Peacekeeping. Despite efforts to relegate it to the past, what was once a central pillar in Canada’s national identity has been making a comeback in recent years. Creating Canada’s Peacekeeping Past illuminates how participation in the United Nations’ peacekeeping efforts from 1956 to 1997 became central to national self-identification in both English and French Canada. Delving into four decades’ worth of political rhetoric, newspaper coverage, textbooks, and more, Colin McCullough outlines continuity and change in the production and reception of messages about peacekeeping. He demonstrates that those who produced messages about peacekeeping often overlooked the particularities of individual missions, preferring to link their cultural products to political discourses about national identity. Engaging in debates about Canada’s international standing, as well as its broader national character, this book is a welcome addition to the history of Canada’s changing national identity.

Colin McCullough is adjunct professor of history at McMaster University.

Colin McCullough's profile page

…McCullough demonstrates how cultural histories can rejuvenate topics rooted in diplomatic and military histories. Creating Canada’s Peacekeeping Past will be of value to scholars interested in peacekeeping or Canadian identity during the post-Second World War era.

Canadian Military History, Vol 27, Issue 2

Creating Canada’s Peacekeeping Past is a valuable book by a serious scholar. It will be required reading for scholars of Canadian and foreign and defence policy and international affairs for years to come.

Ontario History