The C.P. Stacey Award Committee and the Laurier Centre for the Study of Canada (LCSC) have awarded historian Alan Barnes the 2025 C.P. Stacey Award for scholarly work in Canadian military history for his book, Watching the Bear: Canadian Intelligence Assessments of the Soviet Threat to North America, 1946-64 (UBC Press).
Committee Citation:
The primary analytical strength in Watching the Bear lies in Barnes's ability to navigate the complex interplay between preparing intelligence for top-level decision-makers, managing Canadian domestic political contingencies, and maintaining a necessary sense of realism in dealing with the United States, a partner that while well-intentioned at the time could often be an overbearing presence.
Geography notwithstanding, trust can only be established and nurtured if it is actively maintained by willing partners. This was not without its dangers. While Canada was able to develop expertise in a critical field to an extent rarely seen before, there was a significant risk that intelligence would become a political issue. Barnes rightly points out that the joint assessment process posed substantial risks for the junior partner.
The committee also awarded honourable mentions to Matthew Trudgen's Securing the Continental Skies; Richard Tomczak's Workers of War and Empire from New France to British America, 1688-1783; Laurence Burrows's War on the Turtle's Back; Kevin Gélinas's Frontier Soldiers of New France, Volume 2 and Carla-Jean Stokes's analysis of the photographs by W. Ivor Castle (The Taking of Vimy Ridge).
About the C.P. Stacey Award
The C.P. Stacey Award is named in honour of Charles Perry Stacey, historical officer to the Canadian Army during the Second World War and a longtime professor of history at the University of Toronto. Historian C.P. Stacey was exceptional in his ability to contextualize and frame military history in its contemporary political contexts. The award is presented annually to the best book in the field of Canadian military history, broadly defined, including the study of war and society. The award winner receives a $1,000 prize, made possible through the generous support of John and Pattie Cleghorn and family and the Department of History at Wilfrid Laurier University. The LCSC took over administration of the award in 2018 from the Canadian Committee for the History of the Second World War.
The 2025 C.P. Stacey Award Committee consisted of Yves Tremblay (Directorate of History and Heritage, National Defence Headquarters, Ottawa), Caroline D'Amours (Royal Military College of Canada), and Gregory M.W. Kennedy (Brandon University). To learn more, visit the C.P. Stacey Award homepage.
