Learn more about Tommy Douglas

Tommy’s life and achievements have inspired a wide range of books, from a variety of perspectives. If you’d like to learn more about Tommy Douglas, these are good places to start:

Johnson, A. W. Dream No Little Dreams: A Biography of the Douglas Government of Saskatchewan, 1944-1961. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2004.

Dream No Little Dreams is a comprehensive analysis of the Douglas CCF government in Saskatchewan between the years of 1944 and 1961. Johnson, a civil servant within the government, provides not only a detailed account of the public policy and governance decisions taken during their five term mandate, but also attempts to explain the dynamics, both personal and institutional, that contributed to the decision-making process during the period. He makes an effort to portray the mixture of emotion, ideology and pragmatism that fuelled the political climate during those formative years. (394 pages)

Stewart, Walter. The Life and Political Times of Tommy Douglas. Toronto: McArthur, 2003.

In Douglas’ most recent biography, Stewart makes clear that the purpose of his retrospective work, which traces Douglas’ life from early age to his deathbed, was to place the man’s political legacy within the context of the times in which he sought to better Canadian society. He acknowledges that he referred in many cases to the insights provided within the two previous biographical efforts by Shackleton and the McLeods. Written in 2004, during a time of uncertainty for the Canadian system of universal health care, Life and Times is also intended to provide a reminder of the principles that Tommy so proudly espoused during the creation of the Medicare program. (334 pages)

Margoshes, Dave. Tommy Douglas: Building the New Society. Montreal: XYZ Pub., 1999.

This short narrative of the life of Tommy Douglas, while also in a format that tracks him from young man to elder statesman, is written in a much less formal style than the other biographies. Filled with light-hearted anecdotes about his family life and political career, it is less a search of his inner demons and motivations than a gracious and readable overview of the life of a revered Canadian. A terrific resource for those who would prefer a quick and basic introduction to Tommy Douglas, the book emphasizes his strength of character, his courage, and his ability to demonstrate to Canadians that even the boldest policies are acceptable if they are sensible and just. (185 pages)

McLeod, Thomas H. and Ian McLeod. Tommy Douglas: The Road to Jerusalem. Edmonton: Hurtig, 1987.

Thomas and Ian McLeod’s biography also follows the life of Tommy Douglas from childhood in a working-class immigrant family through a political career that spanned almost half a century. Co-author Thomas McLeod, who was a fellow CCF member and economic advisor to the Saskatchewan provincial government as well as a long-time friend of Douglas’, endows the reader with the wisdom only an insider could provide. The Road to Jerusalem is a fine source for those seeking to understand Tommy Douglas’ lifelong devotion and persistence to the principles of civil rights, peace and equality. (341 pages)

Douglas, Thomas Clement. The Making of a Socialist: The Recollections of T. C. Douglas. / ed. By Lewis H. Thomas. Edmonton: University of Alberta Press, 1982.

A compilation of transcribed interviews recorded in 1958 with journalist Chris Higginbotham, Douglas describes aspects of his personal and political life in informal terms. Photographs and contextualization supplied by editor Lewis H. Thomas accompany Douglas’ recollections, from childhood to the Premiership of Saskatchewan.  The Making of a Socialist provides a fascinating glimpse into Douglas’ political philosophy and character. It is also an interesting perception of Canadian political history as it was being shaped in Saskatchewan a half-century ago. (400 pages)

Shackleton, Doris French. Tommy Douglas. Toronto: McClelland and Stewart, 1975.

Shackleton’s work is an authoritative and frequently cited biography of Tommy Douglas written in 1975. Her portrayal, spanning from his childhood and formative years to shortly after his concession of the leadership of the federal NDP, creates a vivid impression of both Douglas’ personal and political character. Interwoven with his personal reflections as well as those of many of his closest acquaintances, Tommy Douglas provides a great deal of insight into what inspired and motivated the man that was so warm and colourful on the podium, who garnered the love and respect of ordinary Canadians, yet was often guarded in his personal life. (333 pages)