Praise for On Oil
“At once a memoir, a meditation, and a polemic, Don Gillmor drills deep into one of Canada’s most controversial natural resources in On Oil. Drawing on his experience as a roughneck during the 1970s Alberta oil boom, he explores the central role the petroleum industry plays in Canadian politics and business. Stories from Gillmor’s life on the rig ground his examination of the ongoing tension between oil as a driver of prosperity and values held by many other Canadians. With humour and polite insistence, Gillmor asks the questions that are at the heart of Canada’s relationship with its resource bounty.”
—Jury Citation, 2026 Shaughnessy Cohen Prize for Political Writing
“In his slim but important book, Gillmor exposes the many myths of a multi-billion-dollar industry while also pointing fingers at those who have become phony King Midases, complicit with an array of dictators ruling the world’s petrostates . . . [On Oil is a] strong indictment of the most earth-destroying economic force that exists today.”
—Ron Verzuh, Literary Review of Canada
“In a short, incisive, at times rollicking book, [Don Gillmor] takes us from the drilling floor (he was a roughneck in the 1970s) to the capitulation of our government to industry under premiers Klein and Smith (most notably) to a glimpse of ‘the road to a viable future.’”
—Alberta Views
“Poetically, Gillmor tries to rationalize how we continue to dig up ancient solar energy, burn it as quickly as we can and not fully understand the consequences . . . Gillmor’s eloquence, humour and pointedness help unpack our species’ complex relationship with oil.”
—Matt Henderson, Winnipeg Free Press
“Well-researched . . . Gillmor’s tales take you from Calgary to Saudi Arabia, explaining some of the shelling and dealing done through the years to keep North America on the road . . . [and] warns us that should we keep worshipping at the Oil & Gas altar, our story won’t have a happy ending.”
—Dawn Mockler, Miramichi Reader
“Elegant . . . a valuable contribution to our shared public conversation about oil, climate change and the unwholesome interpenetration of the fossil fuel industries and our political masters . . . Gillmor has given us an important book full of crucial facts and moving human portraits, all serving to remind us of the crisis we face.”
—Tom Sandborn, Rabble
"On Oil offers a concise state-of-the-horror appraisal of humanity’s addiction to petroleum products, combining first-hand experience, historical research, and interviews with petroleum experts."
—Tom Bowden, Book Beat
“Wild-West-y personal anecdotes (think whisky-swigging, rattlesnake shooting, hard-partying, and bar-brawling) add colour to an otherwise bleak picture of the global oil industry up to now, with a Canadian (usually Albertan) focus. Gillmor covers an impressive amount of ground in this slim 134-page volume.”
—Thalia Stopa, Scout Magazine
“Informative and engaging . . . rich with sensory detail and sharp, vivid portraits . . . [On Oil] wonderfully captures the gritty realities of life on the rigs and the frenetic energy of oil boomtowns like those in Alberta.”
—Frank Kaminski, Resilience
"Punchy and powerful, this is a knockout."
—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
Praise for Breaking and Entering
“Surely the most interesting midlife crisis of the year.”
—Marion Winik, Oprah Daily
“[Gillmor] deftly converges doubt, infidelity and the fragility of family in a narrative that is both thrilling and relatable.”
—New York Times
“Hilarious and devastating.”
—Globe and Mail
“Powerfully drawn . . . Every aspect of the novel feels true.”
—Toronto Star
“Genius . . . A smart, funny, and sneakily terrifying version of the way we live now. (Do not read without working air conditioning.)”
—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
