Thomas Chandler Haliburton

G.A. Rawlyk is a history professor at Queen’s University and the
author of Champions of the Truth: Fundamentalism, Modernism, and the
Maritime Baptists.

This book is a good idea that just does not work. We all need to know
more about famous Maritimers; young Canadians especially need to know a
lot more about their rich historical legacy. Haliburton (1796-1865) was
a remarkable writer and humorist as well as a distinguished lawyer and
politician. But Langille’s little book about him adds absolutely
nothing to our understanding of the great Anglo-Nova Scotian.
Langille’s Haliburton fails to take into account recent
historiography—neglecting even to mention Fred Cogswell’s 1976
Dictionary of Canadian Biography article. In addition, her book is
awkwardly written, presenting a dull, lifeless, one-dimensional picture
of Haliburton.

If this Famous Maritimers series hopes to succeed, the editors will
have to ensure that the authors know a great deal about their subjects,
and that they can write serviceable prose for younger audiences.