Extraordinary Canadians: Lord Beaverbrook by David Adams Richards

Press baron, entrepreneur, art collector, and wartime minister in Churchill's cabinet,Max Aitken was a colonial Canadian extraordinaire. Rising from a hardscrabble childhood in New Brunswick, he became a millionaire at age 25, earned the title of Lord Beaverbrook at 38, and by age 40 was the most influential newspaperman in the world. Fiercely loyal to the British Empire, he was nonetheless patronized by London's upper class, whose country he worked tirelessly to protect during World War II. David Adams Richards, one of Canada's preeminent novelists, celebrates Beaverbrook's heroic achievements in this perceptive interpretive biography.

I am so happy that I came across this series of books being put out by Penguin Canada. I saw that Charlotte Grey was writing a book about Nellie McClung and bought it because I like both the author and the subject matter. When the book arrived, I saw a website and went to see where it led to and found a treasure-trove of a series! I love history, especially Canadian history, so I was thrilled to see that famous Canadian authors were writing books on famous Canadians! And, famous Canadian artists were creating the cover art for the books. Some of the subjects I know a lot about, while others I have only heard about in passing. Lord Beaverbrook is one subject that I have never really paid a lot of attention to.

I am very glad that I took the time to read this book. I chose to read this one next because I really enjoy David Adams Richards as an author (most of the time), so I wanted to see what he would do with Beaverbrook. Both men are from New Brunswick, so it made sense that he was the author writing about him. This series is not meant to tell you every little detail about the subjects life, it is more to bring history to Canadians and then you can decide if you want to explore the subject in more depth. While I enjoyed learning more about Beaverbrook, I do not think he made a lasting impact on me. Politics can be my thing, but I pay more attention to modern politics than the history of them.

Beaverbrook was reviled in his adopted country of England, looked upon as a colonial, and hated by the aristocracy as an upstart. He was snubbed by those he must wanted to impress, and betrayed by those he trusted and helped. The heroic and historic role he played on the world stage from 1910 to 1945 is almost forgotten in Canada (like so much else about our history).

He does sound like quite the character, and he was, but this will probably be the only book I read on the subject. I am glad I know about more about him because I do not recall ever learning about him in school, and that really is a shame because he was a colorful character that did a lot for this country.

Much of his story takes place during the Second World War and I was very interested to learn about what part he played in it. I have always paid attention to history pertaining to both of the World Wars and I was surprised that I did not recall ever really hearing mention of Beaverbrook. He was a great friend of Winston Churchill, a name that is known far and wide, and it is a shame that Beaverbrook is not better known because without him, much that happened when Churchill had the reins would never be.

Anyone that wants to know a bit more about Canadian history should check this series out. The books are not dry and they give you a very good overview of the lives of these famous Canadians.

Extraordinary Canadians

After reviewing the book about Nellie McClung, I got a bit distracted with the website for the Extraordinary Canadians series. So, now I am going to share just how fabulous this series is. This is not just for Canadians, though, I promise.

David Adams Richards wrote a book on Lord Beaverbrook. It is out right now.

Millionaire lumber man, financier, press baron, Max Aitken always attracted both approval and criticism in equal measure. He was an irrepressible entrepreneur, rising from modest beginnings in New Brunswick to become the world's most powerful newspaperman and a British Lord by the age of forty. He counselled kings and statesmen, bedded scores of women, supported Canadian art, and became Winston Churchill's invaluable wartime minister. Yet despite his loyalty and service to the British empire, Beaverbrook was mostly derided by English society as an overly ambitious colonial. Novelist David Adams Richards, the bard of Miramichi, brings unique insight into the life of his fellow New Brunswicker, Max Aitken, reminding us of why he mattered then, and why he matters now.

The cover is by Robert Carter.

Lewis DeSoto wrote a book on Emily Carr. It is also out right now.

Emily Carr defies easy description. Painter, writer, world traveller, adventurer—she was also an original, a rebel, a free spirit, and a visionary mystic. She is one of those unique individuals, those few, who have created and articulated the symbols and images by which Canada knows itself. Lewis DeSoto, himself an award-winning novelist and painter, follows Carr's trajectory from novice art student to a mature and utterly distinctive artist. He argues that her powerful paintings encompass the many aspects of her life: the passionate engagement with the West Coast landscape, her determination to forge a modern Canadian artistic sensibility, her fascination with Indian motifs, and her spirituality. With bold strokes and nuanced shadings, DeSoto's portrait captures the genius of Carr, reminding us of why she mattered then, and why she matters now.

The cover is by Jody Hewgill.

Rudy Wiebe did a book on Big Bear. It will be out in September.

Since the publication of Rudy Wiebe's 1973 Governor General's Award–winning novel, The Temptations of Big Bear, there has been much new scholarship about the Plains Cree chief who tried to ensure the survival of his people. In Big Bear, Wiebe revisits the life of the First Nations statesman who believed in negotiation and the rule of law over violence.

The cover is by George Littlechild.




M.J. Vassanji wrote on Mordecai Richler. This book will also be out in September.

Mordecai Richler was a Quebec author. He wrote books such as The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz.

The artist is Vladymyr Yakobchuk.


Andrew Cohen wrote on Lester B. Pearson. Another book that will be out in September.

Andrew Cohen's previous books have focused on who we are at home and who we are in the wider world. As the author of While Canada Slept, an account of how Canada has slipped in its role as a strong diplomatic force in the world, Cohen is the perfect writer to assess the legacy of Lester Bowles Pearson. Pearson, who served as Prime Minister from 1963 to 1968, was a former diplomat whose peace-brokering during the 1957 Suez Crisis brought Canada to the world stage in international affairs and earned him the Nobel Peace Prize.

The artist for this cover is Joseph Salina.

The rest of the series does not have release dates, but the authors and subjects are as follows:

Margaret MacMilan writes on Stephen Leacock.
Andre Pratte writes on Sir Wilfred Laurier.
Daniel Poliquin writes on René Lévesque.
Adrienne Clarkson writes on Norman Bethune.
Jane Urquhart writes on L.M. Montgomery.
Mark Kingwell writes on Glenn Gould.
Douglas Coupland writes on Marshall McLuhan.
Nino Ricci writes on Pierre Elliot Trudeau.
Joseph Boyden writes on Louis Riel and Gabriel Dumont.
John Ralston Saul writes on Louis-Hippolyte LaFontaine and Robert Baldwin.
Vincent Lam writes on Tommy Douglas.

Some more of the awesome covers:

By Sandra Dionisi:












By Anita Kunz:












By Joe Morse:












By Shelley Adler:












I think this series is fabulous! I will be posting more on it as more info comes out, of course. The website is: www.extraordinarycanadians.com.