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History Canada

At the Sharp End Volume One

Canadians Fighting the Great War 1914-1916

by (author) Tim Cook

Publisher
Penguin Group Canada
Initial publish date
Sep 2009
Category
Canada, General, World War I
  • Hardback

    ISBN
    9780670067343
    Publish Date
    Oct 2007
    List Price
    $40
  • Paperback / softback

    ISBN
    9780143055921
    Publish Date
    Sep 2009
    List Price
    $30.00

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Description

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.

About the author

TIM COOK is the Great War historian at the Canadian War Museum, as well as an adjunct professor at Carleton University. He is the author of five other books, including Shock Troops, which won the prestigious Charles Taylor Prize for Literary Non-Fiction in 2009. He was also awarded the Ottawa Book Award and the J.W. Dafoe Prize for At the Sharp End. Cook lives in Ottawa with his family.

Tim Cook's profile page

Editorial Reviews

"Provides an intimate look at the Canadian men who fought in World War One.... An engrossing, moving experience." —The London Free Press

Praise for Vimy:
“There is no one better equipped to retell the Vimy story than Cook.” —The Chronicle Herald
“Through this book, Cook … cements himself as the nation’s premier military historian.” —The Vancouver Sun

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