description
| - 472 pages, 16 unnumbered
pages of plates : 24 cm
"Two portraits flank the doors leading into Canada's House of
Commons: Sir Robert Borden to the left and W.L.M. King to the
right. While each man appears flatteringly stern, wise, and
charismatic, it is the portrait plaques that are of particular
interest. Borden's caption reads: "World War I War Leader,
1914-1918," while King's caption is similar: "World War II War
Leader, 1939-1945." No other dates are given
Perhaps that definition makes sense for Borden, who did little of
note before the war; it does not ring true for King, Canada's
longest serving prime minister. Yet in both cases world wars shaped
their careers and legacies. They ushered in massive government
changes: income tax, health care, and conscription; changes to
society through industrialization, enfranchisement, and patriotic
unpaid labour; and they raised enormous armed forces from a
civilian base
Warlords is a fast-paced narrative that humanizes the war effort
through the eyes of the prime ministers. Set against how our senior
politicians governed themselves and the nation during these
difficult times, it offers an invaluable perspective of war and war
leaders."--Pub. desc
Includes bibliographical references (pages 370-401) and index
An Unlikely Leader, 1854-1908 -- Defeat and Victory, 1908-1914 --
The Great War, 1914 -- A War Footing, 1915 -- Duty and Strain, 1916
-- Battle Lines Drawn, 1917 -- A Country Torn Asunder, 1917 -- The
Dark Tear, 1918 -- Peace, Unrest, and a New Voice, 1919-1937 -- Man
of Destiny, 1874-1930 -- No Commitments, 1930-1939 -- To War, 1939
-- The Real War, 1940-1941 -- The War Intrudes, 1941-1942 --
Unlimited War, 1942 -- Man with a Mission, 1943-1944 -- The Crisis,
1944 -- King and Country, 1945-1950
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