I <3 Books

Pierre Berton

This book suffers from two major weaknesses. First, the subject matter is not nearly as exciting as many of Berton's other topics. The Great Depression wasn't an event. It was a long, difficult period with no centrally focussed event or real climax. It is a difficult period to chronicle. Second, Berton takes many more editorial liberties in this book than he does in his many earlier books. He has a firm position: that the government wasn't compassionate enough, and the authorities were too oppressive. On both counts, he is right. Handling of the depression was largely overseen by abusive authorities at all levels. But Berton has a cause to bring to light, and he never fails to do so at every possible opportunity. It becomes tiresome and repetitive when Berton once again condemns the police, the government, or the media for denying this or that to some activist. A much more interesting approach would be to acknowledge early on that the abuses happened, and that the authorities were far out of line on countless occasions. After that, look at the events with historical detachment, and explore why the men in power were so heavy-handed. What were they afraid of? What motivated them? The global political situation and the domestic economy combined to create the most tumultuous period in the history of civilization. Mass media had arrived out of nowhere. Global communication and awareness was becoming commonplace. Human rights and freedoms were beginning to take their rightful place in the minds of people an politicians. The world was a drastically different place that in was a mere 15 years earlier. The old world order was going through its final death throes, soon to be killed in the most violent human conflict ever. New ideas of social security and compassionate politics were being experimented with. Could it be possible that the authorities where out of their league? They had never been asked to handle something of this scale before. Something of this scale had never existed before. Can they really be blamed for freaking out? And even if they can, is blame necessary at this point. A much more interesting critique would be an examination of how they acted, why, and if their actions were human nature or merely their personal nature? In short, could anyone really have been expected to have acted differently than they did? Granted, Roosevelt did, but he is considered one of the greatest US presidents of all time. Again, maybe Bennet was just out of his league.

Otherwise, the book is an excellent historical account. It is detailed, accurate, and features the usual humanizing of the events. The research Berton put into these books must have been massive, and though the book is flawed, it is still an essential volume of Canadian history texts.

Several Berton Saga's can be loosely linked together. The National Dream, The Last Spike, Klondike, The Promised Land, and I'll include The Great Depression tell a brilliant tale of Canada from it's birth to the eve of it's full maturity. After World War 2 everything was much more complicated. But before, the country followed a steady course of growth and increasing assertiveness that can be read as an excellent beginning-end tale. The depression was the end of innocence in many ways. Canada was given a generous fifty year period to prepare for the onslaught and challenges of the post-war modern era. She prepared, as best as she could.