National recognition for Endgame 1758

Sydney, NS, June 4, 2008 – Historian A.J.B. (John) Johnston was awarded the Canadian Historical Association's Clio Award for regional history during its annual congress last week.

His latest book, Endgame 1758: The Promise, the Glory and the Despair of Louisbourg's Last Decade (Cape Breton University and University of Nebraska Press) is cited by the CHA as a meritorious publication.

Louisbourg figured prominently in the military, economic and strategic thinking of France and England and peaked during Louisbourg’s last decade, one of the greatest dramas in the history of the continent. The final siege on the French capital, in 1758, brought to a close a century-and-a-half of Anglo-French struggle for dominance.

The 250th anniversary of the final siege will be commemorated through many activities throughout the summer and fall, including community events, a symposium and an encampment weekend (July 25-27), involving more than one thousand history re-enactors from across Canada and the U.S.

Johnston, a long-time historian at Fortress Louisbourg National Historic Site and now working from the Atlantic region offices of Parks Canada in Halifax, is a recognized authority on Louisbourg, Cape Breton, Acadia and Nova Scotia and has published many books and articles on those subjects.

Founded in 1922, the Canadian Historical Association/Société Historique du Canada is a bilingual scholarly organization dedicated to research in all fields of history. As the leading scholarly organization of historians in Canada, the Canadian Historical Association assumes an advocacy role regarding issues of concern to its members and other practitioners interested in advancing the discipline of history in Canada.