Synopses & Reviews
Apart from The Last of the Mohicans, most Americans know little of theFrench and Indian War also known as the Seven Years' War and yet it remains one of the most fascinating periods in our history. In January 2006, PBS will air
The War That Made America, a four-part documentary about this epic conflict. Fred Anderson, the award-winning and critically acclaimed historian, has written the official tie-in to this exciting television event.
In The War That Made America, Anderson deftly shows how the expansion of the British colonies into French territory in the 1750s and the ongoing Native American struggle for survival would erupt into seven years of bloodshed and unrest spreading from the backwoods of Pennsylvania to the high courts of Europe, eventually overturning the balance of power on two continents and laying the groundwork for the American Revolution. Beautifully illustrated, richly detailed, and utterly compelling, this is the story of how America as we know it today emerged from a series of fractured colonies and warring tribes into a nation ripe for independence and nobody tells this story better than Fred Anderson.
Review
"In this little primer about a little-studied conflict, Anderson, a meticulous historian, writes with intelligence and vigor. He has given us a rich, cautionary tale about the unpredictability of war then no less than today." New York Times
Review
"[An] excellent introduction to a complex, dynamic conflict that set the stage for the American Revolution." Library Journal
Review
"Lucid and swift-moving." Kirkus Reviews
Review
"The book was written to accompany the PBS television series of the same name....The advantages of the book include the opportunity to present complicated issues with greater nuance. The volume also has an excellent index and 70 black-and-white illustrations and 16 pages of color photographs." Pittsburh Post-Gazette
Synopsis
The companion volume to a major PBS documentary series is a vivid look at arguably the most pivotal war in early American history. Beautifully illustrated, this is the story of how America emerged from a series of fractured colonies and warring tribes into a nation ripe for independence.
Synopsis
The globe's first true world war comes vividly to life in this "rich, cautionary tale" (The New York Times Book Review) The French and Indian War -the North American phase of a far larger conflagration, the Seven Years' War-remains one of the most important, and yet misunderstood, episodes in American history. Fred Anderson takes readers on a remarkable journey through the vast conflict that, between 1755 and 1763, destroyed the French Empire in North America, overturned the balance of power on two continents, undermined the ability of Indian nations to determine their destinies, and lit the "long fuse" of the American Revolution. Beautifully illustrated and recounted by an expert storyteller, The War That Made America is required reading for anyone interested in the ways in which war has shaped the history of America and its peoples.
About the Author
Fred Anderson, professor of history at the University of Colorado, Boulder, is the author of Crucible of War, which was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award and won the Francis Parkman Prize and the Mark Lynton History Prize in 2001. Most recently, he was the coauthor of The Dominion of War.