The story of the incident that forged Canada’s reputation as a broker of peace and a player with outsized influence in world affairs. In a world on the edge of crisis, a nation forged its identity.

Shortlisted for the John W. Dafoe Book Prize

“Anderson delivers a brisk, gripping yarn making excellent use of his research, including multiple interviews with surviving actors in the drama. Pearson … is front and centre throughout. That Anderson captures him so well is a tribute to his métier as a storyteller.”— Literary Review of Canada

Lester Pearson, Canada’s foreign minister (and future prime minister) stands before the United Nations General Assembly. His speech, shaped by caution and hope, is a last-ditch attempt to prevent a conflict in Egypt from igniting a conflagration throughout the Middle East. He is about to carve out a razor’s edge of common ground to bring together angry allies and bitter enemies by suggesting the creation of the first UN peacekeeping force.

Pearson’s diplomacy throughout the Suez Crisis launched a bold experiment in international security and cemented Canada’s reputation as “a moderate, mediatory, middle power.” In this timely biography, available now in a trade paper edition, Antony Anderson has created not only a compelling portrait of a future prime minister, but also a nuanced analysis of the political maze navigated by Pearson to avert a bloody war.