Product Description

Written by a noted historian, this piece chronicles the bloody 25 years that was the winning of the Eastern Frontier, centered at Fort Henry (known today as Wheeling, West Virgina). This books brings back to you the days of... Daniel Boone... Simon Kenton... Lewis Wetzel... the Girty brothers... Sam McColloch... Betty Zane, etc. "In a time and place where uncommon heroism and courage were commonplace..." no lover of the history of heroic men and woman will want to put this book down unfinished.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #628429 in Books
• Published on: 1999-04-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 390 pages

Customer Reviews

Rage On The Frontier
The author has spent a lot of time researching for this book. I agree that there is not enough information about Girt and others. Girt did take part in frontier raids. However he did have advanced rheumatism that made a difference in his participation. No war is civilized and certainly not on the frontiers. Hintzen manages to keep his book moving. If you are interested in history this is a book for you. By Ruth Thompson Author of "The Bluegrass Dream" and "Natchez Above The River"

Qualifying Laps: A Brewster County NovelSins of the Fathers: A Brewster County NovelTravelersWriting as a Small BusinessThe Bluegrass Dream: A Wilderness Adventure of Early SettlersNatchez Above The River: A Family's Survival In The Civil War

Accurate and unbiased
This is a truly accurate and unbiased account of the dark and bloody history of the Ohio River Valley during the Revolutionary War. Hintzen makes it very clear that there were atrocities committed by both sides in this conflict and sums it up by saying that it was a war of extermination. Had the Native Americans and their British backers succeeded in exterminating the colonial frontiersman trying to eke out an existence in Kentucky and western Virginia, history would have been different.

Hintzen clears up alot of myths regarding Lewis Wetzel which make him appear to be a psychopathic, bloodthirsty monster. While Wetzel may have hated his adversaries, he was no worse than many of his Native American counterparts.

Hintzen neither romanticizes the frontiersmen the way many nineteenth century historians have done nor does he try to be politically "correct". Hintzen tells it like it really was. Frontier life was a harsh life for survival. The bitter conflict between the frontiersmen and Native Americans was a fight for survival, nothing more, nothing less.

If You Appreciate First-Person Research...
You will love this book. Hintzen has done what must have been and exhaustive amount of research including diaries, correspondences and memoirs. In some instances he illustrates that these may sometimes conflict with one another, and attempts to make sense of it all. I believe his assessment of both whites and indians to be fair and balanced. He underscores the basic understanding of all border wars - that no one group wears "white hats" or "black hats". He also winds up this tome with the always tragic but logical conclusion of all true border wars, that they only end when once side utterly conquers the other, by whatever means.
Hintzen's writing style walks the tightrope of exhaustive research work balacing itself against a lively read that keeps things moving.

The tightrope walk was successful, and in my opinion, he did a thoroughly impressive job with both.