Defence and Discovery

This book reveals the innovative technological origins and highly politicized security evolution of the Canadian rocket and space program during the height of the Cold War space race.

Randall Wakelam:
Godefroy has translated his lifelong fascination with space and his expertise, garnered from working in the Canadian Force’s Directorate of Space Development, into a fascinating story of Canada’s important contributions to defence on the “final frontier.”

Adam Chapnick:

Godefroy’s relentless pursuit of the details of the history of Canada’s military space program has resulted in a profoundly original work that makes a significant contribution not only to the history of science and technology, but also to international history more generally ... non-specialists will have to work to get through this book, and I fear that too many Canadians might not have the patience to do so ... that is a real shame, because if they were to learn even half as much as I have, they would be significantly better placed to participate in discussions of international policy in Canada in the future.

Alex Davis:

Godefroy meticulously plots Canada’s involvement in space research... it is an extremely well-researched and well-written historical analysis, that will most likely appeal to those interested in Canadian scientific achievements such as the Avro Arrow.

Robert Huebert, co-editor of Commercial Satellite Imagery and United Nations Peacekeeping:
Space security and the formation of good policy frameworks is a critically important field of study; Godefroy is one of its key analysts in Canada, and his is the first study published of this magnitude. Defence and Discovery will appeal to military historians, Canadian Security analysts, and policy-makers, as well as to educated general readers who follow stories like the demise of the Avro Arrow.

James Fergusson, author of Canada and Ballistic Missile Defence, 1954-2009: Déjà vu All Over Again:
Extremely well-researched and written, Defence and Discovery brings together existing pieces of the story of Canada’s space effort into a comprehensive historical analysis, through access to new primary archival material. Godefroy demonstrates a mastery of the technical-scientific elements of Canada’s initial space research and development programs, and delves into the political-bureaucratic forces at play, as well.