D. Peter MacLeod's "Northern Armageddon"

D. Peter MacLeod is a curator at the Canadian War Museum and the author of The Canadian Iroquois and the Seven Years’ War.

Here he dreamcasts an adaptation of his new book, Northern Armageddon: The Battle of the Plains of Abraham and the Making of the American Revolution:

If Northern Armageddon were a movie, it would be an action-adventure—landing craft hurtling down the St. Lawrence River in the dark, propelled by a falling tide; an elite assault force climbing a 200-foot cliff; the advance through hostile territory to the Plains of Abraham; forming a mile-long thin red line composed of a mix of British and American soldiers; and a decisive battle that shapes the history of North America and the world.

But it would also be a psychological thriller, following James Wolfe as he falls from resolute optimism to complete collapse, confined to bed convinced that his expedition to capture Quebec is doomed to fail, his career is over, and his death from illness is imminent. Then he bounces back. Resolute, decisive, and aggressive, letting nothing stand in his way, Wolfe leads his troops to success at the Battle of the Plains of Abraham and dies at the moment of victory.

So who plays Wolfe? Benedict Cumberbatch (best known as the star of Sherlock) would be my choice. He has the right build and the right face to stand in for Wolfe, and his vast experience playing the brilliant, quirky, mercurial Sherlock Holmes would be stand him in good stead playing the brilliant, quirky, mercurial James Wolfe.

Learn more about Northern Armageddon at the publisher's website.

--Marshal Zeringue

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