University of Toronto Press Canada's 1960s: The Ironies of Identity in a Rebellious Era

Rebellious youth, the Cold War, New Left radicalism, Pierre Trudeau, Red Power, Quebec's call for Revolution, Marshall McLuhan: these are just some of the major forces and figures that come to mind at the slightest mention of the 1960s in Canada. Focusing on the major movements and personalities of the time, as well as the lasting influence of the period, Canada's 1960s examines the legacy of this rebellious decade's impact on contemporary notions of Canadian identity. Bryan D. Palmer demonstrates how after massive postwar immigration, new political movements, and at times violent protest, Canada could no longer be viewed in the old ways. National identity, long rooted in notions of Canada as a white settler Dominion of the North, marked profoundly by its origins as part of the British Empire, had become unsettled. Concerned with how Canadians entered the Sixties relatively secure in their national identities, Palmer explores the forces that contributed to the post-1970 uncertainty about what it is to be Canadian. Tracing the significance of dissent and upheaval among youth, trade unionists, university students, Native peoples, and Quebecois, Palmer shows how the Sixties ended the entrenched, nineteenth-century notions of Canada. The irony of this rebellious era, however, was that while it promised so much in the way of change, it failed to provide a new understanding of Canadian national identity. A compelling and highly accessible work of interpretive history, Canada's 1960s is the book of the decade about an era many regard as the most turbulent and significant since the years of the Great Depression and World War II. Review 'Palmer provides a fascinating analysis of a key but little examined decade... It is both provocative and insightful...And it most certainly will prompt much new research on a period that fundamentally re-shaped Canadian identity and lives.' - Catherine Gidney, History of Intellectual Culture, vol8:01:08-09 'The book is a prestigious example of scholarship, wonderfully documented...I could not put it down...most highly recommended for students, faculty, and the general interest reader.' - Patrice LeClerc, Journal of Socialist Studies, vol 6:01:10 If Palmer's exhaustive research and clever analysis provide the body of Canada's 1960 in this book, his style provides the soul. Rare is the academic book in which the cadences and staging of the narrative are as much a part of the argument as is the case with this study. - P.E Bryden, American Historical Review, October 2010 From the Back Cover 'Canada's 1960s is a tour de force. Through a variety of fascinating case studies, the author has painted a broad panorama of a single decade with unifying themes and provocative conclusions. The writing is very spirited, polished, and accessible. Bryan D. Palmer has produced the comprehensive account of Canada's 1960s that will not be surpassed anytime soon.'-Alvin Finkel, Department of History, Athabasca University About the Author Bryan D. Palmer is a professor and Canada Research Chair in the Department of Canadian Studies at Trent University.