Customer Reviews

Wilderness Empire: A Narrative

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4 star:		(1)
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Allan Eckert's story or "narrative account" as he calls it of the eighteenth century struggle between France and England along the current day border of the United States and Canada is hard to put down once started. The book covers the fighting between these two nations and their attempts to get the numerous Indian tribes in the region to ally themselves with one or the other European power, to the final detriment of the Indians.

I must admit that at first I was unsure if I would like this style of history but after reading the author's note I had a better understanding of what the author was attempting and how he used his sources to help produce the narrative. At one stage, early into the book, I did find the story bogged down but then the author's descriptive talent and the narrative pulled me back into the story and from that point on it fairly run away with me.

I found it hard to put the book down and I was really caught up in the characters, English, Colonial, French and Indian. This is a great and sweeping narrative of these hard and frightening times and the author does not paint a pretty picture when it comes to the manner of warfare practiced by the Indians and Europeans at that time and in that place.

I really enjoyed the story of William Johnson, a man previously unknown to me in American history. I also loved the account of the Marquis de Montcalm. In this alone I was happy to pay the price for this book. I really felt I had a much better understanding of this French soldier and his role in American Colonial history.

The author provides the reader with the true story of what happened at Fort William Henry and his accounts of the corruption of the French colonial system was an eye opener for me. I really enjoyed his descriptions of the people involved from both sides of the war and the accounts of the Indians and their practices, egged on by their European masters was at time quite horrific.

If you enjoyed the movie `Last of the Mohican's then I am sure you will love this epic book of the same period. In over 600 pages of engrossing and interesting narrative this book will take you back to those times and you can spend a few days lost in the history of the `Wilderness Empire'.

I knew little of the French & Indian War even though I grew up in OH and PA. If you lived anywhere near the Great Lakes and enjoy history, you will want to read this and the other Eckert "Narrative" books. The details were captivating, yet you never felt bogged down or bored. Since I knew little, it read like a great war novel. The politics between the Indians and French and English were very intriguing and thought provoking. The Native American tribes understood more than anyone gave them credit. Unfortunately for them, they were in a no win situation. I was also surprised with the brutality/torture by the Indians of not only the whites, but each other. Eckert does a wonderful job of explaining the culture that both permitted and encouraged this behavior. What amazed me was the apathy of some of the military leaders towards this. Great book, great read, enjoy!

I read tons of books a year, but rarely take the time to write a review. Allan Eckert's "Winning of America Series" forces me to share my thoughts about this important collection. This is a fascinating narrative of the French and Indian Wars - a subject that was just touched on in my grade school and high school history courses. I was always curious about this time period in American history, but never happened upon the right treatment of this event. I stumbled upon Mr. Eckert's first book in the series and read that in record time (these books are lengthy and you could spend quite a bit of extra time reading through the end notes). I ordered the second book not knowing really what to expect - the first was very good and I hoped for the best. I was not disappointed. Mr. Eckert writes in a very easy to follow style that fully develops the many characters who bring this period of history to life. I highly recommend the first two books and look forward to completing the series soon.

No serious student of history, or anyone with the slightest interest in colonial America can read Eckert without becoming completely engrossed in the narration and the unbelievable attention to detail, and volume of detail, that are provided in his novles.

In this novel, the attempts by the British and the French to gain favor and alliance with the Indian tribes, and in particular the Iroquois League are so very well documented and then stated in a manner that flows like a gripping thriller novel.

The attempts and efforts by both nations to control the new continent lead to war, and it is a brutal and ferocious war told by one of the best story tellers around. I would recommend these books to anyone.

Wow! What a book! For anyone interested in studying the French and Indian War period, this is a must read. Although it's not a "textbook" account it's still a lot of fun. I would read this book alongside Francis Parkman's "Montcalm and Wolfe" and Anderson's "Crucible of War". Probably Mr. Eckert's best work. It's really great for younger children or anyone who has forgotten about good old-fashioned American folklore. Fantastic!

Though published in 1969, when attitudes toward Native Americans were just beginning to recover after centuries of demonization, "Wilderness Empire" paints a very balanced picture of the complexities of the American frontier during the period of the French and Indian War. Comprising the formative years of George Washington, Ben Franklin and many of other actors on the American historical stage, this often-ignored historical period was the foundation for the Revolutionary War years that immediately followed. What happened in the 1740s and 50s cemented the reputations and formed the attitudes of those who forged America in the 1770s and 80s.

Eckert does a fascinating job of writing a "semi-fictional" work that relies heavily on the letters and other documents of the players themselves. He claims not to have invented conversations, but to have dramatized them based on the evidence in the primary sources. Of course, this cannot extend to Eckert's descriptions of his characters' state of mind, but he seems to take care to add proper emotional expression to the dry facts where appropriate.

Eckert's tale includes hundreds of characters, but he focuses on the exploits of a few notable ones. William Johnson, the young Irish adventurer become military leader, is at the center of the tale. Johnson seems one of only a few Americans who took the Indians seriously and was subsequently adopted by them. His incredible double life - as a white subject of the crown and as the Indian Warraghiyagey - showed him to be a man of intelligence, subtlety, heart and strength. Other characters - the exquisite French Marquis de Montcalm, a young and inexperienced George Washington, the Mohawk Chief Tiyanoga and New Hampshire's Robert Rogers of Ranger fame - are also featured prominently. This is not due to their later fame as much as to the fact that these were men of great valor and valiant action in their day. Eckert does feature women in his tale, but often they are love partners, slaves or victims. One wonders whether he might have made more of them had he written the book ten years later, when feminist scholarship and sensitivity urged writers to take a closer look at female contributions.

In any event, Eckert's tale is very bloody. Indian atrocities -- including scalping, dismemberment, ritual torture and cannibalism -- get more than their fair share of space. Cannonballs cut men in two and musket fire pierces brains and bodies and leaves men screaming in agony. Eckert does not pass judgment on these actions, though his French and especially his English characters do. At least he attempts to see these practices with native eyes, as the just spoils of warfare, as much due to the victors as the powder and food of the vanquished. But for the reader, the burnings, killings and mutilations do seem to pile up after a while. On the positive side, this gives the reader a chance to appreciate the tenuous nature of life on the New York, Pennsylvania and Virginia frontier. There's enough brutality on all sides to make one glad to live in more peaceful times.

I found "Wilderness Empire" to be a fascinating, if slow, read. The vast array of characters, the difficult Indian names and places, and the complex and convoluted nature of the events makes it difficult to read for pleasure. But in the end, the book was well worth the effort. I now feel I have filled a long-standing lacuna in my historical understanding - the period the led to the American Revolution and set the stage for the white expansion across the continent.

I have read the entire series of these books. All are great reading for people who want a very true picture of life on the American frontier in the 18th century. I have to say that I am not shocked by much anymore, but these narratives were sometimes hard to get through. I had to put them down and walk away for awhile. I sometimes had nightmares about what I had read that day. These were real people with real names. They were flesh and blood with the same DNA that we all have as human beings -- and how they must have suffered. Our country was settled by tough, determined folks.

I wish I would have had these books when I was in high school.

One other thing I did learn from this series are the great follies and tragedies that stupidity causes. A very great lesson for our own time. One can learn wisdom from history and a careful reading of great literature.

Mr. Eckert has a wonderful way of blending history into a narrative that stays true to the facts as they occured. The reader is swept into the lives and times of the period, pleasantly learning the personality and dynamics of the times. I absolutely encourage anyone with the slightest interest in America's early years to pursue the "Winning of America" series of which the "Wilderness Empire" is the second of six.

I only rate this book a 4, because the first book in the series, "The Frontiersman" is the best, and I rated it a 5. But really, this book is great reading.

If your kid is bored with history, this series of books should make him not so bored.

However, I would start with "The Frontiersman" as it is the best.

This book is an excellent account of the Anglo, French and Indian conflict in the early-mid 1700's. I have also read Eckert's book, "The Frontiersman" and this equally if not more gripping. Nice to read accurate, unbiased, non-revisionist historical accounts of this fascinating time period.