Empires Collide: The French and Indian War 1754-63

by Ruth Sheppard (Editor)

The warfare of the French-Indian War was diverse, ranging from savage warfare in the forests and plains of the North American frontier to city sieges and open battles. The British Army struggled with the terrain and the tactics of the opposing American Indians. As the war progressed, the British Army learned from their allies, initiated reforms and eventually triumphed over the French and Canadians. The implications of this conflict reached across the world, contributing to the outbreak of the Seven Years' War in Europe and on the Indian subcontinent. This highly illustrated book charts the campaigns of the war, detailing the different troops raised and involved, the evolving tactics, the fortresses and battles.

Genres: History, Military History

272 pages, Hardcover

First published May 30, 2006

Reviews

[Dimitri · Rating 3 out of 5]

While you get an afwul lot of Osprey artwork for your buck, this compendium falls short as an overview of the Seven Years' War in North America - which ended 3 years prior to the global conflict. The abbreviated Men-at-Arms and Campaign titles intersect each other.

So, after the first clashes in the Ohio wilderness and the massacre at Fort william Henry, we pause to look at the tactics of French and British regulars, as opposed to the "forest guerilla" art of war practiced by the Native Americans and Canadian frontiersmen. Given that the latter were schooled on the plains of Europe and the former between the Acadian pines, it was clear who could learn a thing or two from who. Fort Duquesne already played out like a lake Trasimene in the woods; both standing armies responded by developping Light Infantry and, fiercely independent from your average redcoat, the famous Rangers.

The turn of the tide in 1758-59, however, was made with good ol' fashioned European methods: the siege of Louisburg's Vauban forts unlocked the gate to New France and similar rustic trenches made the Great Lakes untenable. Wolfe's famous scaling of the Quebec cliffs virtually decimated the capital's garrison with a single disciplined volley. The valiant storming of the abbatis at Ticonderoga by the Black Watch was hardly a novelty, either.

France had a miniscule manpower base to cover an enermous territory that no amount of metropolitan reinforcements could alleviate; Britain, by contrast, had superior numbers and a less interdicted transatlantic supply line... advantages that would be reversed during the American Revolution.

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read while on jury duty for state of NJ in 2006 when there was a state shut down due to financial issues. I scribbled note after note in the margins of this book and must have highlighted 80% of it....
In my way of reading there is no higher form of praise! Excellent

[Mick Maye · Rating 3 out of 5]

Covers the French Indian War which was the North American scene of the global Seven Years war. Concise and excellent

[David Haddon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice, brief overview of the French and Indian War in North America, with well presented Osprey artwork throughout.

Chapters are a little choppy, likely caused by compiling the contents from various previously published Osprey works. An extra week of focused editing might have

Perfect for someone looking for a comprehensive overview in a period of history that usually gets a page or three as a backdrop to the American Revolution.

[David Cuatt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, having read several other Osprey books about the French and Indian War a lot of this material was familiar to me. However, I did notice that details were often different, especially about battles. Overall I'd say it was a good introduction to the subject ( or a good review) and of course the illustrations were excellent as with all Osprey books.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book as an introduction to the French and Indian War. As well as the battles and details of the war it also covers the organisation and uniforms of the troops involved, with some excellent paintings of troops and battles that could be very useful for wargamers.

[Daryl Nichols · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everything you would expect from a book published by Osprey. Well illustrated, detail oriented and easy to ready.

This is a compilation of many of their other works on the French & Indian war so there is some duplication from other Osprey titles on the subject.

If you are interested in this period and enjoy the Osprey series, this book will make a fine addition to your library.

Recommend.

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fascinating time in history drily written.

[Steven]

Love anything by Osprey. Great visuals.