Ticonderoga 1758: Montcalm's victory against all odds (Campaign) [Paperback]

Rene Chartrand (Author), Patrice Courcelle (Illustrator)

Book Description

Series: Campaign | Publication Date: October 25, 2000

Osprey's study of one of the decisive battles of the French and Indian War (1754-1763). On 5 July 1758 General Abercromby's expedition against Fort Carillon set off from its camp. Within hours, tragedy struck. Some rangers ran into a French scouting party and in the fierce skirmish that followed Lord Howe, the darling of the army, was shot through the heart. The army was shattered at the loss, but Abercromby went to pieces. He decided to attack Montcalm's completed breastworks head-on. Battalion after battalion was sacrificed, the most famous of these hopeless assaults being that of the Black Watch. With the failure of his plan and the exhaustion of his army Abercromby retreated to the foot of Lake George – Montcalm had saved Canada, with Abercromby's help.

Editorial Reviews

Review

In conjunction with Louisbourg 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 (October 25, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1841760935
• ISBN-13: 978-1841760933
• Product Dimensions: 7.3 x 0.4 x 9.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #502,143 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Excellent Account From the French Perspective, November 30, 2000

By 

R. A Forczyk (MD, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Ticonderoga 1758: Montcalm's victory against all odds (Campaign) (Paperback)

René Chartrand, a senior curator with Canada's National Historic Sites, has written a ground-breaking account of the climatic British attack on Fort Ticonderoga (then called Carillon by the French) in July 1758. Unlike most of the Osprey Campaign Series which merely summarize well-known battles, Chartrand has written a well-researched account that adds considerable detail, particularly from the French perspective.

The standard recounting of the strategic situation leading to the campaign, the opposing plans and opposing leaders are succinct but adequate. The section on the opposing armies is quite good, including a very detailed order of battle for both sides. Perhaps the only slight here is in the lack of discussion of opposing tactical methods.

Where this volume begins to add value to the study of this campaign is in the skirmish at Bernetz Brook on 6 July. Most accounts focus on the untimely death of the British second-in-command, Brigadier General Howe, in this engagement and the effect his death had on the British army. Chartrand goes much further and clearly shows how the British bumped into an errant French scouting detachment in the forrest below Ticonderoga and annihilated it. Over 300 French troops were killed or captured. Prior to this, Chartrand also shows how ineffective Montcalm's effort to block British progress up Lake George was; the British easily bypassed French patrols on the shoreline by unexpected water movements at night. Instead the British were able to advance all the way up Lake George in two days and the French effort to delay or even monitor them was a failure.

Chartrand also provides a good deal of information on how the British reconnaissance of the defenses of Ticonderoga failed. Most accounts mention the perfunctory survey by the young engineer Lieutenant Clerk, but they fail to mention the probe by Lieutenant Colonel Bradsheet and another engineer officer. Chartrand points out that Clerk was deceived by the effective camouflage of the French defensive line while Bradsheet mistakenly reported the French picket line as the main line of resistance. British overconfidence bred the false assumption that the French defense was fragile and that a hasty frontal assault would succeed.

However the British frontal assault was a costly disaster; in six hours the British suffered about 2,500 casualties in a series of disjointed attacks. Again, most accounts tend to blame the French use of abatis or fallen trees as an obstacle as the main cause of the failure. Chartrand clearly shows how the impetuousness of one of the British brigade commanders who began an unauthorized unsupported attack led to a chain reaction of other British units joining the fray. One unit after another attacked, and was smashed in the French killing field below their defenses. British reconnaissance and security in the battle was abysmal despite the presence of Roger's Rangers; French militia harassed their flanks in the woods and the British never realized how weak the French right flank was. Chartrand also provides useful information on French casualties, it is interesting that the French suffered 106 men killed even though they were well dug-in and few British troops came close to their lines. The role of American colonial units in the battle is also well-covered.

Contrast this 94-page volume with the over-rated 800+ page Crucible of War by Fred Anderson. In that book, the Battle of Ticonderoga merited only eight pages and Anderson omitted key details of the battle while almost completely ignoring the French side. If you are interested in one of the more interesting battles of the French and Indian War, this volume is a golden nugget of useful and often overlooked information.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Interesting Brief Account From Both Perspectives, February 23, 2001

By 

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

This review is from: Ticonderoga 1758: Montcalm's victory against all odds (Campaign) (Paperback)

This book by Rene Chartrand, with four 2-page full color illustrations by Patrice Courcelle, includes three 3-D maps, an order of battle, photos of the French regimental flags, photos of the trenches today, and chapters which cover the battle, leaders, plans, armies, aftermath, etc. There are modern and 18th Century diagrams and uniform plates.

This book is thought-provoking and interesting. It should be read several times in order to catch the subtle observations of the author. Since strengths and weaknesses of both sides are presented in an even-handed manner, this book will be the topic of pointed conversation around campfires at F&I War reenactments for years to come.

Reenactors will want to add this book to their personal libraries, but others may also find it an extremely enjoyable read.

(Tourists to Ticonderoga/Lake George/Lake Champlain, as well as locals, will want this book, as it will provide a quick understanding which goes deeper than a brochure yet isn't cumbersome)

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A balanced an Interesting account, January 10, 2005

By 

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

This review is from: Ticonderoga 1758: Montcalm's victory against all odds (Campaign) (Paperback)

Rene Chartrand, one of the least biased and most interesting historians in print, has made a fine book on the subject of Ticonderoga. He covers this interesting engagement and what led up to it thoroughly and well, as he seems to be a great author as well as a dignified historian.

Anybody interested in the largest battle of the French and Indian war HAS to get this! It is loaded with numerous interesting portraits and and 2D maps, all of which are very well done. Those fans of Osprey's famous 3D maps be warned: the battle is fairly static and there isn't alot of movement on those maps. Still, it hardly detracts from a great account that deserves a place on every Osprey fan's bookshelves.

On a side note, the artist Patrice Courcelle painted some very vivid and beautiful illustrations depicting the campaign and battle. His style is very unique and the pictures well worth the buy themselves.