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

As I explained in my last few posts, a short while ago, I decided to do a straight reading up on the history of my country. Not by a series of biographies or of any particular event; but a simple march through the ages exploring all the eras of the United States of America. The biggest challenge is......more

Fred Anderson's Crucible of War is a sweeping chronicle of the French and Indian (Seven Years') War and its impact on both American and European society. Anderson posits that the war, often lumped together with the earlier dynastic struggles and interminable conflicts of the 18th Century, was in fac......more

The Crucible of War by Fred Anderson was a really good book on the Seven Years War; I would venture to say it is the gold standard on this subject. I feel I came back from this book with a more enlightened view on the Seven Years War, so I feel fulfillment for the amount of time I have spent reading......more

Excellent narrative history of the social, economic, and military aspects of the Seven Years War, in both Europe and the burgeoning Americas, and their role in sparking the American Revolution. Anderson’s narrative style is brisk, and he does a good job of keeping dense topics like the economics of......more