Crucible of War: The Seven Years' War and the Fate of Empire in British North America, 1754-1766

Fred Anderson

Feb 2018 · Tantor Media Inc · Narrated by Paul Woodson

About this audiobook

In this vivid and compelling narrative, the Seven Years' War-long seen as a mere backdrop to the American Revolution-takes 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 Britain's 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 America's most important wars, demonstrating how the forces unleashed there would irrevocably change the politics of empire in North America.

About the author

Fred Anderson is Arts and Sciences Professor of Distinction emeritus at the University of Colorado Boulder. His other books include A People's Army: Massachusetts Soldiers and Society in the Seven Years' War and (with Andrew Cayton) The Dominion of War: Empire and Liberty in North America, 1500-2000.

Paul Woodson has won SOVAS and AudioFile Earphones Awards, and has recorded close to 350 audiobooks in many different genres-including romance, fiction, history, biography, and mystery. A member of SAG-AFTRA, Paul received his BFA in acting from Boston University.