The Last War Drum [The North West Campaign Of 1885]

Desmond Morton (1937–2019) was a Canadian historian known for his extensive scholarship on Canadian military and political history. Educated at institutions including Collège Militaire Royal de St-Jean, the Royal Military College of Canada, Oxford University (as a Rhodes Scholar), and the London School of Economics, Morton earned his doctorate from the University of London. He began his academic career after ten years of service in the Canadian Army, ultimately becoming the Hiram Mills Professor of History at McGill University. He was also the founding director of the McGill Institute for the Study of Canada in 1994.

A detailed account of the 1885 North-West Resistance, The Last War Drum examines the military dimensions of what is often considered the last military engagement fought on Canadian soil. Drawing on his background as a historian and former military officer, Desmond Morton offers an analysis of the conflict from the Metis, Indigenous and government perspectives.