The Good Fight: Marcel Cadieux and Canadian Diplomacy by Brendan Kelly
| Date | 01 June 2020 |
| Published date | 01 June 2020 |
| DOI | 10.1177/0020702020930742 |
| Subject Matter | Book Reviews |
mutual respect” (p. 83). One hopes that the CAF’s diversity agenda will proceed
through the collaborative approach detailed by Lackenbauer, rather than through
approaches that treat soldiers merely as a means to an end, as denounced in
Davis’s chapter.
This brings us to the most important argument in favour of increased diversity
in the CAF; many of the discriminatory outcomes listed in this volume could be
seen as a failure to practise the democratic values that the CAF has been
entrusted to defend. Unlike the practical challenges detailed above, this could
represent an existential threat to the professional values of the CAF. To that end,
Bianca Romagnoli contends that the accreditations required to become a chap-
lain encumber the chaplaincy’s ability to diversify its personnel. In effect, this
discourages potential recruits, limiting soldiers’ access to religious council. The
relationship between increasing inclusivity in policy and enhancing operational
efficacy is further demonstrated in Stephanie Chouinard’s chapter. That bilin-
gualism remains an enduring feature of the CAF demonstrates not only that it is
possible to uphold troop cohesion in the absence of linguistic conformity, but
also that conformity of values can be achieved across dissimilar experiences and
perspectives. This argument is further substantiated in Alan Okros’s final chap-
ter; the organization must appreciate the diversity of identities that exist within
an individual soldier. If the CAF wishes to remain relevant, policy-makers would
be well advised to consult this book for a brief but comprehensive overview of
the challenges that remain in upholding the values that Canadians cherish.
Similarly, those in academia can turn to this volume for an up-to-date appraisal
of both the numerical and normative challenges faced by the modern military.
Brendan Kelly
The Good Fight: Marcel Cadieux and Canadian Diplomacy
Vancouver: UBC Press, 2019. 540 pp. $45.00 (hardcover)
ISBN: 978-0-7748-3897-9
Reviewed by: Peter M. Boehm (peter.boehm@sen.parl.gc.ca), Senate of Canada
Marcel Cadieux died six months before I joined the Canadian Department of
External Affairs. His portrait, hanging in a corridor on the eighth floor of the
Lester B. Pearson building in Ottawa amid those of the undersecretaries and
deputy ministers who preceded and succeeded him, depicts a man with an austere
countenance and a direct, piercing gaze. A fighter. In his superb, comprehensive,
and highly readable biography, Brendan Kelly provides an insightful view of the
character behind that gaze, set against over three decades of exceptional diplomat-
ic service abroad and key, ever more senior bureaucratic roles at headquarters.
Marcel Cadieux’s storied career was grounded in his formative years in Montr
eal,
his passion for legal issues, and his early experience as a foreign service officer
during World War II and the beginnings of the Cold War. Using a wealth of
sources, including Cadieux’s “journal in time,” his many letters, and interviews
with former colleagues, Kelly humanizes a man who rightfully stands with the
Book Reviews 281
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