David Bercuson


David Jay Bercuson is a Canadian labour, military and political historian.

Career

Born in Montreal, Quebec, he attended Sir George Williams University and graduated from there in 1965 with a BA in history and was awarded the Lieutenant-Governor's Silver Medal for the highest standing in history. He continued his studies at the University of Toronto under Ken McNaught and Ramsay Cook, receiving an MA and PhD in history in 1967 and 1971, respectively. His doctoral thesis was entitled Labour in Winnipeg: The Great War and the General Strike. In 1970–1971 he was a visiting assistant professor at the University of Calgary. After he received his PhD, he was appointed assistant professor. He is now a full professor at the University of Calgary and director of the university's Centre for Military and Strategic Studies. He is also the Director of Programs at the Canadian Defence and Foreign Affairs Institute, based in Calgary.
Bercuson has published academic and commercial books on a range of subjects, focusing primarily in modern Canadian politics, Canadian defence and foreign policy, and Canadian military history. He has written, co-authored, or edited more than thirty books. He also writes regular columns for Legion Magazine, the Calgary Herald, and the National Post, among other publications. He periodically does political and military commentary for CBC and CTV television. In 1991, he co-authored with Barry Cooper Deconfederation: Canada without Quebec, where he argued that Canada would benefit from Quebec separation.

Canadian Global Affairs Institute

Canadian Defence and Foreign Affairs Institute
In 2001 Bercuson became Vice President of Research of the newly formed Canadian Defence and Foreign Affairs Institute, a Calgary-based think tank.

Honours

Bercuson was elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada in 1988. He received the J. B. Tyrrell Historical Medal in 2002 and in 2003 he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada. He was a recipient of the Vimy Award, which recognizes a Canadian who has made a significant and outstanding contribution to the defence and security of the Canadian nation and the preservation of its democratic values. Between 2002 and 2010, he was the Honorary Lieutenant Colonel of 41 Combat Engineer Regiment of the Canadian Forces. In 2012, he was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal.

Books