Alliance and Illusion is a political, economic, and social history that examines both domestic and international aspects of Canadian foreign policy. Robert Bothwell provides nuanced studies of Canada’s leaders, examining John Diefenbaker’s muddles, Lester B. Pearson’s realism, and Pierre Trudeau’s limited policy vision. He also discusses international currents that drove Canadian external affairs, from American influence over Vietnam and the draft dodgers, to the French case of de Gaulle’s eruption into Quebec in 1967. This definitive recounting and assessment of Canadian foreign policy in the modern era fills a crucial gap in Canadian history and provides invaluable context for understanding Canada’s present-day foreign policy dilemmas.