Historian Catherine Dunlop, a professor in the Department of History and Philosophy at Montana State University, has received two national awards from the American Historical Association for her book “The Mistral: A Windswept History of Modern France.” The awards include the J. Russell Major Prize in French History, which recognizes the best work in English on any aspect of French history, and the George L. Mosse Prize, awarded for outstanding scholarly distinction in European intellectual and cultural history since 1500.
Dunlop’s research involved spending two months in Provence in 2017 to study firsthand the effects of the mistral winds. “It’s a very atmospheric place,” Dunlop said. “I lived for two months in Provence overlooking the Mediterranean. I got to see the sea whipped up by mistral waves. The shutters would bang with the sound of the mistral, and I’d see the tables with wine glasses sent smashing and breaking from the force of the wind.
“It was important for me to spend time there getting to know the wind,” she added.
Her book examines how this powerful wind has shaped not only landscapes but also industry, culture, and historical events in southern France. According to Dunlop, “scholars have tended to view the spaces of history from an anthropocentric perspective, downplaying the unruly weather features of historical landscapes while emphasizing people’s capacity to govern their surroundings.” She explained that she needed “to make the case that yes, we should pay attention to these nonhuman factors that can shape human societies.”
Dunlop was surprised by her recognition: “I was really shocked to receive these two national awards, because when I started writing the book and when I was trained as a graduate student, this was considered a bizarre topic,” she said. “Human ideas about freedom and liberty and how people govern themselves was traditionally how French history has been told.”
Her lifelong interest in France began with her mother’s heritage—her mother was born there during World War II before emigrating to America—and continued through language studies starting in middle school and later academic pursuits abroad.
At Montana State University (MSU), Dunlop integrates her focus on environmental forces into her teaching: “I can easily work with students interested in the same interactions in the American West or elsewhere in the world,” she noted.
She developed a senior seminar course based on her research into nature and culture in Europe. Currently on sabbatical, Dunlop is researching another book about environmental knowledge during D-Day operations at Normandy—a project that may lead to new courses exploring war’s relationship with environment.
“I enjoy the curricular openness of our department, which encourages thinking about history in broad and innovative and creative ways,” she said.
Dunlop values collaboration across MSU departments; while working on “The Mistral,” she consulted colleagues including geographers, ecologists, and cartographers from MSU’s Geospatial Core Facility who contributed maps for her book.
Timothy LeCain, head of MSU’s Department of History and Philosophy commented: “Besides being a joy to read, it really pushes the boundaries of how we historians tell our stories,” he said. “Catherine shows us how a force of nature can shape everything from the way farmers build their houses to the way Van Gogh paints his landscapes. This is cutting-edge history at its best.”
Dunlop will accept both awards at January’s annual meeting of American Historical Association held this year in Chicago.
