The years when John Diefenbaker’s Progressive Conservatives were in office were among the most tumultuous in Canadian history. Coming to power on a surge of optimistic nationalism in 1957, the “Rogue Tory” had stirred up more controversy than any previous prime minister by the time he was defeated in 1963. This was nowhere more apparent than in his handling of international affairs.

This book reassesses foreign policy in the Diefenbaker era to determine whether its failures can be mainly attributed to the prime minister’s personality traits, particularly his indecisiveness, or to broader shifts in world affairs. Written by leading scholars who mine new sources of archival research, the chapters examine the full range of international issues that confronted Diefenbaker and his ministers and probe the factors that led to success or failure, decision or indecision, on specific issues. Rather than dismissing Diefenbaker as a “Rogue Tory” on the world stage, this fascinating reconsideration of the Diefenbaker years challenges readers to push beyond the conventional and reassess his record with fresh eyes.

Janice Cavell's profile page

Ryan M. Touhey's profile page

Janice Cavell works in the Historical Section, Global Affairs Canada, and is an adjunct research professor at Carleton University. She is the author of a number of books and articles on Arctic history and the history of Canadian foreign policy. She is also the editor of several volumes in the series Documents on Canadian External Relations. Her book Acts of Occupation: Canada and Arctic Sovereignty, 1918-25 (co-authored with Jeff Noakes) was shortlisted for the Canadian Historical Association’s Political History Prize in 2011.

Ryan Touhey is an associate professor of history at St. Jerome’s University at the University of Waterloo. He is the author of Conflicting Visions: Canada and India in the Cold War World 1946-1976 and several book chapters and academic articles on post-1945 Canadian foreign relations.

Contributors: Stephen Azzi, Isabel Campbell, Jill Campbell-Miller, Michael Carroll, Greg Donaghy, Norman Hillmer, Nicole Marion, Francine McKenzie, Asa McKercher, Hugh Segal, Kevin A. Spooner, Michael D. Stevenson, Robert Vineberg

This is an excellent collection of essays, which make a significant contribution to the field. The book is also very readable. Therefore, I wholeheartedly recommend it to readers, both expert and general.

British Journal of Canadian Studies, Vol. 33.1