Tommy Douglas: The Road to Jerusalem

From Arnal's review attached, Page 132-133:

"Tommy Douglas, Baptist preacher and first socialist premier of Canada, is a life waiting for a definitive biography. This recent one, by a father-and- son team, will fill that gap for a number of years to come. The timeliness of it cannot be contested, given its appearance barely a year after Douglas’ death. The senior McLeod knew and loved Tommy Douglas personally and worked with him since the early days of campaigning in Weyburn, Saskatchewan. McLeod’s ties with Douglas continued during the early years of the trail-blazing CCF government in Saskatchewan. The book’s postscript describes these personal ties and their impact upon its writing. In spite of this personal affection for Douglas by the authors, the book never degenerates to uncritical accolades, nor does it fall into “syrupy” sentimentality. It is exceedingly balanced and most forthright about Douglas’ foibles and failures. Tommy Douglas’ life is treated with thoroughness and detail from his boyhood influences within Scottish radicalism and religiosity to his last public outing at the parliamentary barber shop a few weeks before his death. Events and ideas are described, in the most minute detail; virtually no stone is left unturned. The McLeods have taken full advantage of their contacts. A quick examination of the footnotes is proof positive of the thoroughness of their research. The use of newspapers, archives, private papers and interviews of people great and small who knew Douglas are indicative of why this book paints so thorough a picture of the man and his times. Also to the book’s credit is its broad and rich portrayal of the political, economic, social and religious context of his life. Douglas’ college days, the inner life of the CCF, the town of Weyburn, the opposition parties (both federal and provincial), Canada’s political life, his Scottish forebears and many other influences on his life are fleshed out in greater detail. Especially valuable are the biographical details of other important politicians of the Douglas years, such as M.J. Coldwell, J.S. Woodsworth, George Williams, David Lewis, Ed Broadbent and others. Finally, extensive quoted material in the book allows Tommy Douglas to speak for himself. 

In spite of these fine qualities the book has a couple of shortcomings. Its very thoroughness, on occasion, drowns the reader in details. Especially, toward the end of the work, one can feel bogged down, as events move so ponderously forward. Interest can wane in this sea of detail. Also, the book is far too silent on Douglas’ private life. One senses that he had a rich family life with Irma and his two daughters, but there is a deadness to the material given to the reader in these matters. Of course, authors must make their choices, and their emphases may clash with this or that reader’s wishes. In the last analysis, whatever its few shortcomings, the McLeods’ book on Tommy Douglas is a most valuable work and will likely hold the field for some time as the definitive biography of one of Canada’s greatest practical visionaries." (132-133).

A digital edition is available at Open Library