The Frontiersmen: A Narrative (Narratives of America, Book 1)

by Allan W. Eckert

Book Overview

Against the background of such names as George Rogers Clark, Daniel Boone. Arthur St. Clair, Anthony Wayne, Simon Girty, and William Henry Harrison, Eckert has recreated the life of one of America's... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0553139444
• Release Date: January 1970
• Publisher: Bantam Books
• Length: 751 Pages
• Weight: 0.79 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Great history

This is a great history book. I think the irony is that the "Frontiersman" wondered what happened to all of the wild game. He thought of this after he and his fellow settlers over hunted them.

The best book I have ever read!

Like many of the others in this space, The Frontiersman was required reading in an Ohio History course I was taking in college several years ago! I am not an avid reader by any means but this book, as well as the other Winning of America series books was one I couldn't put down! I am fortunate to have been born in Chillicothe Ohio and currently live near Circleville Ohio in Pickaway County. This area is the main focus of the Frontiersman book where Simon Kenton and Tecumseh once roamed. This book gave me goose-bumps when I read of some of the atrocities that occurred so close to home. I also had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Eckart. I was visiting the Outdoor Drama at Sugarloaf Mountain, near Chillicothe. Tecumseh was being portrayed on the outdoor stage there. For a truly exciting experience, read this book, then see many of the stories acted out, on or very near the actual spot. You feel like you living it all over again!

History as easy to read as a novel

Perhaps Allan Eckert did give an innacurate rendering of some of the people or events in this book, but by and large, Eckert's work is historically correct. Moreover, he captures the flavor of what life was like - the danger, harsh conditions, and constant threat of death - in the Northwest Territory during the last half of the 18th century. The "birth of America" was far more complex than the simple "breaking away from the British" version I learned in school, and Eckert's evenhanded treatment of the Indians, white settlers, French, and English opened my eyes to the way our nation was created. Eckert's style is engaging, the chapters are short (which help make the book easy to read), the characters are vivid, and the stories are fascinating.

One of the best books I've read.

Allan W. Eckert should be listed as one of the greatest authors in American history. Though the book is lengthy, it was difficult to put aside. From the first page to the last, I was captivated by his writing style, the content and the way he made the characters come alive. Ohio History was a required course in the seventh grade for us Buckeyes and Mr. Eckert reinforced what we learned and filled in many gaps. I am amazed that the name "Simon Kenton" was never brought up. This great man should never have been overlooked. He was part of Ohio history and the fact that he is buried in Urbana, Ohio should definitely have been mentioned. My only criticism of "The Frontiersman" is that "The Battle of Fallen Timber" should been written about in greater detail. Everyone who is interested in American History should read this book.

Excellent and unusually formatted historical narrative.

Frontiersman Simon Kenton is reputed to be the historical figure upon whom James Fenimore Cooper modeled the Natty Bumppo character of his Leatherstocking Tales, and in particular the Hawkeye character of Last of the Mohicans. In this biography, the author tells the story of Kenton utilizing a narrative, "novelistic" format which -- while copiously footnoted to ensure authenticity and thus clearly not an "historical novel" but, rather, a true biography -- reads with all the page-turning suspense and excitement of the Cooper novels, if not more. In addition, as indicated by the plural usage in the title, the book is not solely about Kenton. The book intertwines the story of Kenton with that of the visionary Indian leader Tecumseh, a rough contemporary of Kenton and probably the last best hope of Native Americans to have maintained political independence in the face of European expansion. Thus the settlement of America is presented in compelling fashion through the stories of both one of the great early American frontiersmen and one of the great Native American leaders of the same era.