On this month’s episode Kyle Pritchard sits down with Roger Sarty to discuss the life and career of C.P. Stacey. Sarty explains how Stacey went from being a young student with no interest in research to the founding father of Canadian military history.

Throughout his career, Stacey faced considerable setbacks in the form of limited finances, a tight job market, a public initially hostile to his work and personal tragedy. But through his own hard work and the considerable of help from his family and fellow historians, Stacey was able to make a career as a historian, first in the army as historical officer and later as a academic historian. As a historian, Stacey displayed a rare gift for understanding the demands of war, a gift which earned him the admiration of the Canadian Military. But despite his success Stacey remained a humble and deeply generous man who helped start the career of some of Canada’s greatest historians.

EPISODE GUEST

Roger Sarty is a Wilfrid Laurier University professor specializing in Canadian naval history and a former deputy director of the Canadian War Museum. Ever the storyteller, Sarty became familiar with Stacey during his time as a graduate student at the University of Toronto and shares many of these rare personal experiences on the episode today.

Episode Thumbnail: C.P. Stacey in 1959. Library and Archives Canada Item ID number 4274082