René Chartrand was born in Montréal. A senior curator with Canada's National Historic Sites for nearly three decades, he is now a freelance writer and historical consultant. He has written numerous articles and books including some 30 Osprey titles. He lives in Gatineau, Québec, with his wife and two sons.

Donato Spedaliere was born in 1967 in Lausanne. Having studied at the Instituto Nazionale di Belle Arti in Florence he served in the Italian Army as a paratrooper. He is the chief illustrator of Alina Illustrazioni, the company he founded in 1998 with his wife Sarah Sulemsohn. They have created illustrations for books, museums and magazines throughout Europe.

Following the discovery of America by Columbus in 1492, European colonists brought their system of fortification to the New World in an attempt to ensure their safety and consolidate their conquests. French and British explorers came later to North America, and thus the establishment of their sizeable settlements only got under way during the 17th century. The inhabitants of New France built elaborate fortifications to protect their towns and cities. This book provides a detailed examination of the defenses of four of them: Québec, Montréal and Louisbourg in Canada, and New Orleans in Louisiana.