BOOK LAUNCH: A Knight in Politics: A Biography of Sir Frederick Borden

McGill-Queens University Press and the McGill Bookstore welcome you to join us for the launch of Prof. Carman Miller’s book, A Knight in Politics: A Biography of Sir Frederick Borden. There will be a brief talk on the story of the imperial statesman and military reformer who modernized Canada's armed forces, and a chance to ask the author questions.

Sir Frederick Borden (1847-1917), physician and entrepreneur, was Canada's longest-serving minister of defence. His untidy private life, however, often captured more attention than his public service. A Knight in Politics explores the history of the controversial public figure who led Canada's armed forces through the South African War, expanded and modernized the country's military from 1896 to 1911, and prepared them for service in the First World War.

Derided as a buffoon and an ignorant civilian by military critics, Borden became the public's lightning rod and Prime Minster Wilfrid Laurier's point man for negotiating Canada's sensitive military agenda during an era of high imperialism. Carman Miller presents a balanced assessment that seamlessly blends history and social and cultural analysis to highlight Borden's relationships within the contemporary web of nepotism, patronage, business, and family. A detailed account of the leading role Borden played in the development of modern Canada, A Knight in Politics showcases the transition to corporate capitalism and changes in public morality and social and political relationships during the "Age of Camelot."