While I agree that the total friction varies as flow velocity squared, the author doesn't say that the
total friction is a maximum for fully turbulent flow; instead he says the
friction factor is a maximum. That distinction is the one thing which operates in the author's favor.
The Moody diagram, which plots friction factor versus Reynold's No., and by extension flow velocity, shows that the friction factor assumes a constant value which is independent of the Reynold's No. of the flow and hence the flow velocity for fully turbulent flow. That's what all those horizontal lines indicate on this diagram:
For a given value of relative pipe roughness, the friction factor takes on a relative maximum value somewhere in the transition zone between fully laminar and fully turbulent flow. Granted, the Reynold's No. at which the different types of flow appear seems to be somewhat arbitrary, having a minimum friction factor in the turbulent zone is quite obvious from the Moody diagram.