The War That Made America Audiobook By Fred Anderson cover art

The War That Made America

A Short History of the French and Indian War

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The War That Made America

By: Fred Anderson
Narrated by: Simon Vance
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Apart from The Last of the Mohicans, most Americans know little of the French and Indian War, also known as the Seven Years' War, and yet it remains one of the most fascinating periods in our history. In January 2006, PBS will air The War That Made America, a four-part documentary about this epic conflict. Fred Anderson, the award-winning and critically acclaimed historian, has written the official tie-in to this exciting television event.

In The War That Made America, Anderson deftly shows how the expansion of the British colonies into French territory in the 1750s and the ongoing Native American struggle for survival would erupt into seven years of bloodshed and unrest spreading from the backwoods of Pennsylvania to the high courts of Europe, eventually overturning the balance of power on two continents and laying the groundwork for the American Revolution. Beautifully illustrated, richly detailed, and utterly compelling, this is the story of how America as we know it today emerged from a series of fractured colonies and warring tribes into a nation ripe for independence, and nobody tells this story better than Fred Anderson.

Listen to more Books That Changed the World.©2005 The War That Made America, LLC (P)2005 Tantor Media, Inc. Americas Canada Colonial Period Europe France Great Britain Indigenous Peoples Military United States Wars & Conflicts England War Native American Thought-Provoking United Kingdom Latin America American Indian French Indian War

Critic reviews

"Like the best popular historians, Anderson combines exhaustive research and an accessible prose style in a volume that should help rescue the French and Indian War from historical obscurity." (Publishers Weekly)
Comprehensive History • Insightful Analysis • Excellent Narration • Educational Content • Historical Context
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What an amazing book! I learned so much not just about the war itself, but they did a remarkable job of really making sense of how this conflict set in motion the conditions that led to the revolutionary war and the ‘manifest destiny.’

It is all coming together!!!

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A quick moving telling and detailed account of a war that was very important, but overshadowed in our history classes by the revolutionary war. The author presents the many aspects and players of this conflict interesting details including the personalities and battle details that it held my attention well. The author to me seemed an amazing master of the subject!

An interesting history lesson

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The book suffered a bit with revisionist history and some PC but not bad. It did a good job of reflecting the normal miscalculations on all sides that lead to most Wars. Alot of effort was made to make Washington look less Christian than his own writings did. But a good review of a war not much covered.

Good book not a great book

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This book was alright, but I really expected more on the Indian part based upon the prologue. Still, the title does say Short, so I should have expected what I got, I guess. Not a bad intro, and I did learn somethings, particularly about Washington.

Prologue Promises More

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Book title so true. Detail-Washinton first becomes world famous, and not in a grand way.

Vital History Fully Recounted

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It made me look at Washington and America and a whole new life. The French and Indian war really did set the Revolution up and this book explains it right from the beginning.

A brilliant look into our country history

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If you could sum up The War That Made America in three words, what would they be?

interesting, fast paces

Who was your favorite character and why?

Washington

What about Simon Vance’s performance did you like?

Excellent

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Sympathy for native americans

Any additional comments?

Brought to life the history of the French and Indian War. Most interesting to me was the positioning of the Native Americans, French, and British. Also interesting was the lack of knowledge of both the French and British commanders. I highly recommend the book.

Nicely done history

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I read his other book on the subject, but this one is a very nice refresher and condensed very well if you dont want to commit to a long read.

Nice and Quick

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It covered a lot of material in a relatively short amount of time. It is a good overview of many of the events and the military and diplomatic forces at play during a pivotal time in the history of North America.

I also listened to the Dune (Herbert) audiobook years ago and having the same narrator for this one lent it a more nuanced performance that one usually gets with historical audiobooks.

Great narration, good macro view of events

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Wonderful historical account and narration.
I listened to prior to a visit to Quebec City and highly recommend for anyone visiting Quebec.

Excellent narration.

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