Description

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The battle on the Plains of Abraham lasted twenty minutes, and at its finish the course of a continent was changed forever: New military tactics were used for the first time against standard European formations; Generals Wolfe and Montcalm each died of gunshot wounds; France surrendered Quebec to the British, setting the course for the future of Canada; and British control of North America east of the Mississippi was assured.  Also American participation in ousting the French spurred the confidence of the people of New York, Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts, who began to agitate for independence from Great Britain. 
           
In Northern Armageddon, Peter MacLeod, uses original research—diaries, journals, letters, and firsthand accounts—and all of his extensive knowledge and grasp of warfare and colonial North American history, to tell this epic story on a human scale. A huge, ambitious re-creation, MacLeod gives us the large-scale ramifications of this clash of armies, not only on the shape of North America, but on the history of Europe itself.

About the Author

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D. Peter MacLeod is Director of Research at the Canadian War Museum. He is the author of The Canadian Iroquois and the Seven Years’ War. He lives in Ottawa, Ontario.

Praise For…

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“Significantly advances our understanding of the naval role in the battle of the Plains of Abraham and excels all previous studies. . . . A vibrant portrait. . . . A visceral narrative. . . . Persuasive.” —David Preston, The Wall Street Journal
 
“Even-handed. . . . Vivid. . . . MacLeod has crafted a serious work of history that reads like an adventure novel. He skillfully illuminates the many ways Americans fit into the big picture of the continent’s conflicts, in which two big nations emerged out of a patchwork of contending powers.” —Clarke Crutchfield, Richmond Times-Dispatch
 
“Writing with a keen eye for the dramatic, MacLeod tells this story in a big way, giving equal parts to each side. . . . The events of the battle are finely rendered, and MacLeod makes a strong case for their importance as a precursor to the American Revolution.” —Publishers Weekly
 
“MacLeod explores the extent of Quebec’s insurmountable natural defenses and Wolfe’s inability to overcome them. . . . The author’s strong knowledge of every aspect of the fight prevails to produce an intricate, enlightening account. . . . Students of American history will appreciate the detail and the thoroughness of this account of what Churchill called the ‘first world war.’ ” —Kirkus
 
“Definitive . . . superb in its combination of individual perspective and strategic narrative. Americans (who composed roughly a third of the conquering army) did not realize at the time that as Montcalm’s men surrendered they had taken the first steps on their own country’s path to independence. This book tells us—brilliantly—both how the battle was fought, and what it meant.” —Eliot A. Cohen, author of Conquered into Liberty: Two Centuries of Battles Along the Great Warpath that Made the American Way of War
 
“Masterful . . . his descriptions are chilling.” —Toronto Globe and Mail