The French and Indian War: Seven Years of Continental Crossfire

By: in60Learning

Narrated by: J. Wesley Price

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The war gets its name from British colonists’ two primary enemies: the French settlers and the Native Americans who sided with them. The title is a bit misleading, however, as the British also had Native Americans on their side at various points of the war. The conflict goes by "The Seven Years’ War" in Europe because it took place from 1756 to 1763. Britain’s victory solidified the future of the English-speaking North America we know today. However, it also led to the massacre of countless Native peoples throughout North America, as they were caught in the crossfire of this British and French conflict.

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Who Knew?

Maybe we’re under the impression that because it’s called the French and Indian War it really didn’t have anything to do with us. Or since the United States didn’t exist then it had no bearing on our lives. As the book points out, however, if the British (read: many British who would become Americans) hadn’t won the French and Indian War we would all be speaking French right now.

To say this war had no impact on the shaping of the soon-to-be United States of America is completely wrong. You could even say this war and it’s companion conflict the Seven Years War dramatically reshaped not only North America but the world in total. This concise book lays all of that out in an easy to understand manner reviewing the names, places and outcomes of this long forgotten war.

Spend an hour and find out what lead up to the eventual Revolutionary War and America as we know it today.

I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

A quick cause and effect of the global conflict

I used to teach this subject, its rather complex. Especially when trying to analyze multiple Native American points of view. This is an efficient primer on the topic. It definitely peaked my interest as a listener. This would be a great way to gather an understanding of the timeline prior to doing a research paper. Not a great way to study for a test or anything.
Great narration and great pacing. This conflict gets almost no attention in today's classroom and that's a shame. Any one who is less than an expert on this subject would appreciate this little gem.

My only complaint is that this format is quite limiting. I wish there were some companion pdf' of maps that you got access to. Maybe that was too much to ask. I had high expectations and this met them.

"I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review."

Just the Facts

America would not be what it is today if not for the French and Indian War. When the brave Americans fought to maintain westward expansion but then were treated unfairly by the British that was the nail in the coffin for revolt. This book is intentionally short. It gives a brief overview touching on lots of the highlights. This covers 7 years of war, that included many interesting characters, and one future first president. Better than Wikipedia, and shorted than an exhaustive dissertation.

Lots of troop movements and names and dates

in60 Learning is a great way to quickly learn something about a topic which you know very little. 60 minutes is not enough to give you an in depth look, but it's a cheap and quick way to get an overview and determine if you want to pick up that larger tome about the subject. They are well researched, and densely packed for such a small book. And for that alone, in60 learning books will likely always get my tick.

That said... this is probably my least favourite in60 book I have gone through so far.

The book is mostly filled with lots of dates and names, but lacks the personality and human parts of the war. The majority of the book feels like troop numbers and movements, which is easy to get lost in. There is a good 'aftermath' discussion, talking about how this war affected and fed into the coming Revolutionary War.

On a side note, the name French and Indian War seems a silly name for a war when the principal combatants were France and Britain. The native Americans fought on both sides, depending on which tribes you talk about.

I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator, or publisher.

Another Excellent Learning Tool

Once again, in60Learning gives an excellent learning tool. The book hits the highlights of this historical moment. You can use these highlights to help teach about this monumental moment (read: seven years +) in time. The only thing I didn't like and have become accustomed to is that the references to where information was gathered from wasn't given as often as other texts I've listened to. Overall, it was an easy listen and I would recommend this to anyone who wants to refresh their memory or to know what they should look more deeply into.

I was given this free review copy audio book at my request and have voluntarily left this review.