Over the past 130 years, the electorate of British Columbia, sometimes swallowing hard, has watched 32 different individuals sworn in as premier.

William Rayner has studied both them and their tenure, and he has painted a fascinating portrait of the province's leaders up to the end of the 20th century.

British Columbia has not been an easy place to govern. Its early citizens' quest was absolute freedom, and government to them was little more than a necessary evil. As the system changed from individual represen-tation to party politics, so did the role of premiers.

At the top of the list, the occasional burst of genius has been offset by incom-petence and self-destruction. There have been dreamers, builders, and fine leaders. While the rest of Canada has looked on with amazement and amusement, B.C. public opinion polls time and again have emphasized the need for a new premier. Can a review of past sins and accomplishments help clarify the future? Can this assessment help other Canadians understand the politics of the west that they find so bizarre?