# Centenary of World War I - Tim Cook's books on the Canadian Corps



## Red 6 (16 Jun 2016)

For the past several years, I've been studying the British Expeditionary Force in-depth. (My wife might well replace that word with 'obsessively.') I began the journey with a fuzzy idea of reading about the BEF's early days in 1914, and also deployment of cavalry on the Western Front. My viewpoint at the time was American-centric, especially in regard to the war's climatic battles of 1918. Along the way, any number of my preconceived notions have been pretty much been demolished, basically everything I thought I knew about the war. 

As part of the centenary of the war, I've been re-reading some of my favorite books that have helped to redefine how I see the Western Front. Among the books that I've recently finished are Tim Cook's outstanding books _At the Sharp End_, and _Shock Troops_. Both of these books have been noted before on Army.ca, but from what I could find, the threads were a long while ago. Rereading the books, I was again struck by the author's ability to weave operational and tactical history, along with individual stories that support the narrative. Not only is it a gripping story, but also full of good information. 

As a retired soldier, I feel these two books are especially pertinent to currently serving soldiers. From operational planning, logistics, right down to section and platoon tactics, there are countless lessons to be gleaned within the volumes. Most especially, the stories of individual Canadian soldiers and their units is absolutely awe inspiring. Having read countless military history books, I will say that _At the Sharp End_, and _Shock Troops_ are two of the best examples of the genre.


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