A special reissue commemorating the 250th anniversary of the French and Indian War, Guns at the Forks tells about the dramatic parts five successive forts, particularly Fort Duquesne and Fort Pitt, play in the war between 1750 and 1760. O'Meara's narrative also relates the larger story of the French and Indian War and its role in the global conflict that altered the course of world events.

Walter O'Meara was a New York advertising executive who retired in 1952 to write historical nonfiction and novels. By the time of his death in 1989, he had published sixteen books, including The Grand Portage, which received an award from the American Association for State and Local History.