Louisbourg 1758: Wolfe's first siege (Campaign) [Paperback]

Rene Chartrand (Author), Patrice Courcelle (Illustrator)

Book Description

Series: Campaign | Publication Date: December 25, 2000

Osprey's study of James Wolfe's siege of Louisbourg during the French and Indian War (1754-1763). Louisbourg represented a major threat to Anglo-American plans to invade Canada. Bypassing it would leave an immensely powerful enemy base astride the Anglo-American lines of communication – Louisbourg had to be taken. Faced with strong beach defences and rough weather, it took six days to land the troops, and it was only due to a stroke of daring on the part of a young brigadier named James Wolfe, who managed to turn the French beach position, that this was achieved. The story is largely based on firsthand accounts from the journals of several participants, including French Governor Drucour's, whose excellent account has never been published.

Editorial Reviews

Review

In conjunction with Ticonderoga 1758: "...an attractive series, well known to serious military history buffs and casual interest readers alike...well illustrated, with supporting maps, prints, photos and artists' impressions... These are two good volumes, which would be a useful addition to any collection on that period, providing the reader with a large breadth of information in a very digestible format." -Lieutenant-Colonel Keith W. Kiddie MA, Canadian Army Journal (Summer 2006)

From the Publisher

Highly visual guides to history's greatest conflicts, detailing the command strategies, tactics, and experiences of the opposing forces throughout each campaign, and concluding with a guide to the battlefields today.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 96 pages
• Publisher: Osprey Publishing (December 25, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1841762172
• ISBN-13: 978-1841762173
• Product Dimensions: 7.2 x 0.3 x 9.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,174,797 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Insightful, Concise, History of The 1758 Siege, February 7, 2001

By 

texmexfla "Seeker of Truth" (Houston, Texas United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Louisbourg 1758: Wolfe's first siege (Campaign) (Paperback)

This book follows the Osprey Campaign series format. The 96 page book includes plenty of color & b/w photos, maps, diagrams, portraits of key leaders, and both 18th century and modern sketches of soldiers of various French & English units. There is a detailed order of battle of both land and sea units, plus some very nice 3 dimensional maps of the terrain. Particularly enjoyable were the modern recreations of several events by illustrator Patrice Courcelle.

For those unfamiliar with the Osprey Campaign books, the contents include sections dealing with the origins of the campaign, opposing plans, opposing commanders, opposing armies, the camaign, the siege day by day, the aftermath, and the site today. An index, chronology and suggested further reading, are also included.

Rene Chartrand does an excellent job of telling the story in an even-handed way so the reader can appreciate the strengths and weaknesses of both sides of the conflict. There are some very insightful comments and interesting ancedotes on leaders, troops and the times. The book is very readable.

Louisbourg is a National Park which includes an extensive, although not complete, recreation of the famous fortress-city. For those who can not visit, for reenactors, wargamers, and those interested in the F&I War this would be an good book to have.

The drawbacks are few. Namely the 3-dimensional maps might have been "zoomed-in", some photos of the park could have been of higher quality, and more tourist information should have been given. In spite of these minor shortcomings, LOUISBOURG 1758: WOLFE'S FIRST SIEGE is highly recommended.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Good, Concise Account of a Famous Siege, March 7, 2001

By 

R. A Forczyk (MD, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Louisbourg 1758: Wolfe's first siege (Campaign) (Paperback)

Rene Chartrand has added a volume on the British siege and capture of Fortress Louisbourg in 1758 to complement his earlier volume on the Battle of Ticonderoga. Together, these two Osprey titles add a wealth of new information and perspectives on these critical campaigns of the French and Indian War.

In Louisbourg 1758, Chartrand provides ample details from both the French and British sides, using several previously un-tapped sources. The result is a thorough account of a very professionally-conducted siege. A complete order of battle, including both ground and naval units, is provided. There is also information on the partisan warfare conducted by the displaced Acadians. Information on casualties on both sides is also provided.

The maps and artwork are excellent, although one minor exception is a map that clearly denotes all the major features within Fortress Louisbourg, such as the gates and bastions. The panoramic photos of the reconstructed Fort Louisbourg are excellent and add great value to this volume.

Chartrand focuses heavily on Brigadier General James Wolfe, perhaps somewhat slighting the other British brigadiers, but this is probably necessary due to the restricted size of the volume. All in all, this volume is a welcome addition for anyone interested in Eighteength Century Siege Warfare or the French and Indian War.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Chartrand's Chronicle of the French and Indian War, January 12, 2005

By 

Alex Ponnaz "Wurkwurk" (Chandler, AZ) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Louisbourg 1758: Wolfe's first siege (Campaign) (Paperback)

This book is a companion to Chartrand's excellent work, Ticonderoga 1758. Both cover the French and Indian war battles in its critical year, the year the British took the initiative.

This book comprises of the background of what was to be Britian's main effort in the Seven Year's War, the seige and subjugation of the fortress Louisbourg. It stood as a bulwark to any British advance to Quebec itself, and it's subjugation was long and hard as a seige could be. This book covers the seige itself day by day as it lasted for at least a month, with each passing day worsening the situation for the desperate French.

Regardless of the British victory, the French inflicted more losses on its foe outnumbering them by many times in part due to simple bravery and resiliance, even if they weren't as professional as the British (evidenced by their very lackluster breakout attempts from the city walls). All in all, a very good by for anybody intrested in the French and Indian war, or a very interesting battle in general. Great maps like any good Osprey, excellent illustrations by artist Patrice Courcelle, and a non-biased and interesting account place this amongst the best of Osprey's.