Writer Pierre Berton dead at 84
Canadian author and broadcaster Pierre Berton, one of the country's most recognizable and beloved figures, has died at age 84, a Toronto hospital said today.Berton died earlier in the day, said a spokeswoman for Sunnybrook hospital. She wouldn't divulge the cause of death, but the CBC reported he died of heart failure.
Berton had a long and varied career, publishing more than 40 books, working as a newspaper columnist, Maclean's magazine editor, and as a broadcast personality. In every role, his trademark humour and iconoclastic take on the world was evident - as was his trademark bow tie, bushy white sideburns and dramatic cloaks.
I think Berton did as much as anyone to popularize Canadian history. He'll be missed.
I would love to get my hands on a DVD (or anything else) with the complete National Dream series broadcast on CBC. That series gets my nod as the best television ever produced in this country. If nothing else, it convinced a whole generation of Canucks a)that we actually had history b)that it was as intersting as anyone else's and c)that we really didn't need Davy Crockett, the Alamo and the Battle of New Orleans. Berton frequently irritated me but I loved the old fart and Canada is a better place because we had him.
He had a good sense of humour too:
http://accordionguy.blogware.com/_attachments/194856/Pierre_Berton-How_to_Roll_a_Joint.mov