Literature Analysis in Fred Anderson’s “Crucible of War”

Excerpts from the Paper

Literature Analysis in Fred Anderson’s "Crucible of War"
Fred Anderson’s Crucible of War is a book about the ramifications of the most important event that occurred in eighteenth century North America—The Seven Years’ War (or as colonists called it, the French and Indian War). The citizens of a budding nation created an act of dramatic cession from the all-powerful British Empire, a bold move that doesn’t get the historical credit that it deserves. Anderson’s book delights in painting a more vivid portrait of the Seven Years’ War in a way that puts it in historical forefront and foretells events to come regarding the relationships between America and Great Britain.
The author’s purpose in writing Crucible of War is to dispel myths about...

.....n victory in such a way as to make sense of the problems that arose between the British and various North American groups after the conquest of Canada” (Anderson 454). This is interesting to me, but also a bit overwhelming. The chapter organization helped, however, as did the dynamism of the writing. The American slant, too, was helpful in keeping focused. “The Seven Years’ War was about the control of territory not thrones; it created a seismic shift in Europe’s alliance system and balance of power; and its first shots were fired not on European, but an American, frontier” (Anderson 11). Overall, Anderson achieves his aims and does so in a deft and skillful way.
Works Cited
Anderson, Fred. The Crucible of War. New York: Random
House, 2001.