The Battle of Lake George: England's First Triumph in the French and Indian War

by William R. Griffith IV

In the early morning of September 8, 1755, a force of French Regulars, Canadians and Indians crouched unseen in a ravine south of Lake George. Under the command of French general Jean-Armand, Baron de Dieskau, the men ambushed the approaching British forces, sparking a bloody conflict for control of the lake and its access to New York s interior. Against all odds, British commander William Johnson rallied his men through the barrage of enemy fire to send the French retreating north to Ticonderoga. The stage was set for one of the most contested regions throughout the rest of the conflict. Historian William Griffith recounts the thrilling history behind the first major British battlefield victory of the French and Indian War."

146 pages, Hardcover

Published September 5, 2016

Reviews

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book gives a good description of the Battle of Lake George. It is often overlooked as a significant win by the British against the French Forces in the Champlain Valley area. This is in part due to the fact that it was fought entirely by provincial (American) forces and Native American allies against a force of French regulars, Canadians, and their Native American allies. The battle effectively blocked further French penetration of the New York frontier. It is not a long book and much of it is taken up with setting the battle in its historical setting. While slim, it is a good accounting of the battle.

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very little of the actual battle is discussed. Most of the book is build up.

[Kelsey · Rating 2 out of 5]

The first 40% of this book (my-ereader counts the appendices and end matter in the total) is padding, which includes the author's overly long and personal introduction, some Wikipedia-esque rehashing of Monongahela and a condescending and basic explanation of 18th-century "linear warfare." While providing context is good, the eponymous battle is not really discussed until the 70% mark. Considering the appendices start before the volume is 80% through, the account of the battle and its significance is really given short shrift. On another note (as a professional in the material culture field), I thought it was amusing that the author felt the need to mention his new discovery of this area of studies in the acknowledgements, but did not include any material culture in the book. Why bring it up then? (Toward the beginning of the book is included a mid-twentieth century drawing of a French soldier...What can one learn from this? More about 1950s ideas of masculinity than about 1750s soldiers. Compare the line-backer shoulders on this guy to any of the period portraits later on in the book.) Also concerned about some of the image rights in the book- particularly a reproduction of a Benjamin West painting that is credited to the author's "collection."