"[Cook] has cemented his place in the top rank of historians. . . . He is painting a complete picture in [Fight to the Finish], from the muddy, feces-infested slit trenches dug in haste across northern France, to the gory operating theatres where the young men lived or died in agony, to the harsh [prisoner of war] camps in eastern Germany. . . . [Fight to the Finish and The Necessary War] should be on the library shelf of anyone interested in the story of Canada's Second World War, warts and all." —Ottawa Citizen

Praise for The Necessary War, Volume 1:

“A genuinely captivating work of historical reportage and analysis. . . . The Necessary War grapples with the question of how one lives knowing each day might literally be your last.” —The Globe and Mail
 
“A clear-eyed look at the successes and many failures of Canada’s early war effort, within the larger context of the international story and the situation of the times.” —Ottawa Citizen
 
“The Necessary War is the ultimate exploration of WWII and its impact of Canadians. . . . A thorough and engaging chronicle of a war that devastated the entire world.” —CBC Books
 
“I’ve read well-written books that explain this war from the government and military hierarchy’s persepctive, and equally crafted accounts drawing mainly from combatants’ and families’ diaries. The Necessary War excels in both areas.” —FFW Weekly