Comedy of Errors

Books about Canadian prime ­ministers — either as individuals or as a group — have long been a staple of the political and historical literary scene. Last year, when the forty-third general election was still a year away, two such works appeared. One, Power, Prime Ministers and the Press, by the former Maclean’s editor Robert Lewis, described the evolving relationship between the Parliamentary Press Gallery and the prime ministers it covers. It was well received, including a strong review in this magazine. The other, if I may be so immodest, was my own: Being Prime Minister takes readers behind the scenes to see what the office and those who have occupied it are really like. Both titles have found an avid readership.

It’s likely those who enjoy books about our leaders are also aware of two from decades ago, by the eminent historians Michael Bliss, Jack Granatstein, and Norman Hillmer. Bliss published Right Honourable Men...