The Frontiersmen

A Narrative

By: Allan W. Eckert

Narrated by: Kevin Foley

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 that 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 W. 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 re-created 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 18th 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 Eckert's hands, reveals most profoundly the grandeur and the tragedy of the American Indian.

©2001 Jesse Stuart Foundation (P)2011 Tantor

Critic reviews

"Historian-novelist Eckert has fashioned an epic narrative history of the struggle for dominance of the Ohio River Valley that makes compelling reading." ( Publishers Weekly)

A Masterpiece for History Novel Enthusiasts!

I am an incredible dork when comes to history. Unfortunately, I was never a big fan of history class. The reason was this: I have always been of the mind that history is a story - of people and places and experiences - but the people who write history books are not storytellers. Allan W Eckert is a masterful storyteller. As it tells you in the beginning of the this audiobook, he spent most of a decade tracking down and sifting through historical records, and specifically people's diaries, to weave together the stories and people he brings once more to life in this remarkable book. And it's all real. The people, their names, their lives, their stories. All real. I kept having to remind myself of that as I was listening/reading this book. It is a novel. It reads like a novel. But everything in it is historical fact. It is a beautiful amalgamation of history and literature. If you love history, biographies, or historical fiction (my personal favorite) you will LOVE this book! It is a must read for you! Happy Listening -Whitney

Favorite author

I am so happy to see Allan Eckert's The Frontiersman on Audible.com. His work is excellent and I am looking forward to the rest of the Winning of America books to be available here. Thank you Audible!!

Stranger than fixtion possibly unbeleivable.

This is a nonfiction book but it is difficult to believe it to be so. The stories are so amazing, and the detail so complete that it strains credulity. Not to say that this book is not enjoyable, it is absolutely compelling and reads like a action novel. The characters are historical figures, as are the events,. The author claims this to be a scholarly work of history, I will therefor, give him the benefit of my doubts and suspend disbelief in this case. The is the history of the founding of the frontier and is a brutal and often disturbing narrative. I suppose is why it is so interesting. The Americans and the "Indians" are portrayed fairly in both harsh and flattering lights, there were few innocents in these times. It is clear that the Americans moved in on the aboriginal's land. I suppose little could be done about that, history is not fair, but the author does a pretty good job of telling it in a fair voice. As always, Ken Foley does a fine job in the narration. If you love history you will love this book.

Poor example of the true frontiersman ability to shoot a gun accurately

I find it hard to believe that all of the military and frontiersman were cowards and poor shots with a rifle. This stereotype took away from the Americans, and tried to malke the Indian look more intelligent, but ruined the true struggles they all were subjected to.

I was there

I read all his books in my 20's. I just revisited this book and was not disappointed. You'll love it.