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.