The Forts of New France in Northeast America 1600-1763

Description

'New France' consisted of the area colonized and ruled by France in North America. This title takes a look at the lengthy chain of forts built by the French to guard the frontier in the American northeast, including Sorel, Chambly, St Jean, Carillon (Ticonderoga), Duquesne (Pittsburgh, PA), and Vincennes. These forts were of two types: the major stone forts, and other forts made of wood and earth, all of which varied widely in style from Vauban-type elements to cabins surrounded by a stockade. Some forts, such as Chambly, looked more like medieval castles in their earliest incarnations. Rene Chartrand examines the different types of forts built by the French, describing the strategic vision that led to their construction, their impact upon the British colonies and the Indian nations of the interior, and the French military technology that went into their construction.

Rene Chartrand was born in Montreal and educated in Canada, the United States and the Bahamas. A senior curator with Canada's National Historic Sites for nearly three decades, he is now a freelance writer and historical consultant. He has written numerous articles and books including over 30 Osprey titles. He lives in Gatineau, Quebec, with his wife and two sons. Brian Delf began his career working in a London art studio producing artwork for advertising and commercial publications. Since 1972, he has worked as a freelance illustrator on a variety of subjects including natural history, architecture and technical cutaways. His illustrations have been published in over thirty countries. Brian lives and works in Oxfordshire.

"This volume follows the author's French Fortresses in North America 1535-1763... The earlier book described the defenses of Louisbourg, Quebec, Montreal and New Orleans; this one covers the smaller French forts between Newfoundland and the Ohio River Valley.... Covering a wide range of styles and locations, this is an excellent book on an interesting subject. I highly recommend it." --Bolling Smith, Coast Defense Journal (September 2008) "Rene Chartrand's The Forts of New France in Northeast American 1600-1763 is for any library strong in early military technology. It covers the area ruled by France in North America from the 16th to the 18th centuries, discussing for design, technology and defensive strategies and providing full-color illustrations: maps, charts and photos." --The Bookwatch (September 2008) "In this book, author Rene Chartrand covers the methods of construction as well as the major parts of ... fortresses. Every site that has had a fortress built upon it is covered to some extent ... To help us visualize what some of these may have been like, Brian Delf has provided superlative illustrations of not only the physical layout, but also some of the action that took place at these locales. Overall, another fine book in this series and one that should be on the shelves of anyone interested in this particular time and place in North American history." --Scott Van Aken, modelingmadness.com (September 2008) "This book is a must for those interested in the struggle between the French and English in America during the 17th and 18th centuries, especially since there are few other books available on this topic." --J.E. Kauffman, SiteO Newsletter (June 2008)