The 1759 Battle of Quebec: The History and Legacy of Britain's Most Important Victory of the French & Indian War

By: Charles River Editors

Narrated by: William Turbett

"[W]e observed the enemy marching down towards us in three columns, at 10 they formed their line of battle, which was at least six deep, having their flanks covered by a thick wood on each side, into which they threw above 3,000 Canadians and Indians, who gauled us much; the regulars then marched briskly up to us, and gave us their first fire, at about 50 yards distance, which we did not return, as it was General Wolfe's express Orders not to fire till they came within 20 yards of us...." (The British sergeant-major of Gen. Hopson's Grenadiers)

On September 13, 1759, a battle was fought on the Plains of Abraham outside the old city of Québec. It was one of the turning-point battles in world history. Thanks to the British victory and the events that followed, Canada went from being a colony of France (New France) to being a colony of Great Britain. This permanently changed Canadian history. In many ways the outcome of the battle brought about several American attempts to seize Canada during the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812. Ultimately it ensured that when Canada became an independent country it was part of the British Commonwealth with an Anglophone majority and a Francophone minority. Frictions over cultural and political issues between the English Canadians and the Québécois, dating back to the battle, continue to impact the state of affairs in Canada today.

While the battle had a profound impact, it has also been romanticized and mythologized beyond even epic proportions. Though often forgotten today, more than 250 years after the battle, the Battle of the Plains of Abraham was the culmination of a long siege.

©2012 Charles River Editors (P)2015 Charles River Editors

Good History

narrator needs to learn how to pronounce place names. It was annoying to listen.

The 1759 Battle of Quebec

Another interesting, short depiction of history. I love how much information there is in here, yet it is not going to take me all day to read. I found it helpful and informative.

Good solid overview of a battle

Found this to be a good quick listen about a battle not covered in my basic history lessons growing up or most of my average reads or listens. Good bit of what lead up to it, what occurred and what the repercussions were. A good leaping off point to find out if you want to get a more in depth view or just take the overview received here. I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator or publisher

Good History Lesson

I love reading about our country's history, this was good, but not the best out there, the narrating was good, I received this audiobook for free at my request, and i am voluntarily giving my unbiased review

A Turning Point Between Britain and America

The Battle of Quebec marks a sea change in the politics of colonial North America. Before the battle, France had a major foothold north of the English colonies—a foothold which frightened English Protestants, who imagined their Catholic neighbors to the north coming down to force their religion upon them. After the Battle of Quebec, the French were gone from the north and with it a major perceived threat to the safety of those northern British colonies. In essence this meant that one of the major reasons those colonies “needed” Britain was gone.

At the same time, the larger French and Indian War that the Battle of Quebec was one part of put tremendous strains on Britain—especially the cost of the war. British efforts to make the colonists shoulder part of this burden were a major impetus of the American Revolution. So this battle is very important and Charles River Editors did a nice job of laying out the causes of the French and Indian War and walking the reader through the battle.

I received this book from Free Audiobook Codes in exchange for an honest review.

Is "UNLISTENABLE" a word?

I was so motivated to listen to this historical account, but the narrator made it painful to listen. Did he have a terrible cold when he read this, or was he just holding his nose? And does no one correct him on his mispronunciations? In neither French nor English is the word "macabre" pronounced "ma ca ' ber." And Jacques Cartier's first and last name DO NOT RHYME! (Scha kay Cartier? Really?).

Finally, he reads sentences throughout the book in a staccato cadence of 5-8 syllables, pausing in mid-sentence for punctuation that is not there. Whoever is responsible for choosing and directing this narrator should repay everyone the purchase price of this travesty.

Invest in a better voice actor

I so wanted to enjoy this and was crushed by the voice. Dull, uninterested and uninspired by his job obviously. Perhaps he is secretly French?

First bad review I've ever written

First and foremost the performance is terrible. The speaker's voice sounds like a cheap automated computer voice, but it apparently real. Worse is the consistent mispronounciation throughout the book. A prime example is Fort Dusquene which the speaker pronounced due-qwez-nay.

The book itself provides only a basic overview of the battle. The exposition about the causes of the French and Indian War, and colonial North America has many parts that are demonstranably false. I regret getting thus book.