David A. Borys

“Quick-paced, well-researched and well-illustrated, this is the first new history of Canada’s armed forces in decades.” — J. L. Granatstein, author of Canada’s Army

Punching Above Our Weight takes readers on a riveting exploration spanning one hundred and fifty years of Canadian forces.

This photograph-rich history of 150 years of the Canadian military traces the evolution of the country’s armed forces from a small, underfunded, poorly trained militia to the modern, effective military it is today. From the Red River Resistance and the Boer War to modern peacekeeping and the long war in Afghanistan, David A. Borys details the conflicts and operations that Canadian soldiers have served in. He highlights the key battles, decisive moments, and significant people that came to define Canada’s participation and helped cement its global reputation.

Borys also explores the challenges that the Canadian nation and its military have faced over those years, including major cultural and demographic shifts, a continual struggle for resources from generally disinterested governments, battlefield failures, notorious and shocking scandals, along with ever-changing global threats.

Punching Above Our Weight brings to light a new perspective on the Canadian military and its place in the world over the past one hundred and fifty years.