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Historian Levine to write Mackenzie King bio

A prominent Winnipeg author has signed with a Toronto publisher to write a popular biography of one of Canada's greatest prime ministers.

Allan Levine hopes to finish his one-volume book about William Lyon Mackenzie King in time for fall 2012 publication by Douglas & McIntyre.

D&M issued a news release on the signing Wednesday.

"It's really the history of Canada in the first half of the 20th century," said Levine, 53, who has previously published several non-fiction and fiction titles.

"If someone like David McCullough can write books about John Adams and Harry Truman, why can't Canadians write in the same colourful way about their prime ministers?"

Born in 1874, Mackenzie King served six terms and over 22 years as a Liberal Party prime minister. He died in 1950...

... Levine, who has a PhD in history from the University of Toronto, teaches at St. John's Ravenscourt School. His most recent book is a history of Winnipeg's Jewish Community, Coming of Age.

He contributed writing and research to Peter C. Newman's 2008 biography of Winnipeg media mogul Izzy Asper.