The Frontiersmen: A Narrative [Paperback]

Allan W. Eckert (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 2001

The frontiersmen were a remarkable breed of men. They were often rough and illiterate, sometimes brutal and vicious, often seeking an escape in the wilderness of mid-America from crimes committed back east. In the beautiful but deadly country which would one day come to be known as West Virginia, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois, more often than not they left their bones to bleach beside forest paths or on the banks of the Ohio River, victims of Indians who claimed the vast virgin territory and strove to turn back the growing tide of whites. These frontiersmen are the subjects of Allan Eckert's dramatic history.

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 most outstanding heroes, Simon Kenton. Kenton's role in opening the Northwest Territory to settlement more than rivaled that of his friend Daniel Boone. By his eighteenth birthday, Kenton had already won frontier renown as woodsman, fighter and scout. His incredible physical strength and endurance, his great dignity and innate kindness made him the ideal prototype of the frontier hero.

Yet there is another story to The Frontiersmen. It is equally the story of one of history's greatest leaders, whose misfortune was to be born to a doomed cause and a dying race. Tecumseh, the brilliant Shawnee chief, welded together by the sheer force of his intellect and charisma an incredible Indian confederacy that came desperately close to breaking the thrust of the white man's westward expansion. Like Kenton, Tecumseh was the paragon of his people's virtues, and the story of his life, in Allan Eckert's hands, reveals most profoundly the grandeur and the tragedy of the American Indian.

No less importantly, The Frontiersmen is the story of wilderness America itself, its penetration and settlement, and it is Eckert's particular grace to be able to evoke life and meaning from the raw facts of this story. In The Frontiersmen not only do we care about our long-forgotten fathers, we live again with them.

Researched for seven years, The Frontiersmen is the first in Mr. Eckert's "The Winning of America" series.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Allan W. Eckert is a seven-time Pulitzer Prize nominee and the author of over forty books, including the award-winning Incident at Hawk's Hill and Twilight of Empire. His books include other historical narratives, novels, and nonfiction works, as well as books for young adults and children. Kevin Foley has over thirty years' experience in radio and television broadcasting, commercial voice-overs, and audiobook narration. He has recorded over 150 audiobooks, including Storm Rising by Gary Naiman, 100 Ways to Bring Out Your Best by Roger Fritz, The Last Witness by Joel Goldman, and River Thunder by Gary McCarthy, for which he earned a Spur Award for Best Audiobook from the Western Writers of America.

--This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 626 pages
• Publisher: Jesse Stuart Foundation; Rpt edition (May 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0945084919
• ISBN-13: 978-0945084914
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (92 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #12,704 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #8 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > Regional U.S. > Midwest
  • #24 in Books > History > Americas > Native American

More About the Author

Allan W. Eckert, seven-time Pulitzer Prize nominee, has written 39 books, including his award-winning Incident at Hawk's Hill and The Frontiersman, plus numerous other historical narratives, novels and non-fiction works, as well as books for young adults and children.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

99 of 104 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best books I have ever read, October 19, 2002

By 

Terry Crock (Massillon, Ohio USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Frontiersmen: A Narrative (Paperback)

Give this book to your history-hating teenager and make him start to read it. Most likely once he starts, he won't want to quit. This is historical writing at its finest. While there are a few facts I would argue with, I can not possibly recommend any other book on history that can capture the imagination of the reader and make one just want to read on and on. If there was ever a book that makes history "come alive," this is it.
There are four other books in this series, but this is, in my opinion, the best of them. I first read this book years ago. It opened my eyes to how exciting history can be. It also opened my eyes to how much history we are NOT taught in school. Twenty years later, this is still one of my favorite books of all time.
I have read hundreds and hundreds of books. I have read very few of them twice. This is one of them--and I will probably read it again someday.
There are those who criticize Allan Eckert for his "historical narrative" method of writing, but I am convinced that this is because they are jealous of his success. Allan Eckert has done those who enjoy history a tremendous favor with his books by showing us just how exciting and interesting history is.

51 of 55 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wow! What individuals that tamed a continent, December 12, 2004

By 

J. Head "jeff_head" (Idaho, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Frontiersmen: A Narrative (Paperback)

I have read all of Eckert's colonial and early American novels about the Indian nations and wars that raged for almost two hundred years. He is one of the best story tellers you will find.

In this novel, the Frontiersman, in the company of such notable and famous names as George Rogers Clark, Daniel Boone, William Henry Harrison, and Anthony Wayne, Eckert tells the story of Simon Kenton, perhaps the most compelling frontiersman of that time, despite his more famous protoges.

The savagry and commitment by both sides to the fight for Kentucky and the Ohio River Valley are brought to life by Eckert. You would think you were reading a finely told fictional thriller, when in fact you are being presented with very well documented fact, woven together to read better than any fictional novel you could find.

If you want to delve into the real history of the taming of America...read Eckert.

37 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Tale of the Eastern Frontier, September 14, 2001

By 

Matthew S. Schweitzer "zohoe" (Columbus, OH United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Frontiersmen: A Narrative (Paperback)

I love this book! Eckert's classic tale of Simon Kenton and settlement of the Ohio Valley is a must read for anyone interested in the history of the United States. This book was recommended to me after reading Eckert's "Dark and Bloody River". It is exciting, highly engaging, and historically detailed. The notes at the end of the book are a novel by themselves. The story of Kenton, Boone, and the Kentucky settlers is truly amazing. It has often been said that this should be required reading in high school and I can't help but agree. Eckert's books take place in a time and place nearly forgotten by modern Americans. Children raised on the old "Cowboys and Indians" westerns never learn that there was a whole other "West" on the Eastern frontier and the Northwest Territory. I grew up in Ohio, and I never learned about many of the events that happened in my own back yeard until I began reading Eckert! Many people are surprised to learn that there were a number of very bloody and significant battles during the Revolutionary War west of the Appalaichans, right here in Ohio in fact. A whole chapter of our history is being forgotten, but luckily, Eckert's books help to prevent that.