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Now available Through So Many Dangers The Memoirs and Adventures of Robert Kirk, Late of the Highland Regiment Edited by Ian M. McCulloch and Timothy J. Todish Introduction by Stephen Brumwell Artwork by Robert Griffing

"Personal narratives by private soldiers are the scarcest of all sources for the French and Indian War. By presenting the little-known tale of Robert Kirkwood, Ian McCulloch and Tim Todish have done much to amplify the voice of the man in the ranks and show the conflict from a different perspective. The editors have carefully verified the authenticity of Kirkwood's account and provided annotations that clarify and broaden an exciting tale of military campaigns and Indian captivity. It is a pleasure to see this important source made accessible to a broad audience." Brian Leigh Dunnigan, Curator of Maps and Head of Research & Publications, William L. Clements Library, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor

Robert Kirk (aka Kirkwood) served with the 42nd and 77th Highland Regiments in North America during the Seven Years War of the 1750s and Pontiac's Rebellion. From Niagara Falls to Newfoundland, from the Carolinas to the Mississippi, he covered some 5000 miles by foot, canoe, whaleboat and transport ship. By the time he returned home after ten years of "service truly critical," our roguish hero had been captured and adopted by the Shawnee Indians. He became an accomplished marksman, hunter and tracker, proficient in the use of canoes, snowshoes and tumplines. In short, Kirkwood was the ultimate light infantryman of Britain's "American Army," and his Memoirs, reprinted here for the first time since 1775, bring his exciting story to life. The cover illustration, "He Befriended Me Greatly," is a fine painting in colour by Robert Griffing, and 15 of the artist's paintings appear inside the book in black and white. "Robert Kirk's long-lost, first-hand account tells us that this Highlander and erstwhile Ranger with Robert Rogers apparently was everywhere during the North American campaigns of the Seven Years War. Yes, the expert editors of Kirk[wood]'s published account reveal his multiple borrowings from other sources as a typical 18th-centurty Grub-Street pastiche. But, more importantly,they firmly identify the reportage of important, veritable, and fresh kernels of experience, if not authentically from Kirk[wood] himself, then surely 'oral history' collected from his comrades-in-arms. Robert Kirkwood's narrative offers an uncommon window on the horrific experiences of the usually anonymous, everyday soldiers who shaped the destiny of North America." Nicholas Westbrook, Director, Fort Ticonderoga, New York

The editors  Ian M. McCulloch, CD, is a native of Halifax and holds a degree in journalism from Carleton University and a master's degree in War Studies from the Royal Military College of Canada. He joined the Canadian army in 1977 and has served in a variety of regimental and staff appointments in Canada and Germany. Promoted to lieutenant colonel in 1993, he assumed command of the Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada and in 1996 was appointed Deputy Director of History and Heritage for the Canadian Forces. Since 2000 he has acted as a special assistant to the Director General Health Services. McCulloch is an avid military historian specializing in the Seven Years War in North America and has published articles in numerous journals. He contributed an account of the 1758 Battle of Ticonderoga to Fighting for Canada (Robin Brass Studio, 2000) and an account of the 1760 Battle of Sillery to More Fighting for Canada (RBS, 2004). He lives in Ottawa. Timoth J. Todish, retired from the Grand Rapids Police Department with 27 years of service, is an independent historical writer and consultant specializing in the French and Indian War and Alamo periods. He has been a consultant to a number of films and television productions, has written numerous articles, and has written or edited several books. While still in college, he became interested in black powder shooting and historical re-enacting, and this still occupies much of his time. He is the Adjutant of the French and Indian War re-enactment group Jaeger's Battalion, Rogers' Rangers. Ian McCulloch and Timothy Todish are co-authors of an Osprey book entitled British Light Infantryman of the Seven Years War.

The details    176 pages 8.5 x 11 inches paperback colour cover illustration 15 paintings in b/w

Publication: June 2004 ISBN 1-896941-41-9 (Canadian edition) In Canada: $30.00 Bookstores and readers in the U.S.A. and its territories and dependencies should contact Purple Mountain Press, P.O. Box 309, Fleischmanns, NY 12430-0309. 1-800-325-2665. Fax 845-254-4476. <purple@catskill.net>

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