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Adam Montgomery received his PhD from the University of Saskatchewan in 2016.

College of Arts & Science alumnus finalist for 2018 Canada Prize

Adam Montgomery's book explores psychological trauma in the Canadian military

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By Shannon Boklaschuk

A College of Arts & Science alumnus is a finalist for the 2018 Canada Prize in the Humanities and Social Sciences for a book that explores psychological trauma in the Canadian military.

Adam Montgomery, who received his PhD in history in 2016 from the University of Saskatchewan, is the author of the book The Invisible Injured: Psychological Trauma in the Canadian Military from the First World War to Afghanistan.

Montgomery said he was “thrilled” to learn that he was nominated for the prize “because of its focus on books that are scholarly but also accessible.”

“The nomination is a reassurance that my goal of writing a book that the public and non-specialists could read was successful,” he said.

“Of course, on a personal level, I also feel very honoured that my book was nominated among so many other great books, many of which were written by friends and colleagues.”

The Canada Prizes, which are awarded annually by the Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences, honour the best scholarly books in the humanities and social sciences that have received funding from the Awards to Scholarly Publications Program (ASPP).

The Canada Prizes recognize books that have made an exceptional contribution to scholarship, are engagingly written and enrich the social, cultural and intellectual life of Canada.

In addition to Montgomery, the other 2018 finalists include:

- Christopher Dummitt, Unbuttoned: A History of Mackenzie King's Secret Life

- E.A. Heaman, Tax, Order, and Good Government: A New Political History of Canada, 1867-1917

- Cheryl Suzack, Indigenous Women's Writing and the Cultural Study of Law

- Donald G. Wetherell, Wildlife, Land, and People: A Century of Change in Prairie Canada

Montgomery, who is currently an independent author, said whether or not he wins the prize, it’s an honour to be nominated–and the recognition for The Invisible Injured will give him the “energy” to make his next book “that much better.”

He is also pleased to represent the U of S in such a positive way.

“I enjoyed the flexibility of the U of S history PhD program because it allowed me to focus on my dissertation and finish in a timely manner. The professors in the history department at the U of S are doing cutting-edge research, and it was great to get to chat with them and learn from their methods,” said Montgomery, whose PhD supervisor was Erika Dyck.

Montgomery said his book–which offers an account of how war and peacekeeping have affected soldiers, and how Canadians have dealt with adversity–has received positive feedback from former members of the military.

“The military is, in many ways, a reflection of civil society, and the former’s experience with trauma has been a key reason that the subject has received so much attention in newspapers and on television,” he said.

“I’ve received emails from former peacekeepers and Afghanistan veterans telling me how much they learned from the book, and how important the discussion is to have, and those are like gold to me.”

The awards ceremony will be held on May 29 at the Congress of the Humanities and Social Sciences.


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