Nation Maker—Sir John A. Macdonald: His Life, Our Times by Richard Gwyn. (Random House, 2011) Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: Nation Maker

Text of introduction by Joseph Planta:

I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver at TheCommentary.ca.

In 2007, Richard Gwyn published the first volume of his biography of Sir John A. Macdonald—John A. The Man Who Made Us. He was on this program in the fall of that year to discuss the book, as he is now to discuss the second volume, Nation Maker—Sir John A. Macdonald: His Life, Our Times. It was published this past fall to great acclaim and many plaudits. The years covered in this book are 1867, the year of our Confederation, to 1891, the year of his death. The gift Mr. Gwyn has is he tells people stories well. He makes Macdonald’s life come alive on the page. The events of history are illustrated vividly and made understandable and accessible. The issues surrounding our founding, the scandals and controversies are parsed and analysed with the hindsight of time and the context of contemporary references. It is a wonderful read, and an absolutely important book. Richard Gwyn is an award winning author and political columnist. He wrote widely praised biographies of Pierre Trudeau and Joey Smallwood. And his book Nationalism Without Walls, one of my favourite books ever, was selected by the Literary Review of Canada as one of the 100 most important books about the country. www.richardjgwyn.ca is the website for more. Nation Maker is published by Random House. I’m very pleased to welcome back to the Planta: On the Line program, Richard Gwyn; Good morning, Mr. Gwyn.

100 Days That Changed Canada by Mark Reid. (HarperCollins Canada, 2011) Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: 100 Days That Changed Canada

Text of introduction by Joseph Planta:

I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver at TheCommentary.ca.

Mark Reid joins me again. He is the editor-in-chief of the magazine, Canada’s History, formerly The Beaver. He’s the editor of a new book, another great book of Canadian history: 100 Days That Changed Canada. Selected therein are 100 dates that by virtue of the events of the day, the people involved, and more, truly shaped this country. There are obvious dates included like 01 July 1867, but there are dates in here like 02 September 1972, which is the first game of the Summit Series between Team Canada and the Soviets, and not the 28th of September the final game. The essay by Ken Dryden makes the case for the 2nd of September. That’s what Mr. Reid has done, gathered noted contributors to write about each date. Some of the contributors include Peter Mansbridge, Adrienne Clarkson, Bob Rae, J.L. Granatstein, Peter C. Newman, Rona Maynard, Conrad Black, and Margaret Wente. We’ll talk about how this book came about and about the dates that truly changed this country. Mark Reid was last on for the book, 100 Photos That Changed Canada. This book now is fine companion to that book, and is the beginning of a great conversation on history, our country, what’s in this book, and why, as well as what’s not in the book. 100 Days That Changed Canada is published by HarperCollins. www.canadashistory.ca is the website for more. Please welcome back to the Planta: On the Line program, Mark Reid; Good morning, Mr. Reid.

The Home Stretch by Rafe Mair. (2011) Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: The Home Stretch

Text of introduction by Joseph Planta:

I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver at TheCommentary.ca.

Rafe Mair joins me again. The broadcaster and writer, former lawyer and cabinet minister has written a new book, The Home Stretch. It came out of the television series he’s done, The Search, which you can still see on Joy TV in these parts. The book is about religion, and it is one layman’s look at a number of religions as he looks for answers about life, death, the afterlife, the devil, God, heaven, and hell. The book is available at Amazon.com in a Kindle Edition. It’s only $9.99. It’s a cogent, thoughtful, and thought-provoking look at life, and the examination of these various religions is most interesting and informative. His website is at www.rafeonline.com; there’s also www.TheCanadian.org. When Damien Gillis, his colleague at the Common Sense Canadian was on recently, I noted that Mr. Mair has been the most frequent guest on this program. This is his 10th appearance. Please welcome back to the Planta: On the Line program, Rafe Mair; Good morning, Mr. Mair.

A Hard Man to Beat: The Story of Bill White by Howard White. (Harbour Publishing, 2011) Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: A Hard Man to Beat

The Sunshine Coast: From Gibsons to Powell River by Howard White, with photography by Dean van’t Schip. (Harbour Publishing, 2011) Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: The Sunshine Coast

The Chuck Davis History of Metropolitan Vancouver by Chuck Davis. (Harbour Publishing, 2011) Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: The Chuck Davis History of Metropolitan Vancouver

Text of introduction by Joseph Planta:

I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver at TheCommentary.ca.

Howard White joins me again. We’re going to talk books with Howard, which is hardly a big surprise, as he’s an accomplished and prize winning author in his own right, as well as, with Mary White, he operates Harbour Publishing. We’ll talk about at least three books now, two that Mr. White has written and that have been re-released with new editions, and a third which he’s published, one we’ve already talked about on the program this past week with Allen Garr, and one that Howard and I spoke about a year ago on the death of the historian Chuck Davis. That book, The Chuck Davis History of Metropolitan Vancouver has just been released, and it’s a very fine achievement. There’s a book launch this Tuesday, 06 December 2011 at the Vancouver Public Library. A book that Howard White wrote in 1983 has recently been reissued as part of the Vancouver 125 Legacy Books series. Brad Cran was on the program a couple of months ago to talk about the series, and Howard’s A Hard Man to Beat is one of those books. It’s an oral history that Howard put together with Bill White, a labour leader, historian, shipyard worker, and from this book, in his own voice, a hell of a raconteur. Bill White was a labour leader in the 1940s and ‘50s when shipbuilding was a booming industry on this coast. The book is a history of those times. The other book we’ll discuss is Howard’s second edition of The Sunshine Coast. It’s a very handsome book that’ll make any coffee table look smart what with its wonderful photographs of the scenic 100-mile stretch of BC’s waterfront from Howe Sound to Desolation Sound, with Gibsons in the south and Powell River in the north. Dean van’t Schip does the photography for this revised edition. A Hard Man to Beat: The Story of Bill White, and The Sunshine Coast: From Gibsons to Powell River are from Harbour Publishing, who also publish The Chuck Davis History of Metropolitan Vancouver. www.harbourpublishing.com is the website for more. In Madeira Park, on BC’s Sunshine Coast, this day, please welcome back to the Planta: On the Line program, Howard White; Good morning, Mr. White.

At the World’s Edge: Curt Lang’s Vancouver, 1937-1998 by Claudia Cornwall. (Mother Tongue Publishing, 2011) Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: At the World’s Edge

Text of introduction by Joseph Planta:

I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver at TheCommentary.ca.

Seeing that I have authors on this program frequently, and have a particular fondness for featuring books on local Vancouver and British Columbia figures, one invariably follows the trades like the indispensable BC Bookworld and Quill and Quire. I read about my next guest’s book now sometime ago. Claudia Cornwall has written a new book, At the World’s Edge: Curt Lang’s Vancouver, 1937-1998. I didn’t know who Curt Lang was, but the black and white shot of Vancouver in neon intrigued me. The Gary Busey-looking guy on the cover, with a cigarette in his hand was apparently Curt Lang. I’ve been reading Claudia’s book, and it’s just a fascinating read about Lang, who is a fascinating and remarkable figure on his own. He was a poet, an artist, as well as a photographer, he fished, he did work in software. The book captures a Vancouver from a bygone era, and it also shows how we’ve evolved to quote another book, from milltown to metropolis. We’ll ask Ms. Cornwall about Curt Lang, who he was, what he did, how she knew him, and more. The book is published by Mother Tongue Publishing. Claudia Cornwall is a freelance writer, who’s won many prizes including the Hubert Evans Non Fiction Prize in 1996 for her book Letter from Vienna: A Daughter Uncovers Her Family’s Jewish Past. Her own website is at www.claudiacornwall.com. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, in North Vancouver, Claudia Cornwall; Good morning, Ms. Cornwall.

The Chuck Davis History of Metropolitan Vancouver by Chuck Davis. (Harbour Publishing, 2011) Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: The Chuck Davis History of Metropolitan Vancouver

Text of introduction by Joseph Planta:

I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver at TheCommentary.ca.

Last year when the author and historian Chuck Davis died, I hosted a bit of a tribute program with guests Alan Twigg, Sam Sullivan, and David Berner. Harbour Publishing’s Howard White was also on, and we talked about this book that Davis was working on, and about the work that White along with so many others were doing to help get the thing published. Well, that book is out now, and like Chuck Davis, it’s ‘fun, fat, and full of facts.’ The Chuck Davis History of Metropolitan Vancouver is a very fine achievement. After getting it a few weeks ago, I haven’t stopped going to it, looking at it, flipping through it, spending hours at a time reading up on the stories and anecdotes contained therein. It’s a book that many people will be looking at literally the rest of their life. It’s a towering achievement. Joining me now to talk about the book is someone who was instrumental in getting it to press, Chuck’s friend, the journalist Allen Garr. There will be a public book launch Tuesday, 06 December 2011 at the Vancouver Public Library, that’s at 7.00pm. Allen Garr’s column is read weekly in the Vancouver Courier, and he was last on during his campaign for a seat on the Vancity board. Please welcome back to the Planta: On the Line program, Allen Garr; Good morning, Mr. Garr.

When the Gods Changed: The Death of Liberal Canada by Peter C. Newman. (Random House, 2011) Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: When the Gods Changed

Text of introduction by Joseph Planta:

I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver at TheCommentary.ca.

One of the season’s major releases is the new book from the journalist and author Peter C. Newman. It is called When the Gods Changed: The Death of Liberal Canada. The book which has already inspired much discussion in the country’s political circles chronicles what Mr. Newman argues is the demise of the Liberal Party of Canada. He had set out to write a book documenting the ascent of Michael Ignatieff from academia abroad to the premiership, however that book’s focus shifted what with the party’s fortunes and the results of last May’s election. Still the book is very fine read, in that style that Canadians have come to expect in the over fifty year career of Peter C. Newman. The book is part a look at how the party came to be where it is today, part a narrative of Ignatieff’s life and career, plus this short foray into politics, as well we’re reminded of what the Liberal Party once was, what it accomplished in all those years that it dominated this country. The Grits were in power for seven of the last ten decades. Peter C. Newman is the legendary journalist who’s written over 30 books, 25 of which have sold over two and half million copies. He’s won every major prize, and he was the editor of the Toronto Star and Maclean’s. The book is published by Random House. Please welcome back to the Planta: On the Line program, in Vancouver this day, Peter Newman; Good morning, Mr. Newman.

Elusive Destiny: The Political Vocation of John Napier Turner by Paul Litt. (UBC Press, 2011) Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: Elusive Destiny

Text of introduction by Joseph Planta:

I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver at TheCommentary.ca.

The political career of John Turner, Canada’s 17th prime minister is chronicled in a comprehensive new book, Elusive Destiny: The Political Vocation of John Napier Turner. He was prime minister in 1984 for 79 days, after Pierre Trudeau resigned, and he was defeated in the election of that year by Brian Mulroney. Before that he was an able minister in the cabinets of Lester Pearson, as well as in Trudeau’s as his justice minister, English lieutenant, and finance minister. He left politics for the private sector in 1975, to return when Trudeau resigns in 1984. He leads the Liberal Party of Canada in 1984, and in 1988, the Free Trade election, when he made one last try, which many have considered his finest hour, when he and Mulroney had a lively exchange on patriotism, continental pressure, and political independence. The author of the book, Paul Litt, joins me now. He is a historian and a professor in both the departments of History and the School of Canadian Studies at Carleton University. The book is published by UBC Press. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, in Ottawa this morning, Paul Litt; Good morning, Professor Litt.

Oliver’s Twist: The Life and Times of An Unapologetic Newshound by Craig Oliver. (Viking, 2011) Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: Oliver’s Twist

Text of introduction by Joseph Planta:

I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver at TheCommentary.ca.

This has been a heavy season for political books, what with the major biographies on Macdonald, King, John Turner, Thomas D’Arcy McGee, among four major releases this fall. There are also popular political books, like Peter Newman’s on the Liberal Party, as well as memoirs; the one from Allan Fotheringham was a notable read. The one that I found a great read, not just because it had analysis of politics and media over the last couple of decades, but also because it has gossip is Craig Oliver’s book. In Oliver’s Twist: The Life and Times of An Unapologetic Newshound you get funny, candid, and fascinating stories, but you also get the deeply personal story of the famed television journalist. You read the heartrending story of Mr. Oliver’s childhood in Prince Rupert, BC, about his bootlegger father and his alcoholic mother. You read about being abandoned as a child, his beginnings in broadcasting, right up to today where he’s one of the most recognised, respected, and beloved journalists in Canada. He lived this remarkable life having to deal with failing eyesight. In those passages about finding out about losing his eyesight, you glean courage, but also lessons in not feeling self pity. It’s a great book, and published by Viking. Craig Oliver is the chief parliamentary correspondent for CTV News, and the co-host of Question Period. He’s won a multitude of awards. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program in Ottawa this day, Craig Oliver; Good morning, Mr. Oliver.

Text of introduction by Joseph Planta:

I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver at TheCommentary.ca.

The most frequent guest in the life of this program in the nearly seven and a half years and nearly seven hundred interviews has been Rafe Mair. He’s been on nine times since 2004. I grew up listening to Rafe. I came of age politically listening to his radio program from the mid-to-late 1990s on, learning about the constitution, provincial and federal politics, and of course the environment. As a broadcaster, one can’t do any harm trying to emulate Rafe whenever behind a microphone interviewing a politician. I know this every time one of these pols come on, because I know I’m not as good as Rafe Mair. Since leaving daily broadcasting, Rafe has co-founded The Common Sense Canadian. It’s a website that he’s talked about on this program, whereupon is presented environmental news and views. It’s a great website and its co-founder Damien Gillis joins me now to talk about it and a benefit for The Common Sense Canadian, Thursday, 24 November 2011. The Rafe Mair Roast: 80 and Still Kicking Ass will celebrate Rafe Mair as he turns 80 this year. There’s a great list of speakers who’ll come out to the Wise Hall here in Vancouver to rib and pay tribute to the legendary broadcaster, former politician, a stalwart defender of free speech and the environment. Among those scheduled to speak, Rick Cluff, Red Robinson, Grand Chief Stewart Philip, Michael Smyth, Moe Sihota, and Shiral Tobin, among many others. Ms. Tobin of the CBC’s Early Edition will serve as MC. Tickets can be had at www.TheCanadian.org. Damien Gillis is a documentary filmmaker whose work focuses on the environment and social justice. He joins me from here in Vancouver today. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, Damien Gillis; Good morning, Mr. Gillis.