Crucible of war: the Seven Years' War and the fate of empire in British North America, 1754-1766 (1st ed.)

In this vivid and compelling narrative, the Seven Years' Warlong seen as a mere backdrop to the American Revolutiontakes on a whole new significance.

Relating the history of the war as it developed, Anderson shows how the complex array of forces brought into conflict helped both to create Britains empire and to sow the seeds of its eventual dissolution.

Beginning with a skirmish in the Pennsylvania backcountry involving an inexperienced George Washington, the Iroquois chief Tanaghrisson, and the ill-fated French emissary Jumonville, Anderson reveals a chain of events that would lead to world conflagration.

Weaving together the military, economic, and political motives of the participants with unforgettable portraits of Washington, William Pitt, Montcalm, and many others, Anderson brings a fresh perspective to one of Americas most important wars, demonstrating how the forces unleashed there would irrevocably change the politics of empire in North America.From the Trade Paperback edition.