Product Description

In 1759 General James Wolfe was killed at Quebec, winning the battle that decided the fate of North America. Just thirty-two years old, Wolfe became a popular hero, immortalised in epic paintings. During the past half century, however, his reputation has waned under assault by critics who see him as a bloodthirsty and priggish mediocrity, famous for one singularly lucky - though crucial - victory. But was there more to James Wolfe than a celebrated death? Stephen Brumwell's highly-praised biography seeks to answer that question, deploying penetrating research and vivid prose to boldly reassess a soldier whose short but dramatic life changed the course of world history.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #11454 in Books
• Published on: 2007-11-15
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 432 pages

Review
"Paths of Glory is a powerful tonic, which shows that Wolfe was anything but priggish... and that his generalship - and not luck - won for England a continent" Nathan M. Greenfield, Times Literary Supplement "Every so often, books are published that combine first-rate, innovative scholarship and page-turning readability. Stephen Brumwell's revisionary retelling of the life of James Wolfe is a shining example... This generous reassessment is overdue." Globe and Mail, Canada "Brumwell narrates the action with the skill of a spy novelist... [his] biography offers a convincing argument that Wolfe triumphed through skill and energy rather than sheer luck". Books in Canada "...a major work of research... [which] will be consulted by all future scholars." Literary Review of Canada"

Toronto Star
"...a moving tale, clearly heartfelt - and infectious."

Times Literary Supplement
"A powerful tonic, showing that Wolfe was anything but
priggish...and that his generalship - won for England a continent."

Customer Reviews

Buy this book
An absolute must for anyone with even a passing interest in North American colonial history. It is also impossible to completely understand Nelson without understanding the influence of General James Wolfe on his world view. Brumwell is a rising star.

Bold Wolfe (updated 13 October 2009)
Fifty years can make a big difference, not least to an individual's reputation. British General James Wolfe is a case in point. Back in 1959, a pageant celebrating his exploits at Quebec was the highpoint of that year's Royal Tournament. This year, 13th September, the 250th anniversary of Wolfe's death at the very moment of victory on the Plains of Abraham, passed in the UK without a flicker of interest from the mainstream media. It's all a contrast to the massive press and TV coverage devoted to the Trafalgar 200th celebrations in 2005, which is deeply ironic given the fact that Wolfe was Nelson's role-model.

Being forgotten is one thing, but poor old Wolfe has fared even worse. Now, when remembered at all, he's typically seen as a 'war-criminal' (because he burned French-Canadian farms in 1759, in a 'scorched-earth' policy to lure out his opponent, Montcalm) and a hopeless strategist, who only notched-up a victory at Quebec through pure luck. 'Paths of Glory' seeks to give a more balanced picture of Wolfe, going back to the original sources rather than simply re-cycling the same tired old quotes. The picture of Wolfe that results is, perhaps not surprisingly, rather different from that given in recent accounts of his career, and particularly of the pivotal Quebec campaign. While certainly far more sympathetic towards its subject, this is no mere white-wash job but rather a carefully-argued biography that weighs the evidence before reaching verdicts.

Stephen Brumwell has written extensively on the eighteenth century, and especially aspects of its military history. This broad and deep knowledge not only gives credibility to his judgments, but also allows him to put Wolfe's short life (he was only 32 when he was killed) into proper historical perspective. Vivid descriptions of warfare in Europe and North America, which will certainly appeal to military buffs, are matched by insights into many more aspects of Georgian society - everything from bare-knuckle boxing to the marriage market. All this, and the very readable prose (Brumwell started out as a newspaper reporter) makes this book accessible to a broad readership.

Well-illustrated with helpful maps and colour plates, the result is both an enjoyable and challenging narrative, and a robustly-argued contribution to the existing scholarship. Published back in 2006, outside the ranks of the specialists 'Paths of Glory' seems to have gone virtually unnoticed in Wolfe's homeland. Judging by the review extracts posted here by the publishers, it has generated far more attention across the Pond, even winning a prestigious award in New York. If interest in Wolfe ever picks up in the UK, this book will be well-placed to meet it, giving a lively and convincing account of his life and times.