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Secondary sourceBook1915

The Day of Sir John Macdonald (LibriVox volunteer audio reading)

Joseph Pope · 1915

A volunteer audio reading of Sir Joseph Pope's 1915 chronicle of Macdonald, the first prime minister of Canada. The reader is a modern volunteer, not Pope or Macdonald.

Pope, Macdonald's private secretary from 1882 to 1891, wrote this chronicle of Macdonald's life, making it a key account of the figure.

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Sir Joseph Pope, The Day of Sir John Macdonald, 1915, LibriVox audio read by volunteers Marcelle Wheeler, Edward Kirkby and Scott Foster.

About this source

What it is

This is a volunteer audio reading of Sir Joseph Pope's book The Day of Sir John Macdonald, from the Chronicles of Canada series, first published in Toronto in 1915. The LibriVox recording begins with the prefatory note and was read by Marcelle Wheeler, Edward Kirkby and Scott Foster. It is a modern reading of Pope's text, not the voice of Pope or Macdonald.

Why it matters

Pope served as Macdonald's private secretary from 1882 to 1891, so he knew the prime minister closely. His chronicle was written after Macdonald's death in 1891 and describes his life and career. The prefatory note says the centenary of Macdonald's birth was approaching, which frames the book for that occasion. Listening to it shows how a close associate chose to remember the first prime minister of Canada.

Look closer

  • What does a volunteer reader's voice add to the text, and what might it change?
  • Why might a private secretary write a chronicle of his employer?
  • What might a centenary celebration want to remember, and what might it leave out?

This book is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Sir John A. Macdonald on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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