Description
The political landscape of British Columbia has been characterized by divisiveness since Confederation. But why and how did it become Canada’s most fractious province? A Long Way to Paradise traces the evolution of political ideas in the province from 1871 to 1972, exploring British Columbia’s journey to socio-political maturity. Robert McDonald explains its classic left-right divide as a product of “common sense” liberalism that also shaped how British Columbians met the demands and challenges of a modernizing world. This lively, richly detailed overview provides fresh insight into the fascinating story of provincial politics in Canada’s lotus land.
Awards
- Winner, Clio Prize (British Columbia), Canadian Historical Association 2022
Reviews
...a masterful book that will undoubtedly be the definitive political history of British Columbia for years to come.
- Forrest Pass
A new history of British Columbia richly blends political history with the not-so-new social history in the late Robert A.J. McDonald’s A Long Way to Paradise.
- Gene Homel
This book is one of the very best histories of Canadian provincial politics.
- J. L. Granatstein, emeritus, York University