'Annexation and the Unhappy Valley represents what can be achieved when anthropologists turn their critical inter-disciplinary eye on the past. [...] it contributes hugely to our collective grasp of a key turning-point in Sindh’s history, as well as offering historians additional theoretical models and approaches with which to enhance their own disciplinary methodologies.'
Sarah Ansari (Royal Holloway, University of London), in: South Asia Multidisciplinary Academic Journal, Online since 10 March 2017. URL:
http://samaj.revues.org/4287.

'Today, only a few scholars can match Cook’s depth of knowledge when it comes to this, often overlooked, research field and his monograph is a crucial step for us to understand Sindh’s past and present. Notwithstanding somewhat technical parts, the author’s effort to link the plane of colonial decision making in the 19th century with the particular circumstances of the individual actors involved renders the book an intriguing read. In the Appendix, Cook speaks about this methodological decision when he emphasizes the importance of the “situatedness” of his historical sources. His historical-anthropological methodology (visible in the book’s title) not only allows deep insights into the protagonists’ complex life-worlds but also yields a capturing read.'
Jürgen Schaflechner (Heidelberg University), Itinerario, Vol. 42, No. 3 (2018), pp. 557-559, doi:10.1017/S0165115318000694