Canadian War Museum’s Dr. Tim Cook receives Governor General’s History Award

Ottawa, Ontario, November 21, 2013 — Canadian War Museum historian, author and First World War expert Dr. Tim Cook has won the 2013 Governor General’s History Award for Popular Media: The Pierre Berton Award. The prize is presented by Canada’s History Society to celebrate those who have brought Canadian history to a wider audience.

“We are extremely proud of Dr. Cook for earning this prestigious honour, especially as we approach the centennial of the First World War,” said Mark O’Neill, President and CEO of the Canadian Museum of Civilization Corporation which oversees the War Museum and the Museum of Civilization. “His careful research and outstanding talent for storytelling help put a human face on conflict and inspire generations of Canadians to discover their history.”

His Excellency the Right Honourable David Johnston, Governor General of Canada, presented Dr. Cook with the award in a ceremony at Rideau Hall on November 19, 2013. Canada’s History Society said in a statement that Dr. Cook was recognized for his success in “making military history more accessible, vivid and factual. His best-selling books capture the reader’s attention and heart, as he details the struggles and accomplishments of ordinary Canadians in the face of wartime realities.”

Dr. Cook, Acting Director of Research, has been the Museum’s First World War historian since 2002. He curated the permanent exhibition in Gallery 2, titled For Crown and Country: The South African and First World Wars, and he has curated and co-curated several special exhibitions, including War and Medicine in 2011 and Trench Life: A Survival Guide in 2008.

A respected scholar educated at Trent University, the Royal Military College of Canada and the Australian Defence Force Academy, Dr. Cook has written several award-winning books on military history. Shock Troops: Canadians Fighting the Great War, 1917–1918 won the prestigious Charles Taylor Prize for Literary Non-Fiction in 2009. The Madman and the Butcher: The Sensational Wars of Sam Hughes and General Arthur Currie was nominated for the Shaughnessy Cohen Prize for Political Writing in 2010, and his most recent book, Warlords: Borden, Mackenzie King, and Canada’s World Wars was shortlisted for the 2013 Charles Taylor Prize.

The Canadian War Museum is Canada’s national museum of military history. Its mission is to promote public understanding of Canada’s military history in its personal, national, and international dimensions.

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