Donald Creighton: A Life in History, by Donald Wright
| Author | Donald B. Smith |
| Date | 01 September 2017 |
| Published date | 01 September 2017 |
| DOI | 10.1177/0020702017723563 |
| Subject Matter | Book Reviews |
Canada respond to it; the danger of overreaction to terrorism; the risks of discourse
that perpetuates ‘‘them’’ and ‘‘us’’ and the effect this has on communities, percep-
tions about immigration, and politics; misperceptions about monolithic commu-
nities; and a focus on the law, civil liberties, human rights, and the ‘‘balance’’
between these and national security.
On the latter, Craig Forcese (a contributor) offers the most salient point in
August 2016, following the Aaron Driver incident in Canada: ‘‘Defending liberty
while preserving security is like balancing an umbrella on the tip of one’s finger: it is
never in perfect equilibrium.’’
2
But other views within this contribution underline
that counterterrorism is not just a whole-of-government responsibility and under-
taking, but one that touches in some respects on every government sector and all
aspects of society, as well as international issues.
Toope’s own postscript captures the rationale for why this book is still worth
reading. His claim that the January 2015 attacks were ‘‘an important moment’’
because of the fear the attacks generated, and because dramatic, high-profile
attacks inevitably lead to a response in law and in hardened political attitudes,
stands up. Later attacks may have overshadowed the period of 7 to 9 January 2015
in France, but these attacks are no less important because others have occurred
since. And the responses in law, in politics, and in societies are still reverberating.
The short, pithy contributions here can be dipped into and out of at will; some are
highly informed, whereas others are little more than personal perceptions, but
together they provide a reader with a primer on the difficulties and dilemmas
democratic states face in counterturning terrorism. There are no easy answers or
responses to this problem, and this conference captured a snapshot of that fact,
even though the attacks of January 2015 were later surpassed.
Donald Wright
Donald Creighton: A Life in History
Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2015. 472pp. $90.00 (cloth)
ISBN: 978-1-4426-4947-7
Reviewed by: Donald B. Smith (smithd@ucalgary.ca), Professor Emeritus of History,
University of Calgary
Donald Wright, associate professor in the Department of Political Science at the
University of New Brunswick, has written an impressive biography of Donald
Creighton, known in the mid-twentieth century as English Canada’s greatest
historian (9, 198, 329). The author’s writing style is commendable, the book is
well organized, and the extensive research supporting the text is exceptional.
Well-chosen illustrations and a complete index add greatly to this well-constructed
2. Craig Forcese, ‘‘Aaron Driver matter: Questions awaiting answers,’’ 11 August 2016, http://craig-
forcese.squarespace.com/national-security-law-blog/2016/8/11/aaron-driver-matter-questions-
awaiting-answers.html (accessed 22 June 2017).
430 International Journal 72(3)
To continue reading
Request your trial