The Call of the World: A Political Memoir by Bill Graham (review)

Bill Graham's political memoir, The Call of the World, provides a window seat to some of the most important domestic and foreign events of the past quarter century in a candid and colourful way. But it is more than just an 'insiders' account' of high politics; it is also a vigorous defence of international law and its foundation as Canada's foreign policy.

Graham divides his memoir into four parts roughly charting his rise to represent Canada on the highest international stages. Part I details his privileged Vancouver childhood as the son of Canadian financier F.R. Graham, his education at Upper Canada College, the University of Toronto, and the University of Paris to prepare him for a career in international law, both as a practitioner and eventually professor at Osgoode Hall Law School. Here, Graham passionately defends the merits of bilingualism and its benefits for Canadians on the world stage in its promotion of compromise, accommodation, and ultimately pragmatism. Graham ends part I with his initial forays into national politics as a Trudeau-inspired Liberal. After two unsuccessful attempts at the Toronto Centre seat, Graham eventually was swept into office in 1993 as part of the Chrétien-led Liberal red wave. As MP for Canada's most economically and socially diverse riding Graham does well illustrating that all politics are local, including foreign affairs. Throughout the book Graham also offers insight into the Chrétien-Martin leadership contest in which he was often caught in the crossfire between the opposing camps. Though his account tries to remain impartial one senses that he preferred Chrétien's instinctive command style to Martin's cerebral approach to leadership.

Of interest to most readers are the last two sections where Graham recounts his time as Minister of Foreign Affairs and of National Defence carefully navigating Canada's place in the post-9/11 world order. Graham offers a candid and colourful behind-the-scenes examination of the tense diplomacy of the Western alliance during these years. Though his narrative adds little to what we know about the American decision to launch the ill-fated invasion of Iraq and the Chrétien government's rejection of it, one is still surprised to see how the bellicosity of the Bush administration affected the entire NATO alliance. Equally important is his less than enthusiastic account of Canada's role in Afghanistan, in particular his sharp critique of the senior leadership of the Canadian Forces not-named General Rick Hillier. According to Graham, the Afghan mission suffered from disorganization at the highest levels of all three departmental stakeholders–DFAIT/DND/CIDA–which found its expression in various controversies such as Canada's role in handing over detainees to American forces.

Overall, Graham appears as an unabashed liberal internationalist in the Pearsonian mould. Though a proponent of 'quiet diplomacy', Graham is not shy of proclaiming that Canada's foreign policy needs to be values based, centred on the rule of law, multilateral cooperation, and a respect for diversity. Ultimately, Graham reminds us that all politics, including foreign affairs, is as much about people and personalities as it is about grand ideas and strategies.