PERSONAL LETTERS OF A PUBLIC MAN: THE FAMILY LETTERS OF JOHN G. DIEFENBAKER. Diefenbaker, John G. Edited by Thad McIlroy. Toronto, Doubleday, c1985. 255pp, cloth, $24.95, ISBN 0-385-25005-3. (An Arcadia House Book). CIP Grades 11 and up Reviewed by Rita Sinihelmi Volume 14 Number 2 1986 March McIlroy, who previously edited Diefenbaker: Remembering the Chief,* states that he has undertaken the task of editing these family letters because he felt that they might be important and revealing. And revealing they are, about Diefenbaker's relationships with his family, his views on political allies and enemies, and his sensitivity to any criticism in the press. Much is left unrevealed too, since Diefenbaker was aware of the position he might one day occupy and so was judicious about what he wrote. The problem with a collection such as this, is that often it requires the reader to have a great deal of knowledge about specific events in the person's life. Thus, some letters remain obscure in their references. The editor has included notes, but more should have been used. The introduction and chapter notes by J.L. Granatstein help the reader to understand the period from which the letters come. There are about 250 letters, from the period 1940 to 1976, and these are arranged chronologically in eight chapters. Sixteen pages of photographs are included. There is an index of names so that the information contained in the letters is quite accessible. This book might be useful in senior history and politics classes where primary sources are emphasized. But it would have limited use in a general library collection because it does assume too much knowledge on the part of the reader. Rita Sinihelmi, Selkirk C.V.I., Thunder Bay, Ont. *Reviewed vol. XIII/1 January 1985 p.36.