Acclaimed as one of our nation s greatest writers of military fiction， bestselling author Harold Coyle now delivers a magnificent new masterpiece of conflict， set in the pivotal years before the American Revolution. Vying for control of the New World s vast riches， two mighty empires collide in an explosion of cold steel and cannon fire that will forever alter the shape and destiny of the great， unspoiled continent. 1754. On one side stand the British， under General Edward Braddock， joined by the American colonial militias: on the other， the French， aided by their Indian allies. From the shores of Lake Champlain to Virginia s Shenandoah Valley， they are locked in battle over the unclaimed territories to the west. While distant kings unleash their armies， it is the men and women of the colonies who feel the fire， the fury， the passion of war. Across the virgin fields， forests and frontiers， they discover courage amid the carnage， hope amid the horror， and a new world of freedom amid the beauty and mystery of a savage wilderness.