The Seven Years’ War and the Fate of Empire in British North America, 1754-1766
By: Fred Anderson
Narrated by: Paul Woodson
Length: 29 hrs and 4 mins

As someone somewhat familiar with this period in American history, I’ll focus on the elements that were novel to me.

The distances that Indian raiding parties would travel were considerable. They often journeyed from north of the Ohio River Valley—present-day Ohio, Pennsylvania, and upstate New York—to the central and even southern Appalachians, reaching as far as North and South Carolina. It was my assumption assumed that they would typically raid their near neighbors, but treaty agreements and long-standing confederacies, such as the Mohawk Confederacy, often required them to extended their reach further to find an enemy tribe to raid returning with booty and captives.

The extent of Native American recruitment for the war from the region surrounding the Great Lakes was significant. Tribes from as far away as Iowa participated in the war. The Great Lakes served as a crucial pathway into the heart of the continent and were effectively utilized by the French trading networks to recruit warriors.

The battles and skirmishes around Lake Ontario and Lake Erie were particularly notable. These regions were strategically important due to their location and the control they offered over vital waterways. Both the French and British recognized the significance of these lakes and fought fiercely to dominate them. Numerous conflicts, such as the Battle of Fort Niagara and various engagements near Fort Frontenac, underscored the intense military activity in the area. Anderson’s detailed accounts of these battles, including the strategies employed and their outcomes, provided a comprehensive understanding of their impact on the broader war effort. I was not as familiar with these conflicts prior to reading “Crucible of War,” and Anderson’s enumeration of their details was very enlightening, revealing the complexity and scale of the warfare in this region.

Overall an excellent read.