City Unique: Montreal Days and Nights in the 1940s and '50s

Bruce Grainger is head of the Public Services Department, Macdonald
Library, McGill University.

City Unique opens with a description of the visit of King George VI and
Queen Elizabeth to Montreal in May 1939 and concludes with the beginning
of the 1960s. In between, the author gives a fascinating account of the
history, politics, and culture of a city undergoing massive change. His
excellent descriptions of life in the city are based on prodigious
research, as well as on his experience of having lived and worked as a
journalist in Montreal during the period.

It was a time when corruption among politicians and the police
flourished, and newspapers restricted the flow of information to the
population. The degree of political and religious repression described
serves as a useful reminder of how much things have changed for the
better.

Political figures such as mayor Camillien Houde and premier Maurice
Duplessis are profiled alongside writers, gamblers, police, journalists,
and musicians. In addition to excellent photographs, the book includes a
first-rate selected bibliography and a good index.

This story of a truly unique city should be of interest to all
Canadians.