"The Canadian Army in Afghanistan" and the Decline of Official Military History in Canada

Authors

• Peter Kasurak

Abstract

This article examines Sean Maloney’s The Canadian Army in Afghanistan in the context of the Canadian Armed Forces’ longstanding official history program. The development of official military history in Canada is briefly described with emphasis on its high levels of access and independence, its links to military operations and its ability to capture and preserve participant accounts and official records. The Canadian Army in Afghanistan was commissioned by the Canadian Army outside the official history program. It suffered publication delays due to a lack of independence, was limited in scope due to its unofficial nature and the fate of its extensive research materials is unknown. The paper concludes that The Canadian Army in Afghanistan marks a decline in official military history in Canada.

Recommended Citation

Kasurak, Peter ""The Canadian Army in Afghanistan" and the Decline of Official Military History in Canada." Canadian Military History 35, 1 (2026)