Alexandre Trudeau's Introduction to "Two Innocents in China"

Alexandre's introduction to his father and Mr. Hebert's work is a touching tribute to their diplomatic ideals. His view f the book is clearly much more affected by his father than by Hebert, so there's a slight bias in the stories he tells, but Pierre's historical standing makes him the more dynamic of the duo anyway. Alexandre clearly has a profound respect for his father, telling how he would regale the family with tales his dangerous exploits as a world-traveller. Most critically, he provides important historical context by updating us in detail on what has happened in China since the pair visited. He details how the Trudeau family was forced to postpone a trip to China following the 1989 quashing of student protests in Tiananmen Square.

Perhaps the most interesting bit of the first few pages is the short section in which Pierre Elliot Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada writes from his position of office upon the book's translation into English. With a tongue-in-cheek acknowledgment that some of the events in the book might provide ammunition for his opponents, he jokingly places all responsibility on Hebert.