- 1959 edition. 210 pages
- Publisher. MacMillan, Canada
- Hardcover. D/j. Format C. Photos. Maps. Index
- Condition. Good. Wear to the d/j
Quebec 1759: The Siege and the Battle examines the climactic engagement between Britain and France in their struggle for dominance in North America. In 1757, after the William Pitt-Duke of Newcastle coalition ministry came to power in London, Britain reopened its campaign against the French in Canada, subordinating all its other military operations against the French to that end. After achieving mixed results in 1758, a decision was made to launch an attack against Quebec City the following year and settle the matter once and for all. A young British general, James Wolfe, was given the honour of making a grab for the city. The French general opposing him was Louis-Joseph, Marquis de Montcalm.
Wolfe laid siege to Quebec early in 1759, but the undermanned, half-starved, and poorly defended fortress proved a difficult target to invest. After a summer of half-hearted attempts to take the fortress, Wolfe and his generals decided on a plan that eventually led to the battle – and to victory – on the heights (later known as the Plains of Abraham) just outside the city walls on 13 September. Though the engagement lasted only the better half of the morning, both opposing generals were killed in the fight and have since been enshrined in popular history as legends in an epic struggle. However, Stacey’s work has shown that both men were, in fact, far from being heroes; they were instead studious, courageous, and resourceful soldiers, one of whom was lucky and the other not.
Their story involves one of the most exceptional and most studied battles of the period.
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