'What a scene!' wrote Horace Walpole. 'An army in the night dragging itself up a precipice by stumps of trees to assault a town and attack an enemy strongly entrenched and double in numbers!' It was indeed a drama, as Major-General James Wolfe's army scaled the cliffs above St. Lawrence to stand with the French Canadian capital before them; and in one short sharp exchange of fire, tumble the Marquis de Montcalm's French army into bloody ruin. Sir John Fortescue famously described it as the 'most perfect volley ever fired on a battlefield', and this book explores how in just a few hectic minutes, one of the British Army's most consummate professionals decided the fate of a continent.

Author Biography

Stuart Reid was born in Aberdeen in 1954. His life long interest in military history has led to a longstanding involvement in historical re-enactment, which has broadened into work as a military advisor for film companies. Stuart has written numerous titles for the Osprey military list including a three volume set on King George's Army 1740-93 (Men-at-Arms 285, 289 and 292), and Warrior 19 and 20 on the British Redcoat 1740-93 and 1793-1815 respectively. Gerry Embleton has been a leading historical illustrator since the early 1970s specialising in the medieval period, but with a keen interest in the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries. An illustrator, and author, of a number of Osprey titles he has lived in Switzerland since the early 1980s.