This collection of columns and articles by L. Ian MacDonald meets that test. From columns in the Montreal Gazette and the National Post, as well as longer pieces from the magazine Policy Options, MacDonald looks at Canadian and American politics and the principal players and events over the last decade: from Jean Chretien, Stephen Harper, Bill Clinton, and Barack Obama, to Brian Mulroney and Airbus, to Jean Charest's three terms as premier of Quebec. Along the way, MacDonald's clear and lively prose covers topics from politics to cottages, while profiling people as diverse as Jean Béliveau and Bernard Derome. Politics, People, & Potpourri brings to life storied Montreal landmarks, from St Patrick's Basilica to Windsor Station, and commemorates the passing of such notable figures as Pierre Trudeau and Maurice "Rocket" Richard. This intelligent and amusing collection presents MacDonald at his best and offers a compelling view of Canadian politics and life.

Ian Macdonald was born and educated in Glasgow and worked for several years on Scottish newspapers before moving to Canada. He was a reporter in Ontario and Alberta before finding his way to the West Coast where he worked on the Victoria Colonist, the Vancouver Province and the Vancouver Sun. He was Ottawa correspondent for the Sun for five years before becoming press officer for Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau. He made an award-winning documentary film, and then turned seriously to the writing of history. Betty O'Keefe was born in Vancouver and wrote for the Province newspaper for several years. She then moved into the field of public relations as a consultant and later as supervisor of communications for a large Canadian corporation. In 1988 she opened her own communications company, but decided that her real interest was in writing history. Together, Betty O’Keefe and Ian Macdonald have co-authored a dozen books.

Ian Macdonald's profile page