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What We Talk About When We Talk About War
An Amazon.ca Editor's Pick for 2012 and a Globe and Mail Top 100 Book of 2012
Shortlisted, Governor General's Award for Non-Fiction, Shaughnessy Cohen Prize for Political Writing, and John W. Dafoe Book Prize
Longlisted, Charles Taylor Prize for Literary Non-Fiction A provocative examination of how communications has shaped the language of the media, and vice versa, and how rhetoric shapes how Canadians thinks of themselves as a nation and Canada's engagement in peacekeeping, war, and on the international stage. According to Richler, each phase of engagement in Afghanistan has been shaped not only by rhetoric but an overarching narrative structure. This topic is very much in discussion at the moment. With the withdrawal of Canadian troops (at least in part) from Afghanistan, it becomes clear there had been a rhetorical cycle. Where once Canada wielded the myth of itself as a peacekeeping nation, the past decade has seen a marked shift away from this, emphasizing the Canadian soldier as warrior. Yet now, as the country withdraws, the oratorical language we use steps away from heroes, able warriors, and sacrifice and back towards a more comfortable vision of Canada in a peacekeeping/training role. In recent years, Canada has made large financial investments in the apparatus of war — in a manner it hasn't in a very long time — and as the realities of war are brought home (the losses, the tragedies, the atrocities, the lasting repercussions that come home with the soldiers who were on the front lines), Richler contends that it's crucial we understand our national perspective on war — how we have framed it, how we continue to frame it. Using recent events to bolster his arguments, including the shooting of American congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and the earthquake in Haiti, Richler argues that very possibly the epic narrative of Canada is winding back down to that of the novel as we slowly regain our peacekeeping agenda.
Shortlisted, Governor General's Award for Non-Fiction, Shaughnessy Cohen Prize for Political Writing, and John W. Dafoe Book Prize
Longlisted, Charles Taylor Prize for Literary Non-Fiction A provocative examination of how communications has shaped the language of the media, and vice versa, and how rhetoric shapes how Canadians thinks of themselves as a nation and Canada's engagement in peacekeeping, war, and on the international stage. According to Richler, each phase of engagement in Afghanistan has been shaped not only by rhetoric but an overarching narrative structure. This topic is very much in discussion at the moment. With the withdrawal of Canadian troops (at least in part) from Afghanistan, it becomes clear there had been a rhetorical cycle. Where once Canada wielded the myth of itself as a peacekeeping nation, the past decade has seen a marked shift away from this, emphasizing the Canadian soldier as warrior. Yet now, as the country withdraws, the oratorical language we use steps away from heroes, able warriors, and sacrifice and back towards a more comfortable vision of Canada in a peacekeeping/training role. In recent years, Canada has made large financial investments in the apparatus of war — in a manner it hasn't in a very long time — and as the realities of war are brought home (the losses, the tragedies, the atrocities, the lasting repercussions that come home with the soldiers who were on the front lines), Richler contends that it's crucial we understand our national perspective on war — how we have framed it, how we continue to frame it. Using recent events to bolster his arguments, including the shooting of American congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and the earthquake in Haiti, Richler argues that very possibly the epic narrative of Canada is winding back down to that of the novel as we slowly regain our peacekeeping agenda.
372 pages, Paperback
First published February 17, 2012
4 people are currently reading
116 people want to read
About the author
Noah Richler
15 books8 followersNoah Richler is a journalist and non-fiction writer who challenges the notions of what it means to be Canadian. Richler was raised in Montreal, Canada and London, England. He is the son of Canadian novelist Mordecai Richler.
He has been a literary columnist for the National Post and regularly contributes to the BBC World Service as well as many Canadian newspapers and magazines.
Richler’s book This Is My Country, What’s Yours? A Literary Atlas of Canada was the winner of the 2007 British Columbia Award for Canadian Non-Fiction.
His latest book What We Talk About When We Talk About War examines Canada’s transition from a peacekeeping country to a “warrior” nation.
Richler has written about the making of the film version of his father’s book Barney's Version,[2] released in September 2010 with Paul Giamatti in the title role. He has contributed to numerous publications in Britain, including The Guardian, Punch and The Daily Telegraph, and in Canada, the The Walrus, Maisonneuve, Saturday Night, the Toronto Star, and The Globe and Mail.
He lives in Toronto with his wife, House of Anansi publisher Sarah MacLachlan.
He has been a literary columnist for the National Post and regularly contributes to the BBC World Service as well as many Canadian newspapers and magazines.
Richler’s book This Is My Country, What’s Yours? A Literary Atlas of Canada was the winner of the 2007 British Columbia Award for Canadian Non-Fiction.
His latest book What We Talk About When We Talk About War examines Canada’s transition from a peacekeeping country to a “warrior” nation.
Richler has written about the making of the film version of his father’s book Barney's Version,[2] released in September 2010 with Paul Giamatti in the title role. He has contributed to numerous publications in Britain, including The Guardian, Punch and The Daily Telegraph, and in Canada, the The Walrus, Maisonneuve, Saturday Night, the Toronto Star, and The Globe and Mail.
He lives in Toronto with his wife, House of Anansi publisher Sarah MacLachlan.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
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September 20, 2013Reviewed here.
February 12, 2013
Read this book if you want to learn about Canada's involvment in war and conflict. A brilliant look into what war is and what we talk about when we talk about war. The most fascinating thing about this is that its one: current, but two: Canadian. Everything is from a Canadian perspective, which is a great change of pace, as most books such as this deal from an American side. I really enjoyed this book all the way through and learned a great deal about my country and the role they play inside their own borders and outside them too.
September 3, 2012
Deeply insightful analysis of the wars that Canada has participated in as peacekeepers or military and the role governments have played in how we view what we are.The title of this book says it and I give it 5 Stars.
July 15, 2012
interesting. Not a casual read. Thanks to Goodreads for the opportunity to read and review this book.
March 25, 2013
My review is posted here: http://www.worldfederalistscanada.org...
August 22, 2012
A dense and historical book which will make you re-vision Canada's sense of identity! Well worth the read!
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews