What about Canada, eh? I've read many books about World War II. References in most of these books to the people from the Great White North usually amount to, "Oh, yeah and the Canadians were there, too." Tim Cook seeks to address these historical gaps in The Good Allies.

Cook is very successful when it comes to providing new information not covered in those other books I mentioned. The vast majority of the narrative focuses on Canadian Prime Minister King and the march towards war. To make a long story short, I learned a lot, but I did not enjoy the journey as much as I had hoped.

The book clocks in at over 500 pages. At the same time, it felt like a very high-level overview of Canada and World War II. Cook's research is excellent but there is no narrative tension and he tries to cover a lot of ground. For instance, Cook doesn't even get to D-Day until the very end of the book and it only takes up a few pages. While it is just one day in the war, the event is too hallowed to not spend more time on it. It's a symptom of Cook's attempt to jam everything into one book. The same issues happen with specific characters as well. The author tells us a lot about PM King, but often it is literally telling us things like, "Cook didn't like Churchill." I would much rather have a few quotations of King's showing us why as opposed to the other stating it. Show, don't tell.

Ultimately, if you want to learn a lot about Canada and U.S. relations before and during World War II, then this book will satisfy your need. It's a dry read but not without merit.

(This book was provided as an advance copy by Netgalley and Penguin Random House Canada.)

Tim Cook continues to be the foremost scholar of Canadian military history. The book is masterful in its account of the transition of Canada from cautious U.S. ally to full-fledged partner in the war effort. I most enjoyed the political commentary regarding the shift away from Britain and towards the US as Canada entered the post-war era. Essential reading for historians and general audiences alike.