Peter Desbarats (1933–2014)

Peter Desbarats states in his introduction to this book that he researched and wrote it in four months. It took me almost twice as long to get through, and even then I did not manage to finish. Written in 1965, it is a contemporary account of Quebec at what was a relatively turbulent time, politically. The Quiet Revolution had begun and was getting noisier, with the FLQ beginning its bombing campaigns and the political authorities trying to clamp down on the situation. Desbarats provides an overview of the then-current situation in Quebec and how it reached that point, with chapters on biculturalism, the positions of English and French Quebeckers in society, politicians, the church and even the "Mafia" (which is almost somewhat topical even today, with the Charbonneau inquiry). I found it a rather dry read, but it does have historical value if you are interested in books written about and during that period.… (més)