Customer Review
- Reviewed in the United States on October 13, 2014This is probably one of the best history books I have ever read. This is in no small measure due to the fact that Anderson is a terrific writer, which made this a very hard book to put down, despite its length. His style made the book flow, and I am amazed at his ability to easily sequence the multitude of events which took place in Europe and in North America. There were no rough transitions, and more importantly, Anderson was able to effectively transition from the strategic to the operational to the tactical, and back again without losing me in the wealth of detail. Anderson also was able to focus on a cast of characters and bring them to life in a way which only added depth to the narrative. Anderson’s analysis of this conflict was excellent. In beginning Part VII 1761- 1763, Anderson reviewed the war in terms of influential cultural factors, which neatly supplemented his political and military analysis. He effectively showed how this war significantly altered the British conception and implementation of Empire, and the political consequences this caused in the home islands. I also think that Anderson strongly defended and proved his thesis that this war was the one which laid the foundation for the rift between the American colonies and Britain. In carrying his narrative beyond the Treaty of Paris in 1763, to political events in 1766, Anderson detailed American reactions to the parliamentary acts which from a British perspective, were designed to bind the Americans closer to the Mother country, but significantly backfired from an American perspective. Anderson included a wealth of illustrations, and most importantly, maps which enables the reader to easily follow the narrative geographically, and emphasizes the strategic points Anderson makes throughout the book. I truly enjoyed this from beginning to end, and will amply reward any reader who picks it up.
