Stephen Brumwell

Two hundred and fifty years ago a British Army under General James Wolfe won a momentous battle at Quebec. The outcome has been seen as a fortuitous springboard to Empire, the result of luck more than leadership. But, as Stephen Brumwell argues, a crucial – and neglected – ingredient in Wolfe’s dramatic victory was the professionalism of the army he had helped to create.

Stephen Brumwell examines how the death of a charismatic young British officer 250 years ago this month – and the involvement of his two younger brothers in subsequent military operations in North America – had a lasting impact on Anglo-American history.