The French and Indian War - by Walter R Borneman (Paperback)

About the Book

This narrative history of epic 18th-century wilderness battles and pre-Revolutionary rumblings of independence presents the triumphs and tragedies of this frontier struggle. 8-page B&W insert. 15 maps.

From the Back Cover

In the summer of 1754, deep in the wilderness of western Pennsylvania, a very young George Washington suffered his first military defeat, and a centuries-old feud between Great Britain and France was rekindled. The war that followed would be fought across virgin territories, from Nova Scotia to the forks of the Ohio River, and it would ultimately decide the fate of the entire North American continent--not just for Great Britain and France but also for the Spanish and Native American populations.

Noted historian Walter R. Borneman brings to life an epic struggle for a continent--what Samuel Eliot Morison called "truly the first world war"--and emphasizes how the seeds of discord sown in its aftermath would take root and blossom into the American Revolution.

Review Quotes

"Without question this is the best popular account of the last war fought between the United States and Great Britain that is little known by Americans today. In a gripping narrative the author not only explains the importance of the War of 1812 but vividly recreates its exciting land and sea battles, concluding with the stunning victory won by a rag-tag American army in New Orleans." - Robert V. Remini, author of The Life of Andrew Jackson
"Thoroughly readable . . . this sound introduction will propel those whose curiosity is piqued to read further in all directions." - Publishers Weekly
"This is the most accessible of all the Alaska histories." - Anchorage Chronicle
"This is narrative history told in superlatives. We meet waves of insistent humanity: Alaska Natives, fur hunters, river explorers, dogsled drivers, and incurable gold hunters (women included). Worst of all are the dripping oil tankers bigger than football fields. Can today's environmentalists slow down any of this headlong rush while maintaining the allurements of exploitation? Form your own answer as you thumb through Walter Borneman's gripping pages and crisp maps." - David Lavender, author of Land of Giants: The Drive the Pacific Northwest
"Often referred to as the Last Frontier, Alaska has captivated the imagination of many over the centuries. Western writer Borneman has done an excellent job of describing why this fascination exists....Engaging chapters detail the important events and those who helped shape Alaska's history. Of note are the fascinating sections on Alaska's important contributions to the Allied victory in World War II and the 1964 Good Friday earthquake. This expansive, comprehensive history is recommended." - Library Journal
"Mr. Borneman's book . . . is colorful and replete with anecdotes of those who became famous: Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry, who won Lake Eerie; David Farragut, who would later damn the torpedoes at Mobile Bay; President Madison, who had declared war on Britain." - Peter Worthington, The Wall Street Journal on 1812
[The French and Indian War: Deciding the Fate of North America] by independent historian Walter R. Borneman, is a fast-paced introduction... as its subtitle suggests, it demonstrates just how important the war was in configuring the world we inhabit today. - New York Times Book Review
It's in [Borneman's] step-by-step descriptions of the campaigns, however, that he'll rivet the attention of most readers. Borneman is a vigorous, passionate historian, and it's clear from the first that every battle, every general, heroic or inept, looms large in his understanding. - Providence Journal
Author Walter R. Borneman tells the story of the French and Indian War with diligence and enthusiasm....Fresh and exciting throughout, The French & Indian War is highly recommended. - BookLoons.com
"I think that Walter Borneman's book on Alaska is just plain terrific. It tells the reader everything conceivable that he might want to know about Alaska from the time of its discovery by Bering in 1741 to the present." - Bradford Washburn, veteran Alaska author, photographer, and mapmaker
"A solid performance...placing key events in a larger perspective without playing down the vast stupidity of many of the participants." - Kirkus Reviews on 1812
"A lively narrator and explainer of war fought with muskets and sailing ships, Borneman will be welcomed by military-history readers." - Booklist on 1812