Crucible of War

[chuckpa]

I was in Border's book store yesterday and saw the book Crucible of War and i was tempeted to buy it but I thought I would like to get a few comments from the forum. Is it a good book?

 

[Russianblood]

It's a looong book. Very thorough. I covers the entire Seven Years War and not just the F&I war. It deals mainly with the politics and not a ton of detail about the actual fighting.

 

[jim gray]

I think the format is very similar to that ofMontcalm and Wolfe. I think the book is definitely worthwhile. I agree with Russianblood it is long and can be tedious, but I got a lot from it.

It goes into alot of detail about how European alliances and court politics affected the War in the New World.

I won't say too much more though, because I don't want to spoil the ending for you. :haha:

 

[PvtC]

I liked the way he dissected various primary source accounts of the incident at Jumonville Glen to come up with a most plausible scenario of what happened there. As has been stated, lots of politics involving ministers, parliamentarian's, and colonial governors. You also get a global overview of the seven years war. All in all an indispensible reference methinks

 

[RangerThacher]

It's serious scholarly history, and the very best single volume available on the Seven Years' War.

 

[FearNot]

I think the History channel's The War That Made America was written by the same guy - sort of a "Crucible Lite", if you will. If you're into the Seven Years War it's a terrific book. If you're just into the colonial period in general the book may be to much. Covers not only our F&I war but the war's causes and effects elsewhere in the world.

 

[NY Irish]

An awesome book. Fred Anderson is big in the field now; he's been asked to sit on the committee to write the A.P. American History exam. Yeah, CofW does not deal with details that most reenactors like- like uniforms and tactics- but his view of the impact of the war on America is second to none. I hear him speak on his new book, but I have not read it yet. His earlier book A People's Army about Massachusetts in the 7yrs War is well spoken of.

 

[Gary]

Just finished A People's Army. It certainly deserves the praise it receives and any F&I reenactor who protrays a colonist or a redcoat should read it.