Denis Smith is a writer, editor, retired professor of political science and university administrator who lives in Ottawa, Canada. A graduate of McGill and Oxford universities, he has taught at the University of Toronto, York University, Trent University, and Western University. He was the founding editor of the Journal of Canadian Studies (1966-75), editor of The Canadian Forum (1975-79), founding vice-president of Trent University (1964-67), and Dean of Social Science at Western University (1982-88). He was twice winner of the University of British Columbia Medal for Canadian biography, twice winner of the J.W. Dafoe Book Prize, and in 2006 he received the Spanish Orden del Merito Civil for his book The Prisoners of Cabrera: Napoleon's Forgotten Soldiers, 1809-1814. He holds an honorary doctor of letters degree from Trent University.