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Vimy: The Battle and the Legend
A bold new telling of the defining battle of the Great War, and how it came to signify and solidify Canada's national identity
Why does Vimy matter? How did a four-day battle at the midpoint of the Great War, a clash that had little strategic impact on the larger Allied war effort, become elevated to a national symbol of Canadian identity?
Tim Cook, Canada's foremost military historian and a Charles Taylor Prize winner, examines the Battle of Vimy Ridge and the way the memory of it has evolved over 100 years. The operation that began April 9, 1917, was the first time the four divisions of the Canadian Corps fought together. More than 10,000 Canadian soldiers were killed or injured over four days--twice the casualty rate of the Dieppe Raid in August 1942.
The Corps' victory solidified its reputation among allies and opponents as an elite fighting force. In the wars' aftermath, Vimy was chosen as the site for the country's strikingly beautiful monument to mark Canadian sacrifice and service. Over time, the legend of Vimy took on new meaning, with some calling it the "birth of the nation."
The remarkable story of Vimy is a layered skein of facts, myths, wishful thinking, and conflicting narratives. Award-winning writer Tim Cook explores why the battle continues to resonate with Canadians a century later. He has uncovered fresh material and photographs from official archives and private collections across Canada and from around the world.
On the 100th anniversary of the event, and as Canada celebrates 150 years as a country, Vimy is a fitting tribute to those who fought the country's defining battle. It is also a stirring account of Canadian identity and memory, told by a masterful storyteller.
Why does Vimy matter? How did a four-day battle at the midpoint of the Great War, a clash that had little strategic impact on the larger Allied war effort, become elevated to a national symbol of Canadian identity?
Tim Cook, Canada's foremost military historian and a Charles Taylor Prize winner, examines the Battle of Vimy Ridge and the way the memory of it has evolved over 100 years. The operation that began April 9, 1917, was the first time the four divisions of the Canadian Corps fought together. More than 10,000 Canadian soldiers were killed or injured over four days--twice the casualty rate of the Dieppe Raid in August 1942.
The Corps' victory solidified its reputation among allies and opponents as an elite fighting force. In the wars' aftermath, Vimy was chosen as the site for the country's strikingly beautiful monument to mark Canadian sacrifice and service. Over time, the legend of Vimy took on new meaning, with some calling it the "birth of the nation."
The remarkable story of Vimy is a layered skein of facts, myths, wishful thinking, and conflicting narratives. Award-winning writer Tim Cook explores why the battle continues to resonate with Canadians a century later. He has uncovered fresh material and photographs from official archives and private collections across Canada and from around the world.
On the 100th anniversary of the event, and as Canada celebrates 150 years as a country, Vimy is a fitting tribute to those who fought the country's defining battle. It is also a stirring account of Canadian identity and memory, told by a masterful storyteller.
488 pages, Hardcover
First published March 7, 2017
28 people are currently reading
409 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 41 reviews
January 12, 2018
Sword-carrying girls, resplendent mounties, the assembled services of the Canadian armed forces in dress uniform under a canopy of banners... on their way home they made a memorable appearance at the Menin Gate on April 14, 2017. I caught them, having re-visited Vimy and its new museum in their wake, three days prior.
Time to read up. A centennial publication seemed ideal. It proved to be less than that.
The operative title word here is AND. The battle itself is wrapped up in 60 or so pages, which means there is little Alexander Turner
hasn't said before. Little.
Vimy saw the first use of a mature creeping barrage (the Somme had seen a few prototypes) courtesy of Alan Brooke, with the complete bag of tricks: sound ranging, forward artillery observers, muzzle flash detection. Infantry training shifted decisively from brigade to platoon level, with integration of Lewis guns to facilitate the attack on independent strongpoints.
The Royal Flying Corps (Canada had no independent air service) took on Von Richthoffen's Flying Circus and put the resulting degree of air suppremacy to good use: horse tracks and spent casings could betray the presence of hidden German cannon.
Byng's Canadian Corps avoided the customary shuffling of units within the BEF to create a strong identity under its capable division commanders (ex. 1st Division under Arthur Currie). 80.000 men strong, plus another twenty in reserve. The Lorette ridge at Souchez with its twin church towers provided a useful peeping ground into Vimy to create the scale models used in section training. As Byng put it : Chaps, you shall go over exactly like a railroad train or you shall be annihilated." Time was of the essence in brutal ways: small gauge railways helped alleviate the death of many horses by mud and apport the minimum of 225.000 liter water per day.
It faced 8000 Germans who protected the Lens coal bassin with a micture of Bavarian and Prussian formations, including Guard regiments. They enjoyed a good view to the front and good roads to the rear, but the narrow ridge made a textbook 10km checkerboard defence impossible. The number of reinforcements kept close at hand was equally limited by the number of abandonned villages to billet them in.
The LEGEND concerns itself in detail with the ever belated construction of the Memorial on top of a conspicuously flat portion of ridge; and with the rich symbolism carved into its painstakingly sought after marble - last used for a palace of Roman emperor Diocletianus.
The commemoration of Vimy tends to follow the same curve as that of the Great War in general. The state-orchestrated hero worship in the 1920's gave way to bitterness and pacifism in the 1930's. The site of Vimy saw a shocking yet surprisingly polite visit by Hitler himself. The 50th anniversary smelled of Donkeyism and there was emotional disagreement over the old red flag of the Dominion vs. the new Maple Leaf. The 90's gave WWI a piggyback ride on the popularity of the 50 anniversary of WWII in Europe, to make the 90th anniversary of 1917 an occassion only bested by this year's centennial, including the uneven collection of articles in "Vimy Ridge: A Canadian Reassessment".
It's all very interesting, but it does not emotionally resonate unless you are Canadian.
Time to read up. A centennial publication seemed ideal. It proved to be less than that.
The operative title word here is AND. The battle itself is wrapped up in 60 or so pages, which means there is little Alexander Turner
hasn't said before. Little.
Vimy saw the first use of a mature creeping barrage (the Somme had seen a few prototypes) courtesy of Alan Brooke, with the complete bag of tricks: sound ranging, forward artillery observers, muzzle flash detection. Infantry training shifted decisively from brigade to platoon level, with integration of Lewis guns to facilitate the attack on independent strongpoints.
The Royal Flying Corps (Canada had no independent air service) took on Von Richthoffen's Flying Circus and put the resulting degree of air suppremacy to good use: horse tracks and spent casings could betray the presence of hidden German cannon.
Byng's Canadian Corps avoided the customary shuffling of units within the BEF to create a strong identity under its capable division commanders (ex. 1st Division under Arthur Currie). 80.000 men strong, plus another twenty in reserve. The Lorette ridge at Souchez with its twin church towers provided a useful peeping ground into Vimy to create the scale models used in section training. As Byng put it : Chaps, you shall go over exactly like a railroad train or you shall be annihilated." Time was of the essence in brutal ways: small gauge railways helped alleviate the death of many horses by mud and apport the minimum of 225.000 liter water per day.
It faced 8000 Germans who protected the Lens coal bassin with a micture of Bavarian and Prussian formations, including Guard regiments. They enjoyed a good view to the front and good roads to the rear, but the narrow ridge made a textbook 10km checkerboard defence impossible. The number of reinforcements kept close at hand was equally limited by the number of abandonned villages to billet them in.
The LEGEND concerns itself in detail with the ever belated construction of the Memorial on top of a conspicuously flat portion of ridge; and with the rich symbolism carved into its painstakingly sought after marble - last used for a palace of Roman emperor Diocletianus.
The commemoration of Vimy tends to follow the same curve as that of the Great War in general. The state-orchestrated hero worship in the 1920's gave way to bitterness and pacifism in the 1930's. The site of Vimy saw a shocking yet surprisingly polite visit by Hitler himself. The 50th anniversary smelled of Donkeyism and there was emotional disagreement over the old red flag of the Dominion vs. the new Maple Leaf. The 90's gave WWI a piggyback ride on the popularity of the 50 anniversary of WWII in Europe, to make the 90th anniversary of 1917 an occassion only bested by this year's centennial, including the uneven collection of articles in "Vimy Ridge: A Canadian Reassessment".
It's all very interesting, but it does not emotionally resonate unless you are Canadian.
November 8, 2020
The first portion of the book deals with the actual battle to conquer Vimy Ridge and I certainly learned alot about this battle from the number of men lost, the strategies to defeat the Germans, etc.
The next parts dealt with the aftermath; from the competition to build the memorial (I didn't know there was one), cost overruns, the actual building of it; the issues with conscription and how the province of Quebec was against it & how the issues of Quebec versus the rest of Canada started that far back and that it is still continuing to this day. How WW1 was largely forgotten for such a long time and now that war and all others involving Canada and the efforts of our soldiers is being recognized one again.
This book mentioned other related books and I've read two of them; The Wars by Timothy Findley, Three Day Road by Joseph Boyden and one on my TBR list is The Stonecutters by Jane Urquhart.
A caveat I have is that all the men on my mothers side of the family fought in WW1 or WW2.
My grade 10 school field trip was through the battlefields of France (from Oct 29 to Nov 04, 1975), visiting battle sights, museums, "the beaches" and cemeteries in Lille, Vimy Ridge, Rouen, Caen, Compeigne, Reims, Verdun. My dad was in the military and was posted to Lahr, West Germany (as it was known then) from 1973-77, so going on that trip was an easy choice.
Highly recommend this book for anyone interested in Canadian history.
The next parts dealt with the aftermath; from the competition to build the memorial (I didn't know there was one), cost overruns, the actual building of it; the issues with conscription and how the province of Quebec was against it & how the issues of Quebec versus the rest of Canada started that far back and that it is still continuing to this day. How WW1 was largely forgotten for such a long time and now that war and all others involving Canada and the efforts of our soldiers is being recognized one again.
This book mentioned other related books and I've read two of them; The Wars by Timothy Findley, Three Day Road by Joseph Boyden and one on my TBR list is The Stonecutters by Jane Urquhart.
A caveat I have is that all the men on my mothers side of the family fought in WW1 or WW2.
My grade 10 school field trip was through the battlefields of France (from Oct 29 to Nov 04, 1975), visiting battle sights, museums, "the beaches" and cemeteries in Lille, Vimy Ridge, Rouen, Caen, Compeigne, Reims, Verdun. My dad was in the military and was posted to Lahr, West Germany (as it was known then) from 1973-77, so going on that trip was an easy choice.
Highly recommend this book for anyone interested in Canadian history.
March 12, 2017
Vimy is another outstanding book from Tim Cook. The first third of the book covers the Battle of Vimy Ridge itself, in a way that renders military strategy understandable to the average reader and also humanizes the story with moving personal accounts. The remainder of the book tells the equally interesting story of how Vimy developed over time into one of the most important moments in Canada's growth into nationhood. In other words, the importance of Vimy to Canada was not fully recognized at the time, but rather, due to a variety of factors, grew over time. One such factor was the construction of the most beautiful war monument in Western Europe on the Ridge. Cook tells the story of the monument itself very well. I can think of few better Canadian books to read in 2017, the year of Canada's 150th birthday and the 100th Anniversary of the Battle of Vimy Ridge.
May 20, 2021
Despite some of the other critical reviews that mention the actual battle is almost over looked, I thought this book was well balanced between the battle and the contemporary interpretation.
I learned a tremendous amount about the designing and building of the Vimy monument, the different interpretations of the battle over the last 100 years, and of the cultural impact that the battle of Vimy Ridge has had in Canada.
I learned a tremendous amount about the designing and building of the Vimy monument, the different interpretations of the battle over the last 100 years, and of the cultural impact that the battle of Vimy Ridge has had in Canada.
March 4, 2019
I cannot adequately emphasize the value of reading histories from one's non-native country. Cook's work discusses both the battle and the creation of the legend bolstering the Canadian narrative. The intertwining of the battle and the century-long weaving of its contribution to the creation of the Canadian story are important reading for anyone interested in history and the methods by which it is written / created. Excellent work Mr Cook!
February 26, 2017
A massively comprehensive history of Vimy - the battle, and its impact on Canadian self-identity. I received an early copy of this via netgalley. The book relates everything you'd care to know about the famous battle at Vimy ridge. While the battle itself is generally considered to be a minor one in most military histories of WWI, it has, over time, become a symbol of Canada's emergence as a nation, even though it was, at the time, still firmly a member of the British Commonwealth.
For Military history buffs, the battle itself only takes up the first 25% of the book. The rest is dedicated to the reaction in Canada to the battle, the desire for, and building of the incredible Vimy Memorial. The book leaves no stone unturned, even down to naming the quarry for the materials from which the memorial was constructed.
I think the book is particularly important for Canadians (or those, like me, whose forbears emigrated to the United States).
It's a well constructed, engaging narrative history with a singular focus. If you're interested in Vimy, or Canadian history in the early part of the 20th Century, and Canada's determination to forge a national identity, I firmly recommend it.
For Military history buffs, the battle itself only takes up the first 25% of the book. The rest is dedicated to the reaction in Canada to the battle, the desire for, and building of the incredible Vimy Memorial. The book leaves no stone unturned, even down to naming the quarry for the materials from which the memorial was constructed.
I think the book is particularly important for Canadians (or those, like me, whose forbears emigrated to the United States).
It's a well constructed, engaging narrative history with a singular focus. If you're interested in Vimy, or Canadian history in the early part of the 20th Century, and Canada's determination to forge a national identity, I firmly recommend it.
March 15, 2021
Great review of the actual Battle of Vimy Ridge but more on how it has been viewed in Canadian history ever since.
It is very informative to see how perceptions of the battle have changed over time.
An Order of Battle would have been useful as an appendix.
I really would like to read a German history of the battle but it really was not that significant from their perspective.
p. 39: Sir William Robertson: "Each war has its own peculiarities, but one would think that no war was ever so peculiar as the present one."
p. 113: 7,707 Canadians were casualties, including 2,967 dead, on April 9 and 10.
p. 123: "Of the 10,602 casualties over the four-day battle, 3,598 fatal."
p. 131: Crown Prince Rupprecht: "I doubt that we can recapture Vimy ridge .... This leads to the question: is there any sense in continuing the war?"
p. 136: "In early May, a few units refused to enter the line to continue fighting. The infection spread and by the time the Nivelle offensive was shut down on 15, a quarter of the army was in mutiny."
p. 148: "With a newfound confidence and a battle-honed attack doctrine, the Corps never lost another major engagement. In this sense, Vimy made the Canadian Corps' reputation, which it would build upon in future battles."
p. 161: "Four lay dead with several dozen were injured. English Canadians were killing French Canadians in the streets of Quebec City."
p. 180-1: Currie: "I do not think [Vimy] was the most outstanding battle, or had the greatest material or moral effect on the winning of the war."
p. 192: Peace memorial to the 1885 Northwest Rebellion at Queen's Park
p. 219: French Prime Minister Georges Clemenceau wrote to British Prime Minister Lloyd George on Versailles: "Come -- And bring your savages (Canadians and Australians) with you."
p. 230-1: Allan Donnell: "Important as the capture of Vimy Ridge undoubtedly was, it is perhaps as well for Canadians to realize that it was only one of a series of actions designed to dispossess the Germans of a number of outstanding positions, which, by skilful generalship, they had secured early in the war. The action was a step--a very valuable step--in the policy of attrition, which in the Somme battles seemed to prove was the wisest method at that time."
p. 254: A.F. Duguid: "Vimy was the greatest British victory since Waterloo."
p. 254: "Vimy may not have been Canada's greatest battlefield victory, but by the mid-1930s it was already established in Canadian history as the nation's most important battle, even before the memorial was unveiled."
p. 256: Prime Minister King did not attend the unveiling of the Vimy Ridge Memorial
p. 284-5: "The [William Lyon] Mackenzie statue, unveiled in 1940 at Queen's Park in Toronto, was greeted with much praise."
p. 303: "In [George] Stanley's subtitle, he also coined what remains the most famous phrase describing Canadians and their relationship to war: they were an unmilitary people whose history was filled with wars and conflict."
p. 313:
p. 315:
p. 322: "Vimy had been framed as Canada's birthplace, albeit one hundred years after Confederation and fifty years after the battle."
p. 345: "There are different war narratives for French and English Canada, and there are also different monuments to codify those stories."
p. 359:
p. 359:
p. 370: "Vimy's power is derived from a decades-long process of distilling the Great War into a single event, and then representing that event through an alchemy of memory, loss, and national pride."
It is very informative to see how perceptions of the battle have changed over time.
An Order of Battle would have been useful as an appendix.
I really would like to read a German history of the battle but it really was not that significant from their perspective.
p. 39: Sir William Robertson: "Each war has its own peculiarities, but one would think that no war was ever so peculiar as the present one."
p. 113: 7,707 Canadians were casualties, including 2,967 dead, on April 9 and 10.
p. 123: "Of the 10,602 casualties over the four-day battle, 3,598 fatal."
p. 131: Crown Prince Rupprecht: "I doubt that we can recapture Vimy ridge .... This leads to the question: is there any sense in continuing the war?"
p. 136: "In early May, a few units refused to enter the line to continue fighting. The infection spread and by the time the Nivelle offensive was shut down on 15, a quarter of the army was in mutiny."
p. 148: "With a newfound confidence and a battle-honed attack doctrine, the Corps never lost another major engagement. In this sense, Vimy made the Canadian Corps' reputation, which it would build upon in future battles."
p. 161: "Four lay dead with several dozen were injured. English Canadians were killing French Canadians in the streets of Quebec City."
p. 180-1: Currie: "I do not think [Vimy] was the most outstanding battle, or had the greatest material or moral effect on the winning of the war."
p. 192: Peace memorial to the 1885 Northwest Rebellion at Queen's Park
p. 219: French Prime Minister Georges Clemenceau wrote to British Prime Minister Lloyd George on Versailles: "Come -- And bring your savages (Canadians and Australians) with you."
p. 230-1: Allan Donnell: "Important as the capture of Vimy Ridge undoubtedly was, it is perhaps as well for Canadians to realize that it was only one of a series of actions designed to dispossess the Germans of a number of outstanding positions, which, by skilful generalship, they had secured early in the war. The action was a step--a very valuable step--in the policy of attrition, which in the Somme battles seemed to prove was the wisest method at that time."
p. 254: A.F. Duguid: "Vimy was the greatest British victory since Waterloo."
p. 254: "Vimy may not have been Canada's greatest battlefield victory, but by the mid-1930s it was already established in Canadian history as the nation's most important battle, even before the memorial was unveiled."
p. 256: Prime Minister King did not attend the unveiling of the Vimy Ridge Memorial
p. 284-5: "The [William Lyon] Mackenzie statue, unveiled in 1940 at Queen's Park in Toronto, was greeted with much praise."
p. 303: "In [George] Stanley's subtitle, he also coined what remains the most famous phrase describing Canadians and their relationship to war: they were an unmilitary people whose history was filled with wars and conflict."
p. 313:
p. 315:
p. 322: "Vimy had been framed as Canada's birthplace, albeit one hundred years after Confederation and fifty years after the battle."
p. 345: "There are different war narratives for French and English Canada, and there are also different monuments to codify those stories."
p. 359:
p. 359:
p. 370: "Vimy's power is derived from a decades-long process of distilling the Great War into a single event, and then representing that event through an alchemy of memory, loss, and national pride."
October 8, 2020
Vimy: The Battle and the Legend by Tim Cook is the history of the significant battle and what it meant for Canada on the world stage. Cook 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.
Every nation or organization, for that matter, has its turning point of when it became its own entity. For America, it’s 1776. For the US Marines, it was Belleau Wood in World War I. The thing is that certain events become associated with countries and groups even if there were other more important things going on. 1776 means little in comparison to the Treaty of Paris 1783 which recognized the United States as an independent country. The Marines at Belleau Wood had help which is usually not mentioned. For Canada, which gained independence, or self-rule, 150 years ago without much international fanfare, Vimy was the place where Canada was seen as separate from Britain. Vimy wasn’t the first victory for the Canadian Corps nor its most important, nor did it end the war. Nonetheless, it is the battle that is remembered. In US perspective, it is Canada’s raising the flag on Iwo Jima.
Germany was a strong adversary and once the war settled into trenches the Germans were difficult to beat. The German military was the best trained and most skillful land force in the war. It caused two casualties for everyone it took. The drain on France was very noticeable. To beat the Germans the allies either needed more people to lose through attrition or a better-trained fighting force. Canada provided both. The Canadian Corps had the reputation of being wilderness men � the roughest of toughest. Canada also had the advantage of being able to train and look at the previous battles with a fresh set of eyes. The Allies were putting bodies in the field to fill holes in the line without much training. They suffered nearly 87,000 casualties at the Battle of the Marne and 620,000 casualties at the Battle of the Somme. Military training became more of an on the job training.
Canada entered the war on the condition that it would be the Canadian Corps and not fillers for the British units. In addition to adding extra trained bodies to the war. Canada, at Vimy, did something rarely, if at all, seen in the war. It out-soldiered the Germans. It used information gained from all level of troops and planned and executed a military assault that beat the German defenses and planning. It was something that worried the Germans. It was not just a war of attrition as previously fought but an active and maneuvering war that had not been seen since the opening days. The Germans were being outmatched on skill, not just numbers. The Canadian Corps would be used in later battles as shock troops by the British. Vimy became the proving grounds for the newly created Dominion of Canada.
Cook provides a history of the Battle of Vimy with first-hand accounts and even a few “last letters home.� The work is well researched and documented. It is an important work not only for Canada but also those of us to the south. Canada’s contributions to the war, highlighted by Vimy, brought Canada to the world stage as its own nation. After the war, Canada demanded and received its own chair at the Treaty of Versailles. It had fought proudly side by side with the Allies and compared to the US and Britain sacrificed proportionally more in human lives. Vimy is the symbolic beginning of an independent Canada.
Every nation or organization, for that matter, has its turning point of when it became its own entity. For America, it’s 1776. For the US Marines, it was Belleau Wood in World War I. The thing is that certain events become associated with countries and groups even if there were other more important things going on. 1776 means little in comparison to the Treaty of Paris 1783 which recognized the United States as an independent country. The Marines at Belleau Wood had help which is usually not mentioned. For Canada, which gained independence, or self-rule, 150 years ago without much international fanfare, Vimy was the place where Canada was seen as separate from Britain. Vimy wasn’t the first victory for the Canadian Corps nor its most important, nor did it end the war. Nonetheless, it is the battle that is remembered. In US perspective, it is Canada’s raising the flag on Iwo Jima.
Germany was a strong adversary and once the war settled into trenches the Germans were difficult to beat. The German military was the best trained and most skillful land force in the war. It caused two casualties for everyone it took. The drain on France was very noticeable. To beat the Germans the allies either needed more people to lose through attrition or a better-trained fighting force. Canada provided both. The Canadian Corps had the reputation of being wilderness men � the roughest of toughest. Canada also had the advantage of being able to train and look at the previous battles with a fresh set of eyes. The Allies were putting bodies in the field to fill holes in the line without much training. They suffered nearly 87,000 casualties at the Battle of the Marne and 620,000 casualties at the Battle of the Somme. Military training became more of an on the job training.
Canada entered the war on the condition that it would be the Canadian Corps and not fillers for the British units. In addition to adding extra trained bodies to the war. Canada, at Vimy, did something rarely, if at all, seen in the war. It out-soldiered the Germans. It used information gained from all level of troops and planned and executed a military assault that beat the German defenses and planning. It was something that worried the Germans. It was not just a war of attrition as previously fought but an active and maneuvering war that had not been seen since the opening days. The Germans were being outmatched on skill, not just numbers. The Canadian Corps would be used in later battles as shock troops by the British. Vimy became the proving grounds for the newly created Dominion of Canada.
Cook provides a history of the Battle of Vimy with first-hand accounts and even a few “last letters home.� The work is well researched and documented. It is an important work not only for Canada but also those of us to the south. Canada’s contributions to the war, highlighted by Vimy, brought Canada to the world stage as its own nation. After the war, Canada demanded and received its own chair at the Treaty of Versailles. It had fought proudly side by side with the Allies and compared to the US and Britain sacrificed proportionally more in human lives. Vimy is the symbolic beginning of an independent Canada.
January 1, 2025
Certainly the best written of the four Tim Cook books I’ve read, I nonetheless found this conversely the least engaging. Most of that has to do with my imbalance of interest: I’m interested in the combat history and the subsequent political issues into the second war, but I’m not much interested in reflections on the way Canadians remember Vimy. Cook is good at simplifying situations for ease of explanation and he’s easy to read, but I have little interest in discussions of just how much the battle of Vimy ridge created or provided a unifying point for the idea of Canada as a new country. My great-grandfather fought there as a Highlander with the 85th Battalion and helped take Hill 145. He survived the war, came back to Montreal to his job at a bank, and died of a heart attack in his early 50s which the whole family blamed on the Great War. No one in my family ever suggested there was anything national-building about my great-grandfather’s experience. Our reflection on Vimy was always a blend of amazement and gratitude he had survived. Some pride at his actions on Hill 145 and the decoration he received for it. That was it.
I’m impressed that the Canadians were able to take Vimy Ridge, but I find collective pride in a group of soldiers succeeding in overwhelming another group of soldiers a flimsy thing to base ideas of nationhood upon. Even as a direct descendant of one of those decorated soldiers I don’t feel defined as a person by my great-grandfather’s combat experience, nor do I feel defined as a nation by the fact that he joined soldiers from across Canada in fighting side by side. That’s great, but short on dimensions as far as the essence of a nation goes. I learned values I know were handed down from my great-grandfather and some of these may have reflected or been derived from his experience doing things like killing four germans manning a machine gun with a rifle grenade he’d just learned how to fire without a grenade gun by making a small modification to his Lee Enfield rifle. Perhaps in that way the battle shaped the nation, grandchild by grandchild, great-grandchild by great-grandchild. But my feeling is that Vimy was a harrowing historical event, something it was worth celebrating anyone surviving, with some political import and some unifying power for some in the 20s and 30s.
I’m impressed that the Canadians were able to take Vimy Ridge, but I find collective pride in a group of soldiers succeeding in overwhelming another group of soldiers a flimsy thing to base ideas of nationhood upon. Even as a direct descendant of one of those decorated soldiers I don’t feel defined as a person by my great-grandfather’s combat experience, nor do I feel defined as a nation by the fact that he joined soldiers from across Canada in fighting side by side. That’s great, but short on dimensions as far as the essence of a nation goes. I learned values I know were handed down from my great-grandfather and some of these may have reflected or been derived from his experience doing things like killing four germans manning a machine gun with a rifle grenade he’d just learned how to fire without a grenade gun by making a small modification to his Lee Enfield rifle. Perhaps in that way the battle shaped the nation, grandchild by grandchild, great-grandchild by great-grandchild. But my feeling is that Vimy was a harrowing historical event, something it was worth celebrating anyone surviving, with some political import and some unifying power for some in the 20s and 30s.
March 14, 2021
These are generic comments, given that I finished this book about six weeks month ago.
The book is more than the title implies. It begins with the event: the background, preparation, the battle itself and the immediate aftermath. That's what you would expect from the title. The bonus material is about 2/3 of the book. The middle third (using my subjective division) covers the period up until the monument was dedicated in 1936. The final third takes us to the present.
The first third examines the battle itself, which I'm somewhat familiar with. It was a little briefer that I thought it would be. This is the birth of the Vimy legend (Cook's term).
As a very young institution, the Canadian Expeditionary Force was less affected by the fixed thinking of career armies, enabling leadership to think out of the box. In my view, this is the genius of the battle plan. Certainly any similarly-trained group of private soldiers could had pulled it off, but not with the officer corps and NCOs of European armies. It needed the "get 'er done" approach.
The middle third covered the genesis, design and build of the memorial. I thought this was a straightforward matter: big battle, nation-building event, create memorial. Lift the covers and you find the standard bickering and infighting.
Continuing my subjective division of the book, the final third is actually two chapters: "Vimy Contested" and "Vimy Reborn". I was dismayed at the extent to which Vimy has been misrepresented to the varying ends of different groups and politicized or ignored as needed by government. Ah, Canada! (I digress into editorializing).
I'm not a fan of interpreting history. Please stick to what is known and provable. Cook did do that. But he also showed that the event itself has been spoiled by decades of intermediaries who have reinterpreted Vimy to their own ends.
The book is more than the title implies. It begins with the event: the background, preparation, the battle itself and the immediate aftermath. That's what you would expect from the title. The bonus material is about 2/3 of the book. The middle third (using my subjective division) covers the period up until the monument was dedicated in 1936. The final third takes us to the present.
The first third examines the battle itself, which I'm somewhat familiar with. It was a little briefer that I thought it would be. This is the birth of the Vimy legend (Cook's term).
As a very young institution, the Canadian Expeditionary Force was less affected by the fixed thinking of career armies, enabling leadership to think out of the box. In my view, this is the genius of the battle plan. Certainly any similarly-trained group of private soldiers could had pulled it off, but not with the officer corps and NCOs of European armies. It needed the "get 'er done" approach.
The middle third covered the genesis, design and build of the memorial. I thought this was a straightforward matter: big battle, nation-building event, create memorial. Lift the covers and you find the standard bickering and infighting.
Continuing my subjective division of the book, the final third is actually two chapters: "Vimy Contested" and "Vimy Reborn". I was dismayed at the extent to which Vimy has been misrepresented to the varying ends of different groups and politicized or ignored as needed by government. Ah, Canada! (I digress into editorializing).
I'm not a fan of interpreting history. Please stick to what is known and provable. Cook did do that. But he also showed that the event itself has been spoiled by decades of intermediaries who have reinterpreted Vimy to their own ends.
September 30, 2017
The Battle of Vimy Ridge, to most of the world it is just a small battle that took place over Easter weekend 1917 as part of the larger British offensive (Battle of Arras). However to Canadians it has a deeper meaning, it is the battle that symbolizes Canada during the First World War and is thought of as the birthplace of the nation.
This book by historian Tim Cook outlines the actual battle, which had for the first and only time in the war all four Canadian divisions fighting together. The depiction of the battle is just a small part of the book, the majority of the book is spent explaining why and how the Battle of Vimy Ridge became so important to Canada. It goes onto to explaining how the magnificent monument that was built came to be, from the selection of the design, the struggle the sculptor had in getting the right marble, the dedication by King Edward VIII, and the restoration of the monument. Most importantly he covers why out of all the battles that Canada has fought in, Vimy Ridge is the one the resonates with Canadians the most.
If you are a fan of military history or just Canadian history in general I heartily recommend this book. I think you will enjoy it. The only complaint I have with the book is the pictures they used are fairly small, I would have preferred picture inserts that had full size colour pictures and more of them, however that is just a minor complaint and it doesn't really detract from the overall book.
This book by historian Tim Cook outlines the actual battle, which had for the first and only time in the war all four Canadian divisions fighting together. The depiction of the battle is just a small part of the book, the majority of the book is spent explaining why and how the Battle of Vimy Ridge became so important to Canada. It goes onto to explaining how the magnificent monument that was built came to be, from the selection of the design, the struggle the sculptor had in getting the right marble, the dedication by King Edward VIII, and the restoration of the monument. Most importantly he covers why out of all the battles that Canada has fought in, Vimy Ridge is the one the resonates with Canadians the most.
If you are a fan of military history or just Canadian history in general I heartily recommend this book. I think you will enjoy it. The only complaint I have with the book is the pictures they used are fairly small, I would have preferred picture inserts that had full size colour pictures and more of them, however that is just a minor complaint and it doesn't really detract from the overall book.
May 5, 2017
This is the third Tim Cook book that I've read, the first two being "At the Sharp End Volume One: Canadians Fighting the Great War 1914-1916" and "Shock Troops Canadians Fighting The Great War 1917-18", both of which I can't speak highly enough of. The finest history of Canadians in the First World War I've read. This book: "Vimy: The Battle and the Legend" is a much more nuanced book. Only the first third of the book concerns the actual battle. The majority of the book considers the meaning of the battle and how it has been memorialized. There is a lot about Albert Walter's Vimy memorial, and the time and effort to complete it. Then the pilgrimage in 1936 to dedicate it, just a few years before the next world war. He discusses the changing attitude towards Vimy through the decades since the battle. It really is interesting. As he states: "Canada was indeed forever changed by the Great War, but Vimy did not make the nation. It was the nation that made Vimy." To understand that, you need to read the book. It is especially poignant reading this book, because the same day I finished it, we visited the War Museum in Ottawa and saw the brand new Vimy exhibit. It also makes me recall my mother's father, who was wounded at Vimy Ridge during that very battle.
May 13, 2017
This is a fantastic book!
When I saw this new book about Vimy Ridge, I wondered what new could be said about the Battle. It turns out that for historian Tim Cook, the Battle is only the beginning (and takes up only about a third of the book). The real focus is on how the concept of the battle and the memorial itself at Vimy Ridge as a symbol for Canadians developed over the 100 years since the battle. Canadian societal movements are examined in detail, along with how they influenced the memory of the battle and how the memory of the battle influenced society. As Cook says, "The memorial is for the dead, but it is remade generation after generation by the living. Canada was indeed forever changed by the Great War, but Vimy did not make the nation. It was the nation that made Vimy."
The book is well written with excellent maps (a must when discussing the ebb and flow of battle). Although the chapters move back in forth in time to explore ongoing movements or themes in Canadian society, Cook never loses control of the narrative and the reader is never left wondering where in time she is or how events in one chapter relate to another.
A highly, highly recommended book - especially for Canadians as we celebrate our 150th year of Confederation in 2017.
When I saw this new book about Vimy Ridge, I wondered what new could be said about the Battle. It turns out that for historian Tim Cook, the Battle is only the beginning (and takes up only about a third of the book). The real focus is on how the concept of the battle and the memorial itself at Vimy Ridge as a symbol for Canadians developed over the 100 years since the battle. Canadian societal movements are examined in detail, along with how they influenced the memory of the battle and how the memory of the battle influenced society. As Cook says, "The memorial is for the dead, but it is remade generation after generation by the living. Canada was indeed forever changed by the Great War, but Vimy did not make the nation. It was the nation that made Vimy."
The book is well written with excellent maps (a must when discussing the ebb and flow of battle). Although the chapters move back in forth in time to explore ongoing movements or themes in Canadian society, Cook never loses control of the narrative and the reader is never left wondering where in time she is or how events in one chapter relate to another.
A highly, highly recommended book - especially for Canadians as we celebrate our 150th year of Confederation in 2017.
May 17, 2017
An interesting idea for a book: How did the legend of Vimy change over the years since 1917? Cook takes us through the battle itself, but just enough to set it down in front of us. Then he follows the drama around the building of the monument and its 1937 unveiling with King Edward VIII (one of his few public appearances during his short reign), and the pilgrimage of soldiers, widows and other relatives to the unveiling.
As Canada became more independent of Britain, Vimy took on the label of the "birth of a nation". During the 1960s it became of less interest to a society that was tried of the Vietnam War. But in recent years as Canadians' pride in their military in Afghanistan increased so too did the interest in Vimy.
He shows why the conscription crisis has meant that Vimy is hardly known in Quebec.
He retells the story of the King-Byng affair. It was Lord Byng who led the attack on Vimy and who subsequently became our Governor General. Cook reminds us that some argue that Byng was only doing his job when he wouldn't let Mackenzie King form the government and that Mackenzie King acted quite dishonorably.
All in all a great companion to the study of Canadian history since WWl.
As Canada became more independent of Britain, Vimy took on the label of the "birth of a nation". During the 1960s it became of less interest to a society that was tried of the Vietnam War. But in recent years as Canadians' pride in their military in Afghanistan increased so too did the interest in Vimy.
He shows why the conscription crisis has meant that Vimy is hardly known in Quebec.
He retells the story of the King-Byng affair. It was Lord Byng who led the attack on Vimy and who subsequently became our Governor General. Cook reminds us that some argue that Byng was only doing his job when he wouldn't let Mackenzie King form the government and that Mackenzie King acted quite dishonorably.
All in all a great companion to the study of Canadian history since WWl.
December 5, 2024
I have been reading other books on Vimy as part of my research for a novel. I would rate it 4.5, but there are no half stars in this rating system. I had just finished reading Shane Schreiber's excellent book on the Canadian Corps Hundred Days campaign, so this was a nice deep dive on what was already covered.
I really enjoyed Tim Cook's book as it had some great primary research on what the soldiers and leaders all thought about the battle before and after. As well, I appreciated the analysis of the slow drift of the legend of Vimy over the years.
I like big, thorough books. However, as I was doing research, it took me a lot longer to go through it and some sections I had a re-read a couple of times to make sure I was clear on some points. As a veteran, I really appreciated the references forward, as well as back to the battle to include more perspective on how this battle ranks in Canadian military history.
The one thing keeping me from rating this a perfect 5 is that I thought that the final chapter was a bit repetitive and could have been shortened. But I get why it has as much as it does.
Overall, I thought it was a great book and strongly recommend it for people who want to read about the battle for Vimy Ridge and its long-term impact on Canada and Canadians.
I really enjoyed Tim Cook's book as it had some great primary research on what the soldiers and leaders all thought about the battle before and after. As well, I appreciated the analysis of the slow drift of the legend of Vimy over the years.
I like big, thorough books. However, as I was doing research, it took me a lot longer to go through it and some sections I had a re-read a couple of times to make sure I was clear on some points. As a veteran, I really appreciated the references forward, as well as back to the battle to include more perspective on how this battle ranks in Canadian military history.
The one thing keeping me from rating this a perfect 5 is that I thought that the final chapter was a bit repetitive and could have been shortened. But I get why it has as much as it does.
Overall, I thought it was a great book and strongly recommend it for people who want to read about the battle for Vimy Ridge and its long-term impact on Canada and Canadians.
May 23, 2018
Another fascinating read by one of Canada’s great historian writers of Canadian military. Having this book on my physical tbr shelf, I cracked the cover on this the 101st anniversary of Canadians recognition of The Battle of Vimy. I have read a couple of books on this battle by other fine Canadian historians but I must say that Mr. Cook did a very pleasing job of not only describing the conflict and battle itself but the impact this 72 hour confrontation had on the Canadian psyche. This book goes beyond the last shot fired on 11 11 1918 and what Vimy has meant for Canadians ever since. From an individual soldier’s thoughts to building one of the world’s most elegant memorials and their stories, this author does a great job of informing the reader of the feelings going through the people of this time. With centennial ceremonies happening now regarding The Great War, this is a most highly recommended from me!
March 10, 2017
To stand on Vimy Ridge in the shadow of the memorial is to recognize that few other places in the world can make Canadians feel so proud. One also feels the weight of history and the presence of the dead. There is a palpable confluence of what we would like to forget and what we must remember. The ghosts walk this soil, as they did in Allward’s dream, through the claustrophobic tunnels, treading carefully across the cratered battlegrounds, and with the faint touch of fingers on engraved names of the fallen. Vimy is also a place of enormous beauty. The pylons soar to the blue beyond, and the sculptures are intricate in their lines and evocative in their meanings. The creamy white and warm stone provokes strong emotion. The historical inscriptions are minimal, but the names of the missing 11,285 are monumental. Those searing marks in honour of the fallen are thousands of small scars on the stone, a reminder of the terrible loss and grief of the Great War. Tears come easily while standing on the memorial. These are not tears of uncontrollable grief but tears of something else, something more profound. They are the tears invoked by the memory of a grandfather, by a few lines from McCrae’s “In Flanders Fields,� and even by a surprising flash of patriotism. There is a power in the Vimy legend—the ridge, the memorial, the meaning—that is not easily put into words. The memorial is for the dead, but it is remade generation after generation by the living. Canada was indeed forever changed by the Great War, but Vimy did not make the nation. It was the nation that made Vimy.
Wow. I mean, seriously.... Just that one quote I shared with you, just now. In my opinion, that one quote alone is worth the four stars Cook's book earned in my eyes. Vimy: the Battle and the Legend goes above and beyond what anyone other history book I have read on this infamous battle does. Not only does it explore the battle itself, it also explores the aftermath of Vimy, and what Vimy really means to Canadians.
This is such a great read for history nerds like myself, because it doesn't limit itself to just the battle. Vimy: the Battle and the Legend goes further than 1917; it pushes past the typical World War One facts and examines the far-reaching impact Vimy has had on Canada as a national country, and also as an international power. Four stars for sure!
May 30, 2020
4.5 stars. If you want the real feel of the battle, and be in the trenches with the men who fought it, Pierre Burton's book is what you want. This version gives a well written, if slightly drier and obviously more scholarly view of the battle. It nicely brings the German perspective in to round out the story. I was surprised how little of the book covers the events of April 9-12, 1917 (4 out of 14 chapters). However, it does continue with the story of how the battle and the monument came to be fixed in the Canadian psyche. As always Tim Cook has written a very good and interesting book. He manages never to fall into the trap of being a deliverer of dry facts, but is truly a storyteller. I might have given 5 stars had I not read Burton's incredibly moving book first, from which I am still reeling.
May 2, 2019
What a wonderful book for your library. The author examines the Battle of Vimy Ridge in detail why we should care about what happened at Vimy. So many young men died. The book also unravels the constructed legend of Vimy during the 100 years that followed.
The Vimy Memorial with its white almost luminescent stone stands on the ramparts of a ridge in northeastern France, a site of mass killing and myth-making ... In April of 1917, it was the Canadian Corps that assaulted the seemingly impregnable position and delivered victory. It cost close to 3600 Canadian lives during the four-day battle that raged from April 9 to 12.
Vimy has been reframed, reconstructed and reimagined over time. Photographs included complete this book.
The Vimy Memorial with its white almost luminescent stone stands on the ramparts of a ridge in northeastern France, a site of mass killing and myth-making ... In April of 1917, it was the Canadian Corps that assaulted the seemingly impregnable position and delivered victory. It cost close to 3600 Canadian lives during the four-day battle that raged from April 9 to 12.
Vimy has been reframed, reconstructed and reimagined over time. Photographs included complete this book.
August 26, 2017
Very good. Clear, informed, focused description and discussion. The battle description is sprinkled with quotations from soldier participants. Cook then tells the reader what happened to the individuals quoted. In many cases they didn't live much longer. The chapters on the construction of the great memorial, and of the changing place of the battle in national memory and the rhetoric of politicians, were also interesting and I thought well done.
There are several battlefield maps, which helped me to follow the material on the battle itself, but (as usual) I would have preferred more and better ones.
There are several battlefield maps, which helped me to follow the material on the battle itself, but (as usual) I would have preferred more and better ones.
June 15, 2017
History - an interesting book on the role of the Canadian army in this battle. Cook addresses the oft mentioned trope that winning this battle set up Canada as a nation. Terrifying detail on the slaughter and terror that was the attack on the ridge. It was sad to see how the sacrifice made by our troops became so political later on in history.
Lots and lots of Canadian references.
No pharmacy references.
Lots and lots of Canadian references.
No pharmacy references.
May 16, 2017
A solid overview of the battle itself, and it's ever-mutating legacy. This is a very balanced look at something that has become mythic, yet doesn't shy away from the negative effects on Canadian history and culture, particularly in Quebec. An enjoyable read, and a useful tool for my history classes.
December 25, 2017
I like Tim Cook as a masterful historian of the Great War, but in Vimy he has gone well beyond that. This is the story of the battle, but it's also a history of the the meaning of Vimy itself, as our defining national myth, from the creation of Alward's amazing memorial to this year's 100th anniversary. Each generation of Canadians recreates Vimy, giving it a lasting relevance.
July 12, 2024
Since I moved to China I haven't been reading very much. This is partly because of an awful work schedule that doesn't leave me much free time. Also, I'm kind of limited to what ebooks I can get through my library. I find that these apps don't carry much in terms of non-fiction so I'm mostly stuck with fiction that I usually don't enjoy and have no idea how to review.
All that being said, I was very pleased to see Tim Cook's Vimy available. Now, I definitely prefer a hard-copy but it felt so good starting this. It had an introduction, a clearly defined thesis and purpose, endnotes! In a matter of pages I was already highlighting things and making notes. Nothing better than reading a good history book.
I am familiar with Cook's writing. I read both volumes of his incredible books about Canada in the First World War. I also read The Butcher's Tale about Sam Hughes and Arthur Currie. I was a bit less impressed with the latter, but still found it an enjoyable read. So going into this, I was looking forward to what Cook had to say about Vimy. The book is focused on why this battle in particular is so important to Canadians and how its meaning/importance has changed over time.
To begin, Cook offers readers a lead-up to the battle by providing some context. He goes over the situation prior to 1917 and the formation of the Canadian Corps. Moving forward to March 1917, a plan had been created for the Canadians' assault on the ridge. The German occupants had a prime location looking over the field, making the coming attack extremely difficult for the Canadians. Preparations for the battle were extensive, from troop training, to constructing roads and tunnels, to raiding. The Corps' innovative leadership determined that a creeping barrage was to lead the infantry - all four divisions would be working together. The battle is detailed throughout Chapter 4, 'Over the Top.' Cook does a great job balancing giving a detailed account of troop movements and objectives while keeping it very readable. He also uses plenty of first-hand accounts to really help bring his re-telling to life.
Some readers might think one chapter isn't enough to devote to the battle itself. However, it's really the aftermath that is the focus of the book. Cook begins with the immediate aftermath, such as dealing with the wounded and solidifying the Canadians' position, and then utilizes the rest of the book to examine how Canadians have viewed, remembered and reshaped the Vimy battle until present day. What Vimy meant in 1920 was not the same in 1960, and that was not the same in 2007. The importance of the site, and the Great War as well, has waxed and waned over time.
Another key topic in the book is the creation of the memorial at Vimy Ridge. This acted as a way to honour the dead, but also to mark the place that many deemed a unifying experience for the country - Canada's 'birth of a nation.' It was a marker for Canada's success and sacrifice, and again became a way for the nation to come together and remember the war. Indeed, it is "a contested space and idea, one that is infused with grief and sorrow and with pride and celebration." The memorial remains an enduring symbol in Canada - its image is on our money and even in our passports.
So yes, the majority of the book deals with the legend of Vimy and its memorial over the 100 years since the battle. Cook covers this in detail. Admittedly, there were parts I chose to skim but that whole section of the book really was well done. What did Vimy mean during the Depression? After World War II? How did politicians use and shape the battle and memorial site? It's all covered. Very, very interesting.
This was an excellent book. It might not overtake At the Sharp End/Shock Troops as my favourite book by the author, but I really did enjoy it. While I'd recommend it to anyone interested in World War I or military history, I think it's particularly important for Canadians. I don't think it's enough to merely read about the battle itself, we should also understand how we've remembered it and why.
I remember when I was in the army reserves driving up to Meaford, ON for basic training. Most of my 5-hour drive was spent on the 401, but after getting off I had to drive through lots of farmland. As I got closer to Owen Sound, I passed through all these small towns. I clearly remember seeing different World War I memorials along the way - one in particular sticks out in mind. Even in these tiny, insignificant towns, World War I was felt and remembered.
All that being said, I was very pleased to see Tim Cook's Vimy available. Now, I definitely prefer a hard-copy but it felt so good starting this. It had an introduction, a clearly defined thesis and purpose, endnotes! In a matter of pages I was already highlighting things and making notes. Nothing better than reading a good history book.
I am familiar with Cook's writing. I read both volumes of his incredible books about Canada in the First World War. I also read The Butcher's Tale about Sam Hughes and Arthur Currie. I was a bit less impressed with the latter, but still found it an enjoyable read. So going into this, I was looking forward to what Cook had to say about Vimy. The book is focused on why this battle in particular is so important to Canadians and how its meaning/importance has changed over time.
Vimy is a battleground of remembrance and forgetting, of constitution and reconstitution, of myth-making and nation-forging. It is a place of past sorrows and future hopes, at once tied to the Great War and to the larger history of Canada determining its own course and place in the world.
To begin, Cook offers readers a lead-up to the battle by providing some context. He goes over the situation prior to 1917 and the formation of the Canadian Corps. Moving forward to March 1917, a plan had been created for the Canadians' assault on the ridge. The German occupants had a prime location looking over the field, making the coming attack extremely difficult for the Canadians. Preparations for the battle were extensive, from troop training, to constructing roads and tunnels, to raiding. The Corps' innovative leadership determined that a creeping barrage was to lead the infantry - all four divisions would be working together. The battle is detailed throughout Chapter 4, 'Over the Top.' Cook does a great job balancing giving a detailed account of troop movements and objectives while keeping it very readable. He also uses plenty of first-hand accounts to really help bring his re-telling to life.
Some readers might think one chapter isn't enough to devote to the battle itself. However, it's really the aftermath that is the focus of the book. Cook begins with the immediate aftermath, such as dealing with the wounded and solidifying the Canadians' position, and then utilizes the rest of the book to examine how Canadians have viewed, remembered and reshaped the Vimy battle until present day. What Vimy meant in 1920 was not the same in 1960, and that was not the same in 2007. The importance of the site, and the Great War as well, has waxed and waned over time.
Another key topic in the book is the creation of the memorial at Vimy Ridge. This acted as a way to honour the dead, but also to mark the place that many deemed a unifying experience for the country - Canada's 'birth of a nation.' It was a marker for Canada's success and sacrifice, and again became a way for the nation to come together and remember the war. Indeed, it is "a contested space and idea, one that is infused with grief and sorrow and with pride and celebration." The memorial remains an enduring symbol in Canada - its image is on our money and even in our passports.
So yes, the majority of the book deals with the legend of Vimy and its memorial over the 100 years since the battle. Cook covers this in detail. Admittedly, there were parts I chose to skim but that whole section of the book really was well done. What did Vimy mean during the Depression? After World War II? How did politicians use and shape the battle and memorial site? It's all covered. Very, very interesting.
This was an excellent book. It might not overtake At the Sharp End/Shock Troops as my favourite book by the author, but I really did enjoy it. While I'd recommend it to anyone interested in World War I or military history, I think it's particularly important for Canadians. I don't think it's enough to merely read about the battle itself, we should also understand how we've remembered it and why.
The Great War armistice on November 11, 1918 ended the killing on the Western Front, but the reverberations of those deaths, the mass trauma of more than 66,000 lost Canadians, has echoed through history. Canada was a nation of fewer than eight million... One can scarcely imagine the grief, as every city, town, village, and hamlet mourned for the boys and young and middle-aged men who marched off to war, never to return.
I remember when I was in the army reserves driving up to Meaford, ON for basic training. Most of my 5-hour drive was spent on the 401, but after getting off I had to drive through lots of farmland. As I got closer to Owen Sound, I passed through all these small towns. I clearly remember seeing different World War I memorials along the way - one in particular sticks out in mind. Even in these tiny, insignificant towns, World War I was felt and remembered.
December 1, 2019
A place in the world where Canada became a nation, this book should be read by every Canadian. Vimy a spot of land, never ever to be forgotten by future Canadians, this book tells you why. While I read this book I had two medals from the great grandfather by my side given during the Great war. This memorial belongs to Canadians an no other. A must read as well as others written by Tim Cook.
April 3, 2021
Very well balanced analysis of the reactions for the Vimy legacy and national ambivalence towards Vimy in terms of both knowing about it and attributing significance. The ebb and flow of Vimy’s legacy and the reasons for it are well placed and the place of Vimy and WWI in general in Quebec and with other identifiable groups is well done.
April 27, 2021
This book was really well written. Definitely not a light read, but an important one. It was done in a way that you could understand the military tactics and also empathize with Canadians in the decades after the battle.
May 31, 2017
Really thorough and finely written history of not only the battle but the reaction to it and how its importance/relevance has grown and waned over the years. Well worth reading.
July 11, 2017
very informative
July 13, 2017
A fascinating book, about the Battle of Vimy Ridge, which was fought 100 years ago on April 9, 1917.
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