John Boyko – författare

Blood and Daring will change our views not just of Canada''s relationship with the United States, but of the Civil War, Confederation and Canada itself. In Blood and Daring, lauded historian John Boyko makes a compelling argument that Confederation occurred when and as it did largely because of the pressures of the Civil War. Many readers will be shocked by Canada''s deep connection to the war--Canadians fought in every major battle, supplied arms to the South, and many key Confederate meetings took place on Canadian soil. Boyko gives Americans a new understanding of the North American context of the war, and also shows how the political climate of the time created a more unified Canada, one that was able to successfully oppose American expansion. Filled with engaging stories and astonishing facts from previously unaccessed primary sources, Boyko''s fascinating new interpretation of the war will appeal to all readers of history. Blood and Daring will change our views not just of Canada''s relationship with the United States, but of Confederation itself.

Forget all you think you know about the Kennedy years. With narrative flair and sparkling storytelling, acclaimed historian John Boyko explores the crucial period when America and its allies were fighting the Cold War''s most treacherous battles, Canadians were trading sovereignty for security, and everyone feared a nuclear holocaust.At the centre of this story are three leaders. President John F. Kennedy pledged to pay any price to advance his vision for America''s defence and needed Canada to step smartly in line. Fighting him at every turn was Conservative prime minister John Diefenbaker, an unapologetic nationalist trying to bolster Canada''s autonomy. Liberal leader Lester Pearson, the Nobel Prize-winning diplomat, sought a middle ground.      Boyko employs meticulous research and newly released documents to present shocking revelations. During the Cuban Missile Crisis, Canadian warships guarded America''s Atlantic coast and Canada suffered a silent coup d''état. Canada was involved in Kennedy''s sliding America into Vietnam. Kennedy knew the nuclear missiles he was forcing on Canada would be decoys, there only to draw Soviet nuclear fire. Kennedy''s pollster and political adviser travelled to Ottawa under a fake passport to help defeat the Canadian government. And, perhaps most startlingly, if not for Diefenbaker, Kennedy may have survived the bullets in Dallas.