A new book co-authored by Rob Ford, late former mayor of Toronto who gained international notoriety after he admitted to smoking crack while in office, will offer a “no-holds-barred” look at the politician’s life, his brother Doug Ford said on Tuesday.
“Before Rob passed away, we embarked on a little journey. We sat down with one of the largest publishing firms in the world, HarperCollins, and we decided to tell our story,” Ford told reporters who had gathered outside his mother’s house in Toronto for what was billed as an exciting announcement.
“For years we’ve heard the media story, for years we’ve heard our opposition stories, but now we’re able to tell the true story, the untold story of not only the Ford family, but in particular Rob Ford,” he said.
A divisive figure in the politics of Canada’s largest city, Rob Ford died of cancer in March. Months earlier he had begun contributing to the book, said Ford, eager to tell his story in his own words. “Passages in the book are from Rob’s words directly. He was quite excited about the book.”
The book, titled Ford Nation: Two Brothers, One Vision – The True Story of the People’s Mayor, will be published in late November. Describing it as “the most exciting book that this country has ever seen when it comes to politics”, Ford said it would set the record straight on what called the many lies that had been told about his brother and family as well as expose other politicians who had struggled with substance abuse. “There’s no politician safe in this country when this comes out … It will rock the political world. It will rock the media world.”
Proceeds from the sales of the book will be donated to charity, Ford added.
Ford, who served one term in municipal office and now runs the family printing business, hoped the tell-all story would help set the stage for his eventual foray into Canadian politics.
In 2014, Doug Ford finished second in Toronto’s mayoral race, securing some 34% of the vote. The following year he and his brother campaigned alongside the Conservative prime minister, Stephen Harper in a federal election campaign that saw the Liberals, led by Justin Trudeau, take power.
On Tuesday, Ford promised a political announcement would come within a year. “I don’t know if it’s going to be holding the mayor accountable,” he said. “Or our new prime minister, running around taking pictures with Vogue rather than worrying about jobs and the finances of this country.”
