bennett’s 11th-hour proposals were seen as too-little, too-late by a weary and impatient electorate. He lost the 1935 election to William Lyon Mackenzie King and the Liberals, who were returned to Parliament with a majority government. The Liberal percentage of the vote did not dramatically increase from the election in 1930. But the new parties contesting the election — the CCF, Social Credit, and the Reconstruction Party (a Conservative splinter group) — all drew votes away from the Conservatives. King referred Bennett’s New Deal legislation to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (Canada’s highest court of appeal at the time). In 1937, it declared many of the reforms unconstitutional and outside of federal jurisdiction. ( See Distribution of Powers.) Nuoylens. Free PDF Bennett: The Rebel Who Challenged and Changed a Nation, by John Boyko. In checking out Bennett: The Rebel Who Challenged And Changed A Nation, By John Boyko, now you may not additionally do conventionally. 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In the late 1920s, Canada's economy was showing all the signs of a full-fledged depression. Life savings were evaporating, unemployment was up, and exports were dramatically down. Riding on the popularity of his promise to "blast" Canada's way into world markets — and thus stop the economy's downward spiral — Richard Bedford Bennett defeated William Lyon Mackenzie King at the polls on July 28, 1930, and assumed the leadership of the country. Over the next five years, however, Bennett's name became synonymous with the worst of the Depression — from Bennett buggies, to Bennett tea, to Bennett-burghs. Eighty years later, he is widely viewed as a difficult man, an ineffectual leader, and a politician who "flip-flopped" on his conservative beliefs in exchange for popularity. John Boyko offers not only the first major biography of the man, but a fresh perspective on the old scholarship. Boyko looks at the Prime Minister's sometimes controversial and often misunderstood policies through a longer lens, one that shows not a politician angling for votes, but rather a man following through on a life-long dedication to a greater role for government in society and the economy. It is easy to understand why Bennett has been so misunderstood. It is not often, after all, that a Conservative Prime Minister finds himself to the left of his Liberal opposition, but that it exactly where Bennett landed. Bennett's New Deal — a series of proposals that included unemployment insurance; the establishment of a minimum wage and limits on work hours; an extension of federally backed farm credit; fair-trade and anti- monopoly legislation; and a revamped Wheat Board to oversee and control grain prices — was certainly a departure from the Conservative politics of the day. The same could be said for his creation of the Bank of Canada and the Canadian Radio Broadcasting Commission. Boyko explores the origins and hardening of those beliefs as he details Bennett's birth (;into relative poverty); in Hopewell Cape, New Brunswick, his stunning success as a corporate lawyer and financial entrepreneur in Calgary, his years in politics, and his eventual retirement in England. As he ranges through the ups and downs of his subject's career, Boyko also invites his reader to compare the challenges faced by Bennett to those faced in Canada's more recent history. Nearly every other Canadian prime minister finds his or her way into the analysis, with Bennett's beliefs and actions measured against theirs. Sales Rank: #8391405 in Books Brand: Brand: Goose Lane Editions Published on: 2012-03-30 Original language: English Number of items: 1 Dimensions: 8.94" h x 1.23" w x 6.03" l, 1.63 pounds Binding: Paperback 504 pages Used Book in Good Condition. Review "[Gives] Bennett his rightful due as an effective national leader who created a remarkable economic blueprint for the future Canada . . . Boyko has given us perhaps the most details and most revealing study of Bennett the man and the politician that we're likely to get." — Brian Brennan, Alberta Views (2012-11-08) "Boyko consistently demonstrates an encyclopedic knowledge of Canadian history . [His] writing is so good and his research so thorough that any Canadian with an interest in our political history can read and enjoy this book." — Donald Benham, Winnipeg Free Press (2012-11-08) Praise for Into the Hurricane: Attacking Socialism and the CCF (J. Gordon Shillingford Publishing, 2006): “Into the Hurricane is a brilliant and refreshing account of the troubling lengths to which power elites sought to suppress the CCF’s vision of a more equitable Canada.” - Jack Layton, Leader of Canada’s NDP. “?a tremendous accomplishment which reflects pain-staking research and excellent writing?” - James Struther, Trent University “ ? an intriguing book?a remarkable story..” - Ken Rockburn, Talk Politics, CPAC. “After reading his latest work?it becomes clear that Boyko could also make a living as a commentator on the current political climates of both Canada and the United States.” - Chris Kirkland, Planet S: Saskatoon’s City Magazine Praise for Last Steps to Freedom: The Evolution of Canadian Racism (J. Gordon Shillingford Publishing, 1995 and reprinted in 1998). “It is excellent?” - Boyce Richardson, Canadian Forum Praise for Politics: Conflict and Compromise (Oxford University Press, 1990) “Offers an easy-to-read, informative introduction to various aspects of politics.” - Saskatchewan Education. About the Author John Boyko has earned degrees from McMaster, Queen's, and Trent universities. Bennett is his fourth book addressing Canadian history and politics. Reviews of this biography of Bennett, praise him for his "encyclopaedic knowledge of Canadian history," his "engaging style," and his ability to "make the most arid political debate interesting." He has written a bi-weekly newspaper column and a number of op. ed. articles, has spoken throughout the country, and appeared on regional and national radio and television programs. He has been elected to municipal council and served on a number of boards. John Boyko is also an educator. He is the Director of Entrepreneurial Programs and Northcote Campus at Lakefield College School. He lives in Lakefield, Ontario. Most helpful customer reviews. 0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. So Far, This Is The Definitive Biography Of Prime Minister R.B. Bennett By Mark Anderson Most Canadian history texts dismiss Richard Bedford (R.B.) Bennett, Prime Minister between 1930 - 1935, as a lucklustre Prime Minister who singularly failed to deal with the effects of the Great Depression. Any history of Canada in the 1930s will undoubtedly a derisive reference to "Bennett Buggies", or cars pulled by horses because the owners couldn't afford gasoline to run them, and Bennett as the Prime Minister who ordered the RCMP to Regina to shut down the On To Ottawa Trek by unemployed workers. Apart from those dismissive references, there was little further information published about Bennett. Until Boyko's book was published no Canadian historian had attempted a serious biography of R.B. Bennett. Too bad; Boyko's book clearly shows Bennett as a very interesting character. Boyko presents Bennett as a workaholic corporate lawyer and businessman who was a self made millionaire by his 30s and whose term as Prime Minister saw the creation of the Canadian Wheat Board, the Bank of Canada and the CBC, along with legislation on minimum wages, eight hour work days and restriction of monopolies. Boyko shows that Bennett's legislative agenda was actually a centre-left program that would likely what Canadians would call "Red Tory" today. Contrary to his historical reputation, Bennett was actually ahead of Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal in many of his attempts to deal with the Depression. In short, this is a fascinating book on a Prime Minister who was in power during the worst economic crisis of the 20th century. Boyko draws some very interesting comparisons between Bennett's attempts to deal with the Great Depression and governments' responses to the 2008 recession. Well worth reading for anyone interested in Canadian history and economics. January 2014 Update to original Review: Since this book was published another biography of R.B. Bennett has appeared on the market. The newer one is by P.B. Waite and is also available on Amazon. Both are very worthwhile biographies. If you're interested in R.B. Bennett it's worth getting both of these biographies. See all 1 customer reviews. Bennett: The Rebel Who Challenged and Changed a Nation, by John Boyko PDF Bennett: The Rebel Who Challenged and Changed a Nation, by John Boyko EPub Bennett: The Rebel Who Challenged and Changed a Nation, by John Boyko Doc Bennett: The Rebel Who Challenged and Changed a Nation, by John Boyko iBooks Bennett: The Rebel Who Challenged and Changed a Nation, by John Boyko rtf Bennett: The Rebel Who Challenged and Changed a Nation, by John Boyko Mobipocket Bennett: The Rebel Who Challenged and Changed a Nation, by John Boyko Kindle. Free PDF Bennett: The Rebel Who Challenged and Changed a Nation, by John Boyko Doc. Free PDF Bennett: The Rebel Who Challenged and Changed a Nation, by John Boyko Doc. Free PDF Bennett: The Rebel Who Challenged and Changed a Nation, by John Boyko Doc. Free PDF Bennett: The Rebel Who Challenged and Changed a Nation, by John Boyko Doc. Bennett. Richard Bedford Bennett was a remarkable man. Born to a poor New Brunswick family, he was a high school principal at age 19 and a multi- millionaire corporate lawyer who was the president of several companies and on the boards of more by age 30. He gave nearly all of his money away to charities, individuals and schools. He was an engaged citizen. Bennett served on municipal council in New Brunswick, as a territorial representative then Calgary Member of Provincial Parliament, first leader of Alberta Conservative Party then federal cabinet minister and finally, in 1930, the prime minister of Canada. But there was even more. Bennett was a transformational leader. His government created the Bank of Canada, the CBC, the Canada Wheat Board and helped the millions suffering from the depression with minimum wage laws, unemployment insurance and infrastructure projects. He also negotiated deals that after his tenure would create the St. Lawrence Seaway, increased trade with the United States and constitutional changes that would allow the establishment of social programs Canadians now see as their birthright. The book was released to critical acclaim and appeared on the Globe and Mail’s bestseller list in 2010. It was released in paperback by Fredericton’s Gooselane Editions in 2012. REVIEWS FOR BENNETT: THE REBEL WHO CHALLENGED AND CHANGED A NATION. “Not much has been known about R. B. Bennett. Amazingly, no full scale biography was written about him until now, 75 years on. John Boyko has finally done the dead and indeed has done it well.” – Lawrence Martin, author of Harperland. “Although he has gone down in history as a prig, the portrait that emerges from the rich and abundantly researched Boyko account is a largely favourable one. It is good to see that this much-degraded figure finally gets some credit.” – Globe and Mail . “With this book, Boyko has not only shown so many parallels between yesteryear and today, but that R. B. Bennett still has much to teach us – and the man holding the current reins of power – about governing during troubled times.” – Ottawa Citizen. “Franklin Roosevelt was America’s R. B. Bennett…they were alike in the radicalism of their responses to the Great Depression and in their concern for the fate of ordinary people – and in this biography, the first serious study of Bennett in half a century, Boyko gives us back an extraordinary Canadian.” – Gwynne Dyer, author of Climate Wars . “Required reading for any Canadian… Wherever one is on the right-left political spectrum, this masterful work connects the dots between the forces that opened the door to social innovation – forces unleased and turbo-charged by the decency and will of R. B. Bennett himself.” – Senator Hugh Segal, author of The Right Balance . “A brilliant and unprecedented portrait of one of Canada’s most important, and least understood political leaders. Superbly researched and wonderfully written, John Boyko has produced the definitive biography of R. B. Bennett, a transformational prime minister who established important national intuitions that remain the cornerstone of Canadian life today.” – Bob Plamondon, author of Blue Thunder and Full Circle. Please visit your local book store if you can find one or the book is available here: R.B. Bennett. Richard Bedford Bennett, 1st Viscount Bennett of Mickleham, Calgary and Hopewell, businessman, lawyer, politician, philanthropist, prime minister of Canada 7 August 1930 to 23 October 1935 (born 3 July 1870 in Hopewell Hill, NB; died 26 June 1947 in Mickleham, England). R.B. Bennett is perhaps best remembered for his highly criticized response to the Great Depression, as well as the subsequent unemployment relief camps and the On to Ottawa Trek and Regina Riot. However, he also created the Bank of Canada, the Canadian Wheat Board and the Canadian Radio Broadcasting Commission, which became the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. He also oversaw Canada’s signing of the Statute of Westminster . For his service during the Second World War, he was appointed to Britain’s House of Lords and became Viscount Bennett of Mickleham, Calgary and Hopewell. By 1933, the nadir of the Depression, R.B. Bennett seemed indecisive and ineffective. He became the butt of endless jokes. (courtesy Library and Archives Canada/e000009295) Early Years. Richard Bedford Bennett was born in the tiny community of Hopewell Hill, New Brunswick, in July 1870. His family had once prospered in the shipbuilding business; but at the time of his birth they were suffering in poverty. A serious young man and a voracious reader, Bennett was an exceptional student with a prodigious memory. He graduated high school at age 15 and a year later was teaching school. By 18, he was a principal. When school was on break, he worked in law offices. He left education to enrol at the Dalhousie University law school. Conservative senator James A. Lougheed offered him a position in his Calgary law firm. Bennett negotiated a partnership deal, creating the firm Lougheed Bennett. In January 1897, Bennett moved west. Law Firm and Business Success. Bennett excelled at corporate law. His firm included such clients as the Canadian Pacific Railway and the Hudson’s Bay Company. He and his childhood friend Max Aitkin (later Lord Beaverbrook) also worked together in a number of successful ventures, including stock purchases, land speculation and the buying and merging of small companies. Bennett became president of a host of companies and served on the boards of many others. Before he was 40, Bennett was a multi-millionaire. He lived at the Palliser Hotel in Calgary. He neither smoked nor drank alcohol. He dated a number of women but never married. He also began a lifelong dedication to philanthropy, giving generously to schools, hospitals, charities and individuals in need. Early Political Career. Bennett graduated from law school in 1893 and was elected to serve on the Chatham municipal council in 1896. He rekindled his political ambitions in Calgary when, in 1898, he won election to the Assembly of the North-West Territories. His ability to speak quickly, extemporaneously and persuasively earned him the nickname Bonfire Bennett. Alberta became a province in 1905 and Bennett became its first Conservative Party leader. In 1911, Bennett entered federal politics; he was elected the Conservative Member of Parliament (MP) for Calgary. He was disappointed when Prime Minister Robert Borden did not appoint him to the Cabinet. He nonetheless made a name for himself as a hard worker and persuasive speaker. Among other things, he led an effort that uncovered corruption in the Canadian Northern Railway. However, Bennett was dissatisfied with his role as a backbencher and did not run for re-election in 1917. Conservative Party Leader. In 1921, Prime Minister Arthur Meighen appointed Bennett the minister of justice. But Bennett failed to win a seat in the subsequent election by only 16 votes. In 1925, he became the federal member for Calgary West. In 1926, he served as minister of finance; acting minister of the interior; acting minister of mines; and acting superintendent general of Indian affairs. After Meighen resigned following his short-lived government’s defeat, Bennett became the national Conservative Party leader and leader of the Opposition in October 1927. Bennett worked hard to unify the party, expand its base and shore up its finances. (He personally donated $1.1 million to the party in the three years after becoming leader.) The 1930 election saw Canadians voting while in the early months of the economically and socially devastating Great Depression. Liberal prime minister William Lyon Mackenzie King said he would let markets fix the worsening catastrophe. Bennett promised to fight vigorously to create jobs, help the millions of unemployed and “blast” Canada back into world markets. In July 1930, the Conservatives won a commanding majority and Bennett became prime minister. Prime Minister. Bennett’s government undertook various initiatives to help Canadians suffering from the effects of the Depression. The Unemployment Relief Act, 1930 created jobs by providing $20 million for public works. It was later augmented by the Unemployment and Farm Relief Act, 1931 , which provided for more infrastructure construction and direct relief for farmers and the unemployed. Western farmers had been devastated by a collapse in prices, a drought, and a grasshopper plague. Bennett’s government made farm loans easier to acquire with the Farmers’ Creditors Arrangement Act . In 1935, the Bennett government created the Canadian Wheat Board, which stabilized prices and helped farmers sell their wheat abroad. To increase trade, Bennett convened the Imperial Economic Conference in Ottawa. ( See Colonial and Imperial Conferences.) It resulted in 60 per cent more Canadian goods being sold in Britain and bilateral trade agreements with other nations. At that time, chartered banks controlled interest rates, the value of the Canadian dollar in world markets and the amount of money in circulation. They even printed their own currency. Bennett established a Royal Commission as a step toward creating the Bank of Canada. It would ultimately assume all those powers from the chartered banks. The chartered banks fought the idea, but Bennett persevered. The Bank of Canada Act was passed in 1934 and the Bank opened in 1935. It eventually gained the legal mandate to control Canada’s monetary policy at an arm’s length from the federal government. Bennett believed that Canada’s culture was being swamped by the United States; especially with regards to the dominant cultural force of the day — radio. In 1932, his government created the Canadian Radio Broadcasting Commission (CRBC), which regulated radio broadcasting to ensure more Canadian content. It also established a publicly owned, national radio network dedicated to telling Canadian stories to Canadians. In 1936, it became the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). ( See also Founding of the CBC.) In 1930, Bennett represented Canada at the imperial conference at which the Statute of Westminster was drafted. The Statute represented a significant step toward Canada’s independence by ensuring that Britain could no longer pass legislation applicable to any of its dominions. ( See also Editorial: The Statute of Westminster, Canada’s Declaration of Independence.) However, under Bennett’s tenure, the Depression worsened. He had promised aggressive action to combat the effects of the economic downturn, but in office found it difficult to develop a coherent program. His business instincts did not always serve his political interests. His initiative to persuade the British Empire to adopt preferential tariffs brought some economic relief to Canada, but not enough. By 1933, the nadir of the Depression, Bennett appeared indecisive and ineffective. He became the butt of endless jokes. Cars towed by horses because owners could not afford gasoline were dubbed “Bennett buggies.” By 1934, Bennett was increasingly isolated and faced major dissent both in his party and the country. Through all this, he was often touched by letters Canadians wrote to him about the hard times they were facing. He regularly responded with personal notes, often tucking some cash into the envelopes. Unemployment Relief Camps and Regina Riot. In 1932, various Western mayors and premiers demanded that Bennett do something about the thousands of unemployed young men who were loitering in cities and towns. In October, Bennett created unemployment relief camps. They offered young men food and housing while working to cut trees, build roads and perform other manual labour. However, workers at the camps were given a stipend of $0.20 per day for a 44-hour workweek, which was largely seen as insufficient. In spring 1935, strikes at many of the camps turned into a months-long protest in Vancouver. On 3 June, around 1,000 men left British Columbia aboard trains on their way to negotiate directly with Bennett. Bennett believed this On to Ottawa Trek was organized by communists (the Workers’ Unity League, which organized the protests, was affiliated with the international Communist movement) and therefore threatened law and order. He directed that it be stopped. On 1 July, the RCMP moved on the trekkers in Regina, even though the leaders had decided to end the trek. The ensuing riot injured many and killed a police officer and a protester. Bennett was harshly criticized for his reaction to the Trek. Rioters converge on police officers and an injured man. (courtesy Wikimedia Commons) Bennett’s New Deal. In January 1935, with the federal election later that year, Bennett made five radio speeches. He argued that the Depression proved capitalism was failing and that more government intervention was needed. He proposed improving or creating federally run unemployment insurance, universal health insurance, pensions and other forms of social welfare. Some critics attacked Bennett’s tone, others his ideas. Though his plans were consistent with beliefs and policies he had been promoting for years, some said he was simply copying American President Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal. They derided his speeches as Bennett’s New Deal. Canadians went to the polls on 14 October 1935. Bennett cabinet minister Henry Herbert Stevens had defected from the Conservative Party and formed the Reconstruction Party. Though it won only one seat — Stevens’s in British Columbia — it ran candidates in 172 of the 245 ridings and took votes that likely would have gone to Bennett’s Conservatives. Other new parties, such as the Cooperative Commonwealth Federation (CCF) and Social Credit, further split the vote in many ridings. Although the Liberal Party’s percentage of the popular vote was close to what it had been in 1930, it took 171 seats. Bennett’s Conservatives won only 39. Other parties took 35. Leader of the Opposition. Bennett had suffered a heart attack in March 1935 and was personally devastated by the electoral rebuke. However, he acted as an effective leader of the Opposition. An excellent parliamentary debater, he attended the House of Commons almost every day and asked blistering questions of the government. He also supported the rebuilding of the Conservative Party. He resigned as Conservative Party leader in March 1938 due to health concerns. Robert Manion became his successor at the party’s July convention. Viscountcy. Bennett realized a lifelong dream to live in England when he purchased a 94-acre estate in Surrey called Juniper Hill. It was close to his old friend Lord Beaverbook, who had moved to England years before. After living in Calgary’s Palliser Hotel and the Château Laurier Hotel in Ottawa, it was the first home Bennet ever owned. In England, Bennett accepted numerous speaking engagements and served on various boards. At the outset of the Second World War, Lord Beaverbook was appointed the minister of aircraft production. Bennett worked as his assistant, arranging the building of planes and airfields. For his service in the war effort, British prime minister Winston Churchill appointed him to the House of Lords; he became Viscount Bennett of Mickleham, Calgary and Hopewell. Prime Minister Mackenzie King, Bennett’s political rival, exempted Bennett from Canada’s long-standing policy to forbid such appointments. By 1947, Bennett’s health was declining. In March, he sold nearly all his investments. He made generous donations to Canadian charities, churches, schools and scholarships, with special attention to Dalhousie University and Mount Allison University. On 26 June 1947, Bennett was enjoying a warm bath when he suffered a fatal heart attack. He is the only Canadian prime minister buried outside Canada. There's much to admire in nasty-tempered R.B. Bennett. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 21/5/2010 (4045 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Bennett. The Rebel Who Challenged and Changed a Nation. R.B. Bennett (left) and W.L. Mackenzie King link arms in this 1933 photo. By John Boyko. Key Porter Books, 464 pages, $35. To Canadians who think of him at all, R.B. Bennett, prime minister during the worst of the Depression, is a caricature. Bennett looked like the Monopoly man -- top hat, waistcoat and watch chain -- while gaslesss cars drawn by horses became Bennett buggies and hobo camps were Bennett boroughs. John Boyko, dean of history and social sciences at Lakefield College School in Ontario, sets out to rescue Bennett from the ignominy that the man largely fashioned for himself. Boyko has written several books on Canadian politics, including Into the Hurricane: Attacking Socialism and the CCF. Despite Bennett's arrogance, nasty temper and stubborn, foolish pride, Boyko finds much to admire in Canada's 11th prime minister. Bennett was a Red Tory who believed a judicious use of government power could help forge a better society. By the 1935 election, Bennett had steered his party far to the left of the Liberals under William Lyon Mackenzie King. With a reformist zeal that began long before Franklin Delano Roosevelt became U.S. president, Bennett created many institutions that are now Canadian icons. The CBC, the Bank of Canada and the Economic Council of Canada all sprang from Bennett's fertile mind. Bennett initiated the concept of the social safety net by introducing unemployment insurance, minimum wages, old-age pensions and other reforms for workers and farmers. Boyko consistently demonstrates an encyclopedic knowledge of Canadian history. He can jump from Sir John A. to Pierre Elliott Trudeau and back to Bennett in a single paragraph to illustrate Bennett's answers at the time to a prime minister's perennial problems -- Quebec, provincial powers, and the relationship with the United States. Boyko's writing is so good and his research so thorough that any Canadian with an interest in our political history can read and enjoy this book. Boyko lays out the many dramatic ironies and seeming contradictions of this complex character. Bennett was the corporate lawyer for the Canadian Pacific Railway and made himself rich by using inside information to buy railway land and flip it to others. Yet he was also a leader in calling for railway reform and played a key role in the formation of the Canadian National Railway, the Crown corporation that competed against the CPR. He was a lawyer for the Royal Bank of Canada. But he was also an enthusiastic proponent of banking reform, arguing that Parliament should ensure banks acted in the public interest. One of Bennett's responses to the Depression was to set up work camps to build roads and put otherwise idle young men to work. Hundreds of those men, led by Communist organizers, tried to take protests about the camps to Ottawa. The On to Ottawa trek ended in Regina as the RCMP used baseball bats and machine guns to disperse the mob. Bennett hadn't ordered the RCMP action, but he didn't disapprove it either and so carried all of the blame for the violent treatment of out-of-work Canadians. In what was widely labelled "Bennett's New Deal," Bennett took his party even further left in a series of five radio speeches to the nation in early 1935 that contained what were then radical solutions to the Depression. Mackenzie King's label -- a "death-bed conversion" -- stuck, even though Mackenzie King had no ideas of his own and ended up implementing many of Bennett's. As his cabinet split around him, with one minister leaving to form his own party, Bennett was left to fight the 1935 election alone. Embrace your inner bookworm. Join the Free Press Book Club for monthly picks and online meetings. Canadians vented their frustrations with the Depression on him and trounced his party with its worst results to date. Bennett moved to Britain, contributed greatly to the effort to win the Second World War, and died shortly after the war with few friends or supporters left to mourn him. By the end of this book, Boyko's achievement is that the reader feels Bennett should be mourned as a courageous leader who contributed so much to what is now modern Canada. Donald Benham works at the Social Planning Council of Winnipeg and Winnipeg Harvest and teaches politics at the University of Winnipeg. The Winnipeg Free Press invites you to share your opinion on this story in a letter to the editor. A selection of letters to the editor are published daily. To submit a letter: • fill out the form on this page, or • email [email protected], or • mail Letters to the Editor, 1355 Mountain Avenue, Winnipeg, Manitoba, R2X 3B6 . Letters must include the writer’s full name, address, and a daytime phone number. Letters are edited for length and clarity.