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Peter C. Newman arrived in Canada at age 11 - a refugee from Nazi aggression in Czechoslovakia. He has said of himself, "what I wanted when I ultimately arrived in Canada was to gain a voice, to be heard. That longing has never left me." Newman has certainly made his voice heard. He's one of the most important Canadian journalists of his generation. He's recorded the story of this country - over six decades and 26 books.
As a child he attended an exclusive Toronto private school, reserved for the sons of Canada's wealthy. Politely, Peter was referred to as 'a war guest'. Not so politely - 'as a Jew boy'. In his career, Newman's gone on to write about many of those very boys he went to school with - recounting the lives of the rich and powerful: business tycoons, political players, and Prime Ministers.
He's been called 'the most cussed and discussed' journalist in Canada. And at least one Prime Minister has said he felt 'betrayed' and 'devastated' by what Peter wrote. His latest book is sure to have ruffled a few feathers as well. It's called 'When the Gods Changed: The Death of Liberal Canada' - a book that started out as the story of a prime minister in the making but turned out to be a eulogy for the Liberal Party of Canada.
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