On September 13, 1759, after a daring and unexpected ascent up a steep bluff, Wolfe's English troops confronted Montcalm's French troops and Canadian irregulars on the Plains of Abraham. The battle that followed determined Canada's destiny, but it was only one of many confrontations on several continents in what historians consider the first global war. The central drama, the part of the conflict that took place in North America, has become known as the Seven Years' War.

Empires at War captures the sweeping panorama of this first world war and the huge cast of characters who fought it. William Fowler's narrative is adept at describing the battles and portraying the important players on all sides, incorporating the perspectives of the First Nations leaders and Canadian volunteers so critical to French initiatives throughout the war. Among the war's many outcomes were the ceding of Quebec to Britain and the final destruction of Acadia. The war was also waged in Europe, the West Indies, Asia, India and Africa. Before it ended, nearly 1,000,000 men had died.