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 loom so large in Canada's identity—and should it? Tim Cook, Canada's foremost military historian and a RBC Taylor Prize winner, examines the battle of Vimy Ridge in April 1917 and the way the memory of it has evolved over a hundred years. Vimy is unlike any other battle in Canadian history: it has been described as the "birth of the nation." But the meaning of that phrase has never been explored, nor has any writer explained why the battle continues to resonate with Canadians. The Vimy battle that began April 9, 1917, marked the first time the four divisions of the Canadian Expeditionary Force fought together. 10,600 men were killed or injured over four days—twice the casualty rate of the Dieppe Raid in August 1942.

Cook has uncovered new material and photographs from official archives and private collections across Canada and from around the world. Many of these resources have never been used before by other historians, writers, or filmmakers.

This book is about more than a defining battle: it is a story of Canadian identity and memory, by a writer who brings history alive.

#1 NATIONAL BESTSELLER
Winner of the 2018 JW Dafoe Book Prize
Longlisted for British Columbia's National Award for Canadian Non-Fiction 2018
Runner-up for the 2018 Templer Medal Book Prize


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.

#1 NATIONAL BESTSELLER
Winner of the 2018 JW Dafoe Book Prize
Longlisted for British Columbia's National Award for Canadian Non-Fiction 2018
Runner-up for the 2018 Templer Medal Book Prize

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

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

Praise for Shock Troops:
"Cook has written what will surely be the definitive history of the Canadian Army in the First World War."—Edmonton Journal

Praise for The Madman and the Butcher:
"[A] masterful book."—Maclean's

"In The Madman and the Butcher, [Cook] tells at least two stories that deserve that overused word "epic"....An emotive writer....He has a playwright's ear for knowing when to let his subjects speak for themselves."—The Globe and Mail