Tim Cook, Renowned Canadian War Historian, Dies at 54
Tim Cook, the chief historian at the Canadian War Museum and one of Canada’s most respected military historians, has died at the age of 54.
The museum confirmed his passing on Sunday, describing Cook as “a passionate ambassador” for both the institution and Canadian military history.
“His contributions to the museum and to our understanding of Canada’s military past have been enormous,” said Caroline Dromaguet, president and CEO of the Canadian War Museum.
A Life Dedicated to Telling Canada’s War Stories
Over more than two decades with the museum, Cook authored 19 books that reshaped how Canadians understand their wartime past. His works explored everything from front-line experiences to the moral complexities of modern warfare.
Among his most acclaimed titles are No Place to Run: The Canadian Corps and Gas Warfare in the First World War and The Necessary War, both recipients of the C.P. Stacey Award for military history.
In his 2022 book Life Savers and Body Snatchers: Medical Care and the Struggle for Survival in the Great War, Cook revealed unsettling details about organ harvesting from fallen soldiers—a discovery that challenged long-held historical narratives.
“I could scarcely believe it,” Cook told CBC at the time. “It’s nowhere in our history books. It’s not part of our story of how we treated the fallen.”
A Scholar, Storyteller, and Educator
Cook’s most recent book, The Good Allies (2024), examined Canada’s evolving relationship with the United States during the Second World War — and drew striking parallels to present-day defence debates.
“We’re still trying to figure out how to pull our weight while maintaining our sovereignty,” he said in an interview last year. “We’ve been good allies, and those lessons still matter.”
Over his career, Cook won numerous accolades, including four Ottawa Book Awards, the Governor General’s History Award, and appointment to the Order of Canada.
The Canadian War Museum hailed him as the “pre-eminent military historian in the country,” and colleagues remembered him as a teacher, mentor, and tireless researcher who made complex wartime histories accessible to all Canadians.
The museum has not disclosed Cook’s cause of death.
