Nino Ricci Writes About Pierre Elliott Trudeau
By Metaxa Cunningham | Leave A Comment

Pierre Elliott Trudeau was one of Canada’s most fascinating prime ministers. He was a controversial visionary, a playboy and a doting father. Trudeau’s level of celebrity as a politician has never been equalled in Canadian history. Nino Ricci explores the life and personality of Pierre Elliott Trudeau in this revealing biography from the Extraordinary Canadians series published by Penguin Canada.

Pierre Elliott Trudeau

Pierre Trudeau and His Politcal Life

Trudeaumania was term coined to describe the dramatic increase in Trudeau’s rock-star like popularity during the 1968 Liberal leadership race prior to his being elected as Prime Minister of Canada. Young women flocked to him; he faced mobs of ardent admirers, clamouring for his autograph, just aching to get close to this youthful politician. Nino Ricci perfectly describes Trudeau’s appeal in Canada, enhancing it with anecdotes of how fascinated with Trudeau Ricci was himself, when he was a youth.

Ricci focuses on many of Trudeau’s accomplishments including his vision for Canada as a nation. The reader is transported back to an era where Canada was threatened with the separatist movement, and it was Trudeau with his unwavering stand on nationalism and equality that seemed to barely hold Canada together. Though some may argue that it was what nearly tore Canada apart.

Nino Ricci notes the controversy surrounding Trudeau’s “Just watch me” approach to the October Crisis, and his faux pas of a pirouette behind the Queen of England to highlight this man’s many-faceted, contradictory personality.

Pierre Trudeau and His Personal Life

It was Pierre Elliott Trudeau’s personal life more than anything that made him a magnet for the media, helping to anchor his popularity. Ricci describes Trudeau as being viewed as a playboy philanderer, consorting with celebrities like Barbara Streisand and such world leaders as Fidel Castro. Trudeau’s failed “fairy tale” marriage to the much younger Margaret Sinclair is examined in detail. Trudeau may not have been a model husband, but fatherhood was an area where Trudeau excelled, making his children his priority. Trudeau’s love for his children was one thing that endeared him to many, when the flame of his politcal popularity was no longer ablaze.

Nino Ricci’s biography of Pierre Elliott Trudeau is an insightful look at a man who was instrumental in forming Canada into the nation it is today.

Nino Ricci

About The Author

Nino Ricci is the author of the following novels; Lives of the Saints (1991), In a Glass House (1995), Where She Has Gone (1998), Testament (2003) and The Origin of Species (2010). Ricci has been the recipient of the Governor General’s Award for fiction for two of his novels. Pierre Elliott Trudeau (2009) is part of the biographical series of Extraordinary Canadians, published by Penguin Canada.

For more information about Nino Ricci please visit his website http://ninoricci.com/

Note: I received this book as a reviewer copy.