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At the Sharp End Volume One: Canadians Fighting the Great War 1914-1916
The first comprehensive history of Canadians in WWI in forty years, and already hailed as the definitive work on Canadians in the Great War, At the Sharp End covers the harrowing early battles of 1914�16. Tens of thousands, and then hundreds of thousands, died before the generals and soldiers found a way to break the terrible stalemate of the front. Based on eyewitness accounts detailed in the letters of ordinary soldiers, Cook describes the horrible struggle, first to survive in battle, and then to drive the Germans back. At the Sharp End provides both an intimate look at the Canadian men in the trenches and an authoritative account of the slow evolution in tactics, weapons, and advancement. Featuring never-before-published photographs, letters, diaries, and maps, this recounting of the Great War through the soldiers' eyes is moving, engaging, and thoroughly engrossing.
608 pages, Paperback
First published October 9, 2007
34 people are currently reading
548 people want to read
About the author
Tim Cook
65Ìýbooks140ÌýfollowersTim Cook (born 1971 in Ottawa) is a Canadian military historian and author. A First World War historian at the Canadian War Museum and a part-time history professor at Carleton University, he has also published several books about the military history of Canada during World War I.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
October 3, 2015
To be honest, I was worried about starting this book. I knew if I didn't like it, I had 500+ pages to go through and the even longer second volume waiting for me after that. So I was very surprised about how readable this was. It's not something I'd consider too quick of a read, but at the same time it isn't dense and it doesn't feel like you're being bombarded with information.
This volume covers basically everything related to Canadian troops on the Western Front from 1914 to 1916. Cook depicts battles with great detail but allows them to flow like narratives. He also includes chapters covering plenty of aspects of life on the front - the trench systems, medical care, snipers, etc. Some of these types of chapters might not offer a lot new to readers depending on how much they already know about the First World War. However, even if this information isn't new to you, it should still be interesting having it presented from the Canadian perspective. This book really demonstrates how terrible serving on the Western Front was between the strain of battle, the constant shelling and sniping, and the weather. In certain areas of the front where the ground was not very absorbent, trenches could easily flood after heavy rain and flood so much that apparently some men could even swim to the rear.
The chapters dealing with the battles at St. Eloi I found particularly interesting, even though I don't think I had ever heard the name before. Like many of the Western Front's battles, it was a mess and nobody really knew what was going on as men fought in horrible conditions. Because of this mess, many men were removed from their command posts:
As shown above, Cook also makes great use of quotes from men that served, including both officers and the rank and file and in many cases he also informs readers of these men's ages, backgrounds and what happened to them during the war. I really liked this as it's not just a random, nameless person. You can look at the total numbers of men that served, or were killed or wounded and be amazed, but including biographical information reminds readers that these were individuals, and most of them volunteers with little or no military experience.
At the Sharp End really was an excellent read and there was never a moment that I didn't enjoy it. Cook has written quite an incredible piece of scholarship but keeps it extremely accessible to anyone who might want to pick it up. While the size may be a bit intimidating, especially considering this is only Volume 1, the book is not at all dense and flows very well. If you are looking at learning more about Canada in the First World War, I'm not sure you can do better than this. And I'm very much looking forward to reading the next volume and more from Cook.
This volume covers basically everything related to Canadian troops on the Western Front from 1914 to 1916. Cook depicts battles with great detail but allows them to flow like narratives. He also includes chapters covering plenty of aspects of life on the front - the trench systems, medical care, snipers, etc. Some of these types of chapters might not offer a lot new to readers depending on how much they already know about the First World War. However, even if this information isn't new to you, it should still be interesting having it presented from the Canadian perspective. This book really demonstrates how terrible serving on the Western Front was between the strain of battle, the constant shelling and sniping, and the weather. In certain areas of the front where the ground was not very absorbent, trenches could easily flood after heavy rain and flood so much that apparently some men could even swim to the rear.
The chapters dealing with the battles at St. Eloi I found particularly interesting, even though I don't think I had ever heard the name before. Like many of the Western Front's battles, it was a mess and nobody really knew what was going on as men fought in horrible conditions. Because of this mess, many men were removed from their command posts:
Snider's case was particularly sad. In early 1916, much of the battalion's fighting efficiency still relied heavily on the commanding officer. He not only organized training, but often led his troops into battle. The fifty-two-year-old Irvine Snider, a veteran of the North-West Rebellion of 1885 and the South African War, had not slept in six straight days and nights during the battle, as he desperately did everything he could to relieve the strain on his beloved boys caught at the St. Eloi salient. Having lost so many men weighed heavily on him, and according to his medical file, when he finally returned to his billet and saw his bed, he went "to pieces and broke down and cried." Snider was removed from command having been diagnosed as suffering from exhaustion and shell shock.
As shown above, Cook also makes great use of quotes from men that served, including both officers and the rank and file and in many cases he also informs readers of these men's ages, backgrounds and what happened to them during the war. I really liked this as it's not just a random, nameless person. You can look at the total numbers of men that served, or were killed or wounded and be amazed, but including biographical information reminds readers that these were individuals, and most of them volunteers with little or no military experience.
At the Sharp End really was an excellent read and there was never a moment that I didn't enjoy it. Cook has written quite an incredible piece of scholarship but keeps it extremely accessible to anyone who might want to pick it up. While the size may be a bit intimidating, especially considering this is only Volume 1, the book is not at all dense and flows very well. If you are looking at learning more about Canada in the First World War, I'm not sure you can do better than this. And I'm very much looking forward to reading the next volume and more from Cook.
April 19, 2016
No matter what Cook tries to apologize for, I still believe that Haig was a bombastic, grunting idiot, who was willing to trade thousands of men's lives for a few feet of blood-soaked, mud-splattered wasteland. Considering the attitudes of the time, I don't know if any other general would have found a different solution, but the Somme was a gigantic and unnecessary waste of men - especially after it became apparently the "big push" and the German breakdown wasn't going to happen.
Despite my opinions on the matter, Cook's first volume clocks in at just over 600 pages. While it may seem fit only for a doorstop, this history is anything but dense. It was very readable (despite Cook's tendencies to repeat himself on occasion) and very detailed. He tells the story of the Canadian soldier's involvement of the war from the perspective of the soldier himself, relying heavily on post-war memoirs and archival documents. He quotes extensively from these, giving otherwise unknown men a name and a face. These assist the reader on being right in the heat of battle, going over the top, dealing with the lice, the death, the boredom, and the rats.
If you ever read one book on the Canadian's in the Great War, make sure it's this one.
Despite my opinions on the matter, Cook's first volume clocks in at just over 600 pages. While it may seem fit only for a doorstop, this history is anything but dense. It was very readable (despite Cook's tendencies to repeat himself on occasion) and very detailed. He tells the story of the Canadian soldier's involvement of the war from the perspective of the soldier himself, relying heavily on post-war memoirs and archival documents. He quotes extensively from these, giving otherwise unknown men a name and a face. These assist the reader on being right in the heat of battle, going over the top, dealing with the lice, the death, the boredom, and the rats.
If you ever read one book on the Canadian's in the Great War, make sure it's this one.
January 24, 2021
A very dense thick book that as always seemed intimidating. But once you start it's actually quite readable weaving historical facts with the letters and stories of those who lived it. Volume one tells of the first half of the war, life in Canada before the war, developing the Canadian forces, training them and shipping them overseas and finally their trials by firing beginning with the first gas attack at Ypres. It's not an easy read, mostly because it's not an easy way of life. Stuck in the trenches living with fear, the mud, the filth, the stench, loneliness and boredom. Its graphic at times especially some of the pictures showing trench foot and the various wounds and vivid descriptions of rotting bodies discovered as men tried to find a small shelter to rest in. It's a frustrating read as well the incompetence of leadership, from Turner on the Canadian side to Haig who was in charge of the British and dominion forces and from what I've read really had no business being where he was. But overall the book details the bravery and fighting skill of the Canadians who started rough and tumble but eventually grew into a fierce and feared fighting force by the end of the war.
December 5, 2021
WW1 must have been terrible to experience. I've felt that from books and movies before, but Tim Cook continually injects stories of the men on the "Sharp End" in a way like I've never experienced before. You'd think a book about men getting out of trenches, charging machine guns, repeat would get dry, but not this one. One of the better WW1 books I've ever read.
October 27, 2010
The first of Tim Cook's two-volume history of the Canadian Corps in World War I is superb. Unlike many somewhat dry accounts of WWI and WWII, what makes this work such a pleasure to read are the many first-hand accounts of the courage, sacrifice, and suffering of Canadian soldiers "at the sharp end" of combat during the war - many of whom did not live to return home. The author is the curator of the First World War gallery at the Canadian War Museum and clearly spent a great deal of time examining the CWM's own collections as well as many other sources. Highly recommended. I'm starting volume two immediately!
December 20, 2016
If you are at all interested in WW1 and the role Canada played in it, this will provide you with the history of how they came together as a fighting force and what they had to endure just to take and hold small portions of the battlefields. Volume 2 awaits.
October 11, 2024
A brilliant analysis of Canadians fighting in World War I from 1914 to 1916.
Tim Cook, military historian at the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa, wrote a fantastic work on the subject. Starting around the beginning of the war in 1914 and ending at the Battle of the Somme (July–November 1916), the reader would learn of the history of the Canadian Corps, their views on fighting and living in France, weapons and combat effectiveness, generals and officers, and statistics of things such as casualties to production numbers. These topics are usually followed by context to avoid anachronism.
Further, Cook managed to use tools like quotes, statistics, diaries, pictures, maps, and more to illustrate the histories and lessons of the subject. From here, the reader can learn of the complexity, and unfortunately the gravity of the topics. In my case, I both learned a lot and could understand them as a military history buff, not to mention to a small extent as a historical reenactor of the War of 1812.
In conclusion, this work is the ultimate book to learn about Canada in WWI (1914�1916). It is over 500 pages, but if the reader can persist, the amount of information would teach one greatly.
I recommend it to all WW1 history buffs and Canadians, especially those interested in their military history.v
Tim Cook, military historian at the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa, wrote a fantastic work on the subject. Starting around the beginning of the war in 1914 and ending at the Battle of the Somme (July–November 1916), the reader would learn of the history of the Canadian Corps, their views on fighting and living in France, weapons and combat effectiveness, generals and officers, and statistics of things such as casualties to production numbers. These topics are usually followed by context to avoid anachronism.
Further, Cook managed to use tools like quotes, statistics, diaries, pictures, maps, and more to illustrate the histories and lessons of the subject. From here, the reader can learn of the complexity, and unfortunately the gravity of the topics. In my case, I both learned a lot and could understand them as a military history buff, not to mention to a small extent as a historical reenactor of the War of 1812.
In conclusion, this work is the ultimate book to learn about Canada in WWI (1914�1916). It is over 500 pages, but if the reader can persist, the amount of information would teach one greatly.
I recommend it to all WW1 history buffs and Canadians, especially those interested in their military history.v
February 1, 2017
Outstanding! Received this non-fiction history of Canadians in the Great War and could not put it down. Very compelling and in depth of Canadas involvement within the BEF offensive. This is volume 1 in a two volume set of books that cover the CEF from its training days to establishing itself as a very respectable fighting unit. The research is deep without being boring with enough emotional moments to make one wonder how anyone could even contemplate having to do this day in and day out for over four years! I say this for myself as last week I had to work in an environment that was brought on by a minor heat wave in January. I had to traverse a muddy area that was maybe ankle deep in areas. Bitching and complaining that my boots are caked and parts of my pants dirty I was now scraping the mud off my boots so I would not get my precious truck interior filthy. How profound. As I’m driving away I then realize how fortunate I am that I can work and drive in a country that I truly adore! I want to just leave with a quote by a captured German infantry soldier who had the misfortune to have had to deal with one of the four Canadian divisions: “The British they are good soldiers but the Canadians they are madmen�.
February 10, 2025
A thorough and engaging history of the Canadian forces on the Western Front, covering in great detail not just their initial induction into the war and the battles, but the culture (both before the Great War, and that formed in its crucible), their methodology of battle, resilience and more, with countless references to real-life letters and descriptions to back it up and keep it both grounded and personal. It is a difficult thing to balance both the small details, and nuances for such a conflict, while also capturing the overwhelming scale of it, but in "At the Sharp End," Tim Cook does it marvelously. If there was a detraction, it would be the slight tendency to retread or repeat ground, but even then it is a minor sin in the grand scope of this.
At The Sharp End is an easy recommend for any Canadian history buff, as well as anyone interested in learning more about the First World War, especially about a country that in the later years would become so crucial to the war effort. For history novels, this is the standard met and passed.
5/5 stars, a great read.
At The Sharp End is an easy recommend for any Canadian history buff, as well as anyone interested in learning more about the First World War, especially about a country that in the later years would become so crucial to the war effort. For history novels, this is the standard met and passed.
5/5 stars, a great read.
March 4, 2020
Superbly written history of this horrible conflict. The sheer horror is brought forth expertly by Tim Cook. What a savage and wasteful war and this book is an eye opener to anyone who reads it to the utter carnage for 4 long years. Truly unbelievable to imagine what these soldiers had to endure.
My Grandfather fought as a Canadian soldier in WW1 and somehow survived. He was with the 226th Battalion. I am still researching the whereabouts of his battalion during the war but perhaps the next volume of Tim Cooks will shed some light on this for me.
I think this book should be a mandatory read in our schools to show the younger generations what WW1 was all about.
My Grandfather fought as a Canadian soldier in WW1 and somehow survived. He was with the 226th Battalion. I am still researching the whereabouts of his battalion during the war but perhaps the next volume of Tim Cooks will shed some light on this for me.
I think this book should be a mandatory read in our schools to show the younger generations what WW1 was all about.
August 23, 2022
Amazing work of historical non-fiction. A lot of information, sure, but told in an engaging way. Cook wrote in a way that helps understood what the poor bloody infantry experienced day-to-day, helped by the accounts of the soldiers themselves.
One just needs to read this to understand what a pointless and idiotic and needlessly horrific war this was. I cannot fathom how anyone survived, or how any human being can send so many young, innocent boys to die for little gain.
That being said, this book just kicked off my WW1 phase and I'm trying to devour as many podcasts and books on this period as I can. So yes, I would recommend this to anyone interested in the Great War.
One just needs to read this to understand what a pointless and idiotic and needlessly horrific war this was. I cannot fathom how anyone survived, or how any human being can send so many young, innocent boys to die for little gain.
That being said, this book just kicked off my WW1 phase and I'm trying to devour as many podcasts and books on this period as I can. So yes, I would recommend this to anyone interested in the Great War.
October 10, 2017
A probably white and probably overweight man describing the war like it was yesterday. Only it wasn't yesterday, and he never participated. In exchange, he has the nerve wrecking experience of an air conditioned office and a decent pay at the end of each month. A guy who is ready to tell it all. It "addresses both success and failure among the Canadian forces". Success at over 61 thousands dead? An expensive enterprise, even for a rich country like Canada. And surely far worse than most things Canadians of today are forced to pay so the Government can prevent for them.
April 30, 2024
Impeccably researched and masterfully written, this was a devastating read that took me months to finish - much of the time I simply couldn't will myself to continue. It is graphic and brutal and heartbreakingly awful in its depictions of the conditions, battles, and aftermath of the first half of the Great War. The last ~quarter of the book focuses entirely on the Somme, and when the last page is finished and the numbers are put in front of you it's almost unbelievable in its horror. This was perfect.
September 10, 2019
Excellent overview of the Canadian Corps birth in the first half of the First World War, covering the begging of the war, recruitment and training in Quebec and England through to the early battles of 1915-1916 at 2nd Ypres, Festubert, St. Eloi, Mount Sorrel and the bloodletting on the Somme, particular the actions at Courcellet, Thiepval Ridge and Regina Trench.
Essential resource for anyone looking to understand the Western Front of World War I and Canada contributions to the war.
Essential resource for anyone looking to understand the Western Front of World War I and Canada contributions to the war.
March 10, 2020
One of the best historians of our time, Tim Cook transports us to the front of the Great War to the birth of Canada's identity underneath British rule. The accounts of battles are seamless and woven with the experiences of the soldiers that lived them. These books are easily consumed and stay with you. 10/10.
December 16, 2020
Key coverage of Canada is WW1
June 24, 2019
As Cook makes clear in his introduction, it is not an exhaustive look at Canada during the war. It solely focuses on the Canadian Corps, the army faction that fought; there is nothing about the air corps, navy, home front, and aside from brief mentions of Sam Hughes (minister of militia until 1916), no political details. As the title states, it starts from the Canadian entry into the war alongside the UK in 1914, and ends with the conclusion of the Battle of the Somme in October 1916.
The writing is very clear and straight-forward, and makes great use of quotations from memoirs and letters from soldiers at the front. Cook does a good job to present the horrors that the soldiers had to face, making constant references to the conditions of the trenches, often noting the presence of decaying bodies and human remains scattered about. Naturally, the artillery that characterised the front is also detailed, sometimes preceding the mention of the dead and wounded.
The individual is a constant theme throughout the book. As Cook makes heavy use of soldier's writings, he focuses on them at times; for example, in several instances he will go to lengths detailing how various soldiers acted during a battle, giving the reader a close-up perspective on how it felt. This has a certain effect, amplified as some of these accounts are closed by the somber note that the soldier was later wounded or, quite often, killed later on. Though Cook focuses on the front-line soldiers, he also takes time to detail the officer corps, noting the political aspects that gripped the leadership of the Canadian military to some extent.
Though heavily focused on the battles the Canadians took part in (Second Ypres, St. Julien, Festubert, Somme, to name some), Cook also spends a good amount detailing the other aspects of the war. Chapters explaining the construction and maintenance of the trench system, the rotation of units, their training, and the medical system are just some of the topics covered, giving a more rounded and nuanced impression of life for the soldiers
The writing is very clear and straight-forward, and makes great use of quotations from memoirs and letters from soldiers at the front. Cook does a good job to present the horrors that the soldiers had to face, making constant references to the conditions of the trenches, often noting the presence of decaying bodies and human remains scattered about. Naturally, the artillery that characterised the front is also detailed, sometimes preceding the mention of the dead and wounded.
The individual is a constant theme throughout the book. As Cook makes heavy use of soldier's writings, he focuses on them at times; for example, in several instances he will go to lengths detailing how various soldiers acted during a battle, giving the reader a close-up perspective on how it felt. This has a certain effect, amplified as some of these accounts are closed by the somber note that the soldier was later wounded or, quite often, killed later on. Though Cook focuses on the front-line soldiers, he also takes time to detail the officer corps, noting the political aspects that gripped the leadership of the Canadian military to some extent.
Though heavily focused on the battles the Canadians took part in (Second Ypres, St. Julien, Festubert, Somme, to name some), Cook also spends a good amount detailing the other aspects of the war. Chapters explaining the construction and maintenance of the trench system, the rotation of units, their training, and the medical system are just some of the topics covered, giving a more rounded and nuanced impression of life for the soldiers
December 20, 2020
I believe that this is the first Tim Cook book I've read and I have to say that it won't be the last.
As I have a Masters degree in history, I know how much research and work goes into writing a book of this nature. An incredible amount. I love the way that Cook seeks, and succeeds at capturing the Canadian military trials and triumphs at both the strategic and soldier on the ground levels.
Also, as a retired Army Logistics officer, I was blown away by the detailed information and visceral quotes that Cook gathered from primary sources and archive records. These men went through unbelievably horrific experiences that are all the more powerful because they are captured using their own words.
Overall, the book and narrative flow very well. While it is a bit weighty at 598 pages (includes 42 pages of endnotes, info on sources, as well as a good index and photo credits), I didn't find it at all onerous to read. I knew enough about the First World War to be dangerous, and even less about the Canadian role during the conflict. I now feel much more confident in my knowledge and many battles that I read about, which I had seen on regimental battle honours, mean a lot more.
I think that this book is well worth the time spent reading and is essential reading for anyone who has an interest in Canada's ground forces during World War I.
The quotes from letters makes this book a wonderful read.
As I have a Masters degree in history, I know how much research and work goes into writing a book of this nature. An incredible amount. I love the way that Cook seeks, and succeeds at capturing the Canadian military trials and triumphs at both the strategic and soldier on the ground levels.
Also, as a retired Army Logistics officer, I was blown away by the detailed information and visceral quotes that Cook gathered from primary sources and archive records. These men went through unbelievably horrific experiences that are all the more powerful because they are captured using their own words.
Overall, the book and narrative flow very well. While it is a bit weighty at 598 pages (includes 42 pages of endnotes, info on sources, as well as a good index and photo credits), I didn't find it at all onerous to read. I knew enough about the First World War to be dangerous, and even less about the Canadian role during the conflict. I now feel much more confident in my knowledge and many battles that I read about, which I had seen on regimental battle honours, mean a lot more.
I think that this book is well worth the time spent reading and is essential reading for anyone who has an interest in Canada's ground forces during World War I.
The quotes from letters makes this book a wonderful read.
January 27, 2013
This is a must read for anyone interested in the Canadian involvement in the first world war. It explores the period of 1914, when Canada mobilized for war, through the years 1915 and 1916, when the Canadian troops were organized under British commanders, and went through some of the most intense battles, using out of date, and frankly insane, tactics. Being told to advance through machine gun fire while working past barbed wire obstructions resulted in the deaths of thousands of young men, and the maiming of three times that number.
The book is quite long, but Tim Cook makes it very readable, and it goes into the details and explores a lot of history that is not commonly known ... how the Canadians arrived in England with boots so cheaply made they disintegrated in the mud, and the infamous Ross rifle, included because it was Canadian made, but that jammed under rapid fire, leaving the men without a weapon.
Well researched, well written. A must read.
The book is quite long, but Tim Cook makes it very readable, and it goes into the details and explores a lot of history that is not commonly known ... how the Canadians arrived in England with boots so cheaply made they disintegrated in the mud, and the infamous Ross rifle, included because it was Canadian made, but that jammed under rapid fire, leaving the men without a weapon.
Well researched, well written. A must read.
November 17, 2011
This is an exhaustive yet engage book covering the history of the Canadians in World War 1. This is the first of 2 two volumes. This first volumes cover the first two years of the war. All though there is a lot of information presented in this book, not once did I felt over overwhelmed reading it. In fact I felt the narrative was very engaging and entertaining. The quotes and snippets from the personal letters and journals of the solider in the trenches conveyed an emotional attachment to the story and made the whole thing more personal. For me the two volumes are some of the best examples of how to tell true history. As I said the volumes where informative, entertaining and personal. I have highly recommend this book to other family and friends. This is a good book to look into if your into history, war or are Canadian.
February 4, 2025
Been 2.5 years in the making, so tough to write a review on a book that I’ve been touch and go on since May of 2022 - but I’ll try.
Dr. Cook never ceases to amaze me - his ability to write a thorough history in an accessible and comprehensible way, it’s no wonder he’s why Canada’s foremost World War historian. The book offers a really solid personal outlook on the first few years of Canada’s Great War, with comprehensive analyses of Second Ypres (April 1915) and the Somme (summer/autumn 1916). He also sheds a strong light on lesser known battles like Kitchener’s Ridge and Monquet Farm.
The book dovetails nicely into volume two of Canada’s Great War, Shock Troops, which I look forward to reading. I’ve used this book in at least three essays/presentations and would perhaps recommend no other book but this for Canada’s “unknown� Great War years.
Dr. Cook never ceases to amaze me - his ability to write a thorough history in an accessible and comprehensible way, it’s no wonder he’s why Canada’s foremost World War historian. The book offers a really solid personal outlook on the first few years of Canada’s Great War, with comprehensive analyses of Second Ypres (April 1915) and the Somme (summer/autumn 1916). He also sheds a strong light on lesser known battles like Kitchener’s Ridge and Monquet Farm.
The book dovetails nicely into volume two of Canada’s Great War, Shock Troops, which I look forward to reading. I’ve used this book in at least three essays/presentations and would perhaps recommend no other book but this for Canada’s “unknown� Great War years.
August 17, 2011
This book made compelling reading as a flowing narrative and source of personal accounts. As one who had often overlooked the Canadian contribution to WW 1 this has been a real eyeopener to the extent and influence the Canadian Corp had in the battles in which they had participated. Also reveals how Canadian nationalism was forged in a storm of blood and iron leading to Canada moving from colony to nation. Really should be mandatory reading for all generations of Canadians to fully appreciate what those men and women we remember every November 11 went through.
July 29, 2015
Outstanding book! The definitive account of Canadian troops in WWI. This is volume one of a two volume set. More than just a blow by low account of Canadian battles. There are elements of social history here, as the author successfully explores the perspective of the front line soldiers. He also renders understandable the evolution of battle techniques through enlightening, and not well-known details (eg. artillery fuses). This is also a beautifully written and very readable book. Outstanding! Can't wait to read Volume 2.
February 9, 2009
The story of the Canadians fight in WWI from 1924 - 1916. Covers the raising of the initial Canadian contingent that went to become the Canadian 1st Division, as well as the subsequent formation of the 2nd, 3rd and 4th Divisions. A very good mix of operational history with the soldiers view in the mud of the trenchs of Ypres, St. Eloi, Mount Sorrel and the Somme. I'm looking forward to Shock Troops, Tim Cook's follow on to complete the history of the Canadians in WWI.
January 8, 2013
This is book one of two book series of Canadian in World War One from 1914-1916. I'm a history buff and a war buff so these books were something I really enjoyed reading. Tim Cook is the curator of the World War One Museum in Ottawa so he a great depth of knowledge on this subject and he shows it with details in put forward. The historical data is great, but also he wrote this to read like a novel, which made the historical aspect of the book so much more real and interesting.
November 23, 2013
This is by far one of the best Canadian history books I have ever read. Tim Cook's writing is easy to read and gripping. The research on this book is exceptional and allows the reader to at least have some type of image of the horror of life at the front.
For any fan of Canadian history this is a must read.
For any fan of Canadian history this is a must read.
April 29, 2014
This book covers the Canadian fighting between 1914 - 16 The book covers the Canadian Corps and the back ground fight to keep Canadian together instead of being used as replacements in British units. Covered in our battles at Ypees, Vimy Ridge, Sorrel and Ancre. We get a clear view of the men in the Corps. Where they came from. What they thought and the conditions they fought in.
March 20, 2015
Excellent work by Cook, the first of two volumes. Probably the best general work on the Canadian Corps since Desmond Morton's 'When Your Number's Up'. That said, it does cover a fair bit of ground that is familiar to anyone that has read extensively on WWI and the CEF. Still, he manages to make it readable and the excellent scholarship is evident throughout.
September 5, 2011
Difficult to read but an important chapter in Canadian history. Tim Cook is an amazing writer - blending facts with personal accounts from many soldiers as written at the time of battle. I am looking forward to reading the sequel - Shock Troops.
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