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Winning of America #3
The Conquerors: A Narrative
Relates the Indians' uprising against the English who attempted to take over their ancestral homeland following the French and Indian War
The Conquerors, the third volume in Allan Eckert's acclaimed series, The Winning of America, continues the narrative of The Frontiersmen and Wilderness the violent and monumental story of the wresting of the North American continent from the Indians. But the locale has moved westward—to the northern frontiers of Pennsylvania, to Michigan and the Green Bay area, especially the crucial outposts of Fort Pitt and Fort Detroit, Sandusky and Mackinac. Wilderness Empire concluded with the English victory in the French and Indian War, a conquest which gave them possession of an immense North American empire. Now English soldiers and traders began the trek across the wilderness to man the former French outposts, to secure the land for the Crown and to exploit its riches. But these men were to find that the conquest of the Northwest did not end with the defeat of the French. The Indians had only resentment for the English, whom they regarded not as conquerors, but as unwelcome interlopers on their own ancestral lands. At last, provoked beyond endurance by restrictive policies, and encouraged by agents of the French, the most powerful tribes of the region united behind the charismatic Pontiac, war chief of the Ottawa, in a concerted effort to drive the English forever form the Northwest.
The Conquerors is the story of Pontiac's uprising and the men involved in the conquering English, both soldiers and intrepid civilians, who undertook the dangers of the Indian trade for profit and the adventure of opening a new land; and, most importantly, the Indians, who refused to accept the yoke of the conquered and were driven to violence to protect their homes and their way of life from the encroachment of an alien civilization.
Combining the accuracy of a chronicle and the spellbinding pace of a story well told, Allan Eckert evokes the high drama of the conquest of the Northwest and the breathtaking grandeur of the land itself.
The Conquerors, the third volume in Allan Eckert's acclaimed series, The Winning of America, continues the narrative of The Frontiersmen and Wilderness the violent and monumental story of the wresting of the North American continent from the Indians. But the locale has moved westward—to the northern frontiers of Pennsylvania, to Michigan and the Green Bay area, especially the crucial outposts of Fort Pitt and Fort Detroit, Sandusky and Mackinac. Wilderness Empire concluded with the English victory in the French and Indian War, a conquest which gave them possession of an immense North American empire. Now English soldiers and traders began the trek across the wilderness to man the former French outposts, to secure the land for the Crown and to exploit its riches. But these men were to find that the conquest of the Northwest did not end with the defeat of the French. The Indians had only resentment for the English, whom they regarded not as conquerors, but as unwelcome interlopers on their own ancestral lands. At last, provoked beyond endurance by restrictive policies, and encouraged by agents of the French, the most powerful tribes of the region united behind the charismatic Pontiac, war chief of the Ottawa, in a concerted effort to drive the English forever form the Northwest.
The Conquerors is the story of Pontiac's uprising and the men involved in the conquering English, both soldiers and intrepid civilians, who undertook the dangers of the Indian trade for profit and the adventure of opening a new land; and, most importantly, the Indians, who refused to accept the yoke of the conquered and were driven to violence to protect their homes and their way of life from the encroachment of an alien civilization.
Combining the accuracy of a chronicle and the spellbinding pace of a story well told, Allan Eckert evokes the high drama of the conquest of the Northwest and the breathtaking grandeur of the land itself.
720 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1970
91 people are currently reading
704 people want to read
About the author
Allan W. Eckert
80 books293 followersAllan W. Eckert was an American historian, historical novelist, and naturalist.
Eckert was born in Buffalo, New York, and raised in the Chicago, Illinois area, but had been a long-time resident of Bellefontaine, Ohio, near where he attended college. As a young man, he hitch-hiked around the United States, living off the land and learning about wildlife. He began writing about nature and American history at the age of thirteen, eventually becoming an author of numerous books for children and adults. His children's novel, Incident at Hawk's Hill, was a runner-up for the Newbery Medal in 1972. One of his novels tells how the great auk went extinct.
In addition to his novels, he also wrote several unproduced screenplays and more than 225 Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom television shows for which he received an Emmy Award.
In a 1999 poll conducted by the Ohioana Library Association, jointly with Toni Morrison, Allan W. Eckert was voted "Favorite Ohio Writer of All Time."
Eckert died in his sleep on July 7, 2011, in Corona, California, at the age of 80.
Eckert was born in Buffalo, New York, and raised in the Chicago, Illinois area, but had been a long-time resident of Bellefontaine, Ohio, near where he attended college. As a young man, he hitch-hiked around the United States, living off the land and learning about wildlife. He began writing about nature and American history at the age of thirteen, eventually becoming an author of numerous books for children and adults. His children's novel, Incident at Hawk's Hill, was a runner-up for the Newbery Medal in 1972. One of his novels tells how the great auk went extinct.
In addition to his novels, he also wrote several unproduced screenplays and more than 225 Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom television shows for which he received an Emmy Award.
In a 1999 poll conducted by the Ohioana Library Association, jointly with Toni Morrison, Allan W. Eckert was voted "Favorite Ohio Writer of All Time."
Eckert died in his sleep on July 7, 2011, in Corona, California, at the age of 80.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
August 17, 2012
I realize that I gave the first 2 volumes in this series high marks, and this one is not less than. I just didn't like it. Something grew in me as I was reading this, and that was a sense that Eckert is reacting against the reacting against traditional history. In other words, history was once told from the point of view of the victors. Then, we felt bad about that, so we decided to paint a more sympathetic view of the conquered. All well and good. And then it's like Eckert wants us to see things as they REALLY were, which is that there were great rascals on both sides, but since we've moved away from talking much about the Indian rascals, let's divulge their actions with grand guignol gusto. So we have accounts that go on for pages of men being disemboweled, castrated, forced to watch their enemies eat their hearts before they die, and burned slowly at a stake, turned into soup, whatever. We have children suffering from dysentery being drowned because they pooped on Pontiac. We have children forced to watch their mothers hung from between two trees, her tongue hanging out grotesquely, swelling and turning black. This on top of the unborn-baby cannibalism in The Wilderness Empire. Oh yeah, and the white man's pretty bad, too. He passes out blankets infected with smallpox. And it's only because he's a big meanie that the Indians are forced to treat him so bad. Shame on 'im. And we all have this white man guilt over what people did 250 years ago.
Now, I get that Eckert wrote this book before I was born and nobody was doing anything like this, so I'm willing to say that my own experience of reading history in the post-modern world has colored my reading of his book. That doesn't change the fact that I don't feel like this kind of historical retelling is necessary. There are brief allusions to peace-loving Indians here. Very brief. Eckert gives them only a passing glance because their story isn't full of all that fun, taboo gore. I don't read his account of the Indians' brutality and think, "What a savage creature; oh my." Instead, I think, "People are awful." And I don't want to think that about people. Did stuff like this go on? I have no doubt, and Eckert's research is extensive and thorough. Does it go on today? Sadly, yes. Is it important to know it's going on? Depends on why you want to know. If you need to know so you can take positive action, then yes, it's important. But let's not forget that there are good people in this world. There are people who love, people who lay down their arms and break bread together. There are treaties; there is reconstruction. It is not all manifest destiny and mass murder. What I would really like is somebody to take Eckert's detail-driven, meticulous eye and turn it toward the stuff people were doing RIGHT at this time, to focus on whites and Indians who joined in fellowship and smoked together. Sure, there is some of that in his books, but there is such an undercurrent of double-crossing and looming sadism that you can't trust it. That's just not what I'm into anymore.
Now, I get that Eckert wrote this book before I was born and nobody was doing anything like this, so I'm willing to say that my own experience of reading history in the post-modern world has colored my reading of his book. That doesn't change the fact that I don't feel like this kind of historical retelling is necessary. There are brief allusions to peace-loving Indians here. Very brief. Eckert gives them only a passing glance because their story isn't full of all that fun, taboo gore. I don't read his account of the Indians' brutality and think, "What a savage creature; oh my." Instead, I think, "People are awful." And I don't want to think that about people. Did stuff like this go on? I have no doubt, and Eckert's research is extensive and thorough. Does it go on today? Sadly, yes. Is it important to know it's going on? Depends on why you want to know. If you need to know so you can take positive action, then yes, it's important. But let's not forget that there are good people in this world. There are people who love, people who lay down their arms and break bread together. There are treaties; there is reconstruction. It is not all manifest destiny and mass murder. What I would really like is somebody to take Eckert's detail-driven, meticulous eye and turn it toward the stuff people were doing RIGHT at this time, to focus on whites and Indians who joined in fellowship and smoked together. Sure, there is some of that in his books, but there is such an undercurrent of double-crossing and looming sadism that you can't trust it. That's just not what I'm into anymore.
October 13, 2013
In using his “Narrative History” technique, Mr. Eckert has done an excellent job of telling the story of Pontiac’s War, also known as Pontiac’s Rebellion. The story is one of mismanagement of Indian relations by the British after winning the French Indian War. While all the events in the book actually happened and all of the characters actually existed, the author writes the story as a novel. He creates conversations and thoughts of the people who populate this book.
The basic story follows the relations between the British military manning the forts of the area north of the Ohio River and west of the Appalachians between 1760 – 1765. In discussing the causes of the rebellion, the mismanagement of the tribes is laid squarely at the feet of the senior British Officer in North America, LTG Sir Jeffrey Amherst. His decision to cut off all gifts and sale of ammunition to the tribes, against the advice of all of his Indian Commissioners, stoked resentment and enabled Pontiac to build an alliance of tribes to make war against the British. Mr. Eckert shows how Pontiac was able to use that resentment and the desire to bring back the French to stoke the fires of war.
When the war breaks out, Pontiac was able to coordinate the attacks against the various British outposts in what is now the Upper Midwest. These attacks include sieges against the two largest of the outposts, Ft Detroit and Ft Pitt. While Pontiac was not able to take these two forts, several other smaller forts fell to the Indians. The author’s descriptions of the fighting are very vivid and explicit.
Mr. Eckert’s main focus is the sieges of Ft. Detroit and Ft. Pitt. In my opinion the hero of the book is the British commander at Ft. Detroit, Maj Henry Gladwin. He successfully defended the fort against Pontiac who was personally present at Detroit. In telling Gladwin’s story Mr. Eckert does a good job of showing the stress he was under, and his mental toughness.
In telling the story of the defense of Ft. Pitt, the author tells the story of the white men giving blankets infected with small pox to the Natives. This is depicted as a spur of the moment decision. While negotiating with some of the besieging Indians, the commander of Ft. Pitt decides to gift the Indians with blankets recently used by small pox patients. The effectiveness of the stratagem is left in doubt. Mr. Eckert does include correspondence between the Commander and his higher HQ, and getting a retroactive okay for his actions.
In summary, this is an excellent read, but not for young readers. The descriptions of what was done to prisoners taken by the Native Americans are both explicit and graphic. The author does a good job of describing the personalities of the major players in the conflict – the arrogance of LTG Amherst, the political savvy of Pontiac, the tired determination of Maj Gladwin.
I highly recommend this. A 4+ star read for me.
The basic story follows the relations between the British military manning the forts of the area north of the Ohio River and west of the Appalachians between 1760 – 1765. In discussing the causes of the rebellion, the mismanagement of the tribes is laid squarely at the feet of the senior British Officer in North America, LTG Sir Jeffrey Amherst. His decision to cut off all gifts and sale of ammunition to the tribes, against the advice of all of his Indian Commissioners, stoked resentment and enabled Pontiac to build an alliance of tribes to make war against the British. Mr. Eckert shows how Pontiac was able to use that resentment and the desire to bring back the French to stoke the fires of war.
When the war breaks out, Pontiac was able to coordinate the attacks against the various British outposts in what is now the Upper Midwest. These attacks include sieges against the two largest of the outposts, Ft Detroit and Ft Pitt. While Pontiac was not able to take these two forts, several other smaller forts fell to the Indians. The author’s descriptions of the fighting are very vivid and explicit.
Mr. Eckert’s main focus is the sieges of Ft. Detroit and Ft. Pitt. In my opinion the hero of the book is the British commander at Ft. Detroit, Maj Henry Gladwin. He successfully defended the fort against Pontiac who was personally present at Detroit. In telling Gladwin’s story Mr. Eckert does a good job of showing the stress he was under, and his mental toughness.
In telling the story of the defense of Ft. Pitt, the author tells the story of the white men giving blankets infected with small pox to the Natives. This is depicted as a spur of the moment decision. While negotiating with some of the besieging Indians, the commander of Ft. Pitt decides to gift the Indians with blankets recently used by small pox patients. The effectiveness of the stratagem is left in doubt. Mr. Eckert does include correspondence between the Commander and his higher HQ, and getting a retroactive okay for his actions.
In summary, this is an excellent read, but not for young readers. The descriptions of what was done to prisoners taken by the Native Americans are both explicit and graphic. The author does a good job of describing the personalities of the major players in the conflict – the arrogance of LTG Amherst, the political savvy of Pontiac, the tired determination of Maj Gladwin.
I highly recommend this. A 4+ star read for me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 24, 2015
An epic narrative recounting the "Conspiracy of Pontiac". Pontiac was an Ottawa war chief who in 1763 was able to forge an alliance with a great portion of the northwest tribes to expel the english from all lands west of the Allegheny mountains. That he very nearly succeeded makes for a riveting tale, unrelenting in it's depiction of the horrors inflicted on those in their path. It was inconceivable to English pride that mere savages could in a concerted effort cause to fall so many forts on the frontier - leaving Ft Detroit virtually isolated and under siege. The story is told from both sides and the people written about come to life as you feel their terror and hope for their succor. Tense and suspenseful throughout .
June 15, 2017
This volume of the author’s Narratives of America or The Winning of America, depending on whether you read the cover or the Author’s Note, covers the conflict known as Pontiac’s Rebellion. I enjoyed it myself, because most of it was new to me.
The story covers most of three years and there are three main characters: Major Gladwyn, commandant and defender of Detroit; Alexander Henry, trader; and, of course, Pontiac. There are many other characters appearing and disappearing throughout the book’s 777 pages and the history and points of view ring true. Because Eckert invents most of the dialogue and gives us such statements as, “Donald Campbell…rubbed both eyes with the heels of his hands and…wished vaguely that George Croghan had been here to witness….” We readers assume he’s alone in his office, we deduce it’s made up, and the story must be classified as fiction, albeit detailed and, for me, enjoyable historical fiction. There are 185 footnotes to amplify points or geography in the book, but not actual quotations. There are eight pages of references, Francis Parkman being a major source, but few are quoted in the footnotes.
Enjoy the read. The story of Pontiac’s Rebellion and the scare it gave the colonies makes for a suspenseful tale, and, if you don’t accept the dialogue as actual history, however plausible, there is still a lot to be learned and enjoyed.
The story covers most of three years and there are three main characters: Major Gladwyn, commandant and defender of Detroit; Alexander Henry, trader; and, of course, Pontiac. There are many other characters appearing and disappearing throughout the book’s 777 pages and the history and points of view ring true. Because Eckert invents most of the dialogue and gives us such statements as, “Donald Campbell…rubbed both eyes with the heels of his hands and…wished vaguely that George Croghan had been here to witness….” We readers assume he’s alone in his office, we deduce it’s made up, and the story must be classified as fiction, albeit detailed and, for me, enjoyable historical fiction. There are 185 footnotes to amplify points or geography in the book, but not actual quotations. There are eight pages of references, Francis Parkman being a major source, but few are quoted in the footnotes.
Enjoy the read. The story of Pontiac’s Rebellion and the scare it gave the colonies makes for a suspenseful tale, and, if you don’t accept the dialogue as actual history, however plausible, there is still a lot to be learned and enjoyed.
August 16, 2013
I really do like Allan Eckert's storytelling, which seems part of the 1960s-1970s (think New Journalism and Norman Mailer) blend of fictional techniques with nonfiction. This volume retells The Conspiracy of Pontiac, at end of French & Indian War. The epistolary fiction inspired me to read a more current history of the conflict, Fred Anderson's Crucible of War.
I also like this wraparound mid-1970s cover painting, depicting a generic scene that never quite happens this way in the novel (with footnotes, maps, index, bibliography, and pronunciation key).
Note to Goodreads librarians: the word Conquerors is misspelled here on Goodreads.
Recommended.
I also like this wraparound mid-1970s cover painting, depicting a generic scene that never quite happens this way in the novel (with footnotes, maps, index, bibliography, and pronunciation key).
Note to Goodreads librarians: the word Conquerors is misspelled here on Goodreads.
Recommended.
March 3, 2008
This is a really really long novel, but it's absolutely brilliant. Well written, well-researched, and, if you like historical fiction - or even just history - this is a must-read. Really made me want to read the rest of the series.
June 12, 2014
A lot of locations where this story is told takes place in Michigan where I live, so I loved this book. Very interesting and easy to read. Would highly recommend it to anyone interested in learning more about the various Indian tribes in Michigan and their history.
January 22, 2025
In terms of historical fiction it would be hard to find books that are more detailed and full of historical information. This is a series of books about early American history starting with The Frontiersman (which is one of my favorite books of all time). This third book of the series focuses on the period right after the French and Indian war and an Indian uprising against the British (remember that the Revolutionary War had not yet occurred and "America" was still a collection of British colonies) in what had previously been French forts and possessions. The leader of this uprising chief Pontiac who may be familiar to history buffs. Pontiac was able to organize several tribes to rise up and attack the now British forts. As is typical with these books you are led to become very familiar with many of the characters and it is fun that many of them are so familiar. This book seemed to be more of a grind than the first two but is still excellent historical fiction. I will keep reading the series and if the time period interests you or you just want to read some excellent historical fiction I would strongly recommend this series of books!
May 7, 2024
History told in the words of those who were there -- Indians, Brits, and French. Statements of fact in the work are meticulously supported by first hand accounts, including independent corroboration. We see some Indian tribes' prolonged torturing their enemies to death, eating them for dinner, and burning them slowly at the stake. Some accounts are grotesquely vivid and stomach-turning. We also see the Brits using biological warfare -- sending blankets infected with small pox into the Indian villages.
The Conquerors shows how close Pontiac came to winning his war and pushing the whites back across the Appalachian. The arrogance and incompetence of the designated British leaders opened the door to a lot of catastrophe. As we can see today, history repeats itself.
Reading this takes a big time commitment if one will check every footnote. The maps could have been better printed in my edition.
The Conquerors shows how close Pontiac came to winning his war and pushing the whites back across the Appalachian. The arrogance and incompetence of the designated British leaders opened the door to a lot of catastrophe. As we can see today, history repeats itself.
Reading this takes a big time commitment if one will check every footnote. The maps could have been better printed in my edition.
May 2, 2022
3rd in his series of books dealing with the British/American colonies, the French and Indian War and the westward expansion of the country into lands “belonging“ to the Indian nations. This book dealt especially with Pontiac the Ottawa chief trying to get all Indian nations to fight back against the expansion from Pennsylvania down to Virginia and across to PA, Ohio, Michigan, IL and on to Green Bay. The British were somewhat arrogant in their opinions of Indian intelligence and fighting ability and that played into Pontiac’s hands. As before the stories are told from many different viewpoints in chronological order. I learned a lot from the 3 books and hope that more people have the opportunity to enjoy them as I did.
December 8, 2022
This is the 4th of the "Winning of America" series that I have read. These books are filled with detailed accounts of events from these historical periods. The research required to learn these details is impressive. The savagery of the native Americans and the dishonesty of their treatment by the Europeans were difficult for me to read at times. One way in which my perceptions about early American history has changed; I no longer view some of our forefathers as heroes. Some were quite greedy and unethical (I won't name names :) ).
June 11, 2020
This story (account?) of the atrocities committed by both sides (along with the numerous lies told by the Whites was captivating in a horrifying way.
I often found myself gripped by terror when reading about the sieges at the various forts, but I was even more saddened by the tales of settlers and soldiers attacking and slaughtering innocent natives who believed their lies and promises to not advance any further into native lands.
This part of history was scary.
I often found myself gripped by terror when reading about the sieges at the various forts, but I was even more saddened by the tales of settlers and soldiers attacking and slaughtering innocent natives who believed their lies and promises to not advance any further into native lands.
This part of history was scary.
December 14, 2018
Third volume in what is possibly my favorite historical series ever. Excellent read about Pontiac’s Rebellion in 1763 following the peace made between the English and French at the end of the F&I War, and the brutal frontier warfare in rural PA and Great Lakes regions.
September 25, 2019
I'm loving this entire series of books. There are so many discussions and reviews of this volume already, so I won't go into it, but I definitely recommend it.
January 5, 2020
Eckert is a great author. One of my favorites. He can make the Ohio frontier as exciting a place as Tolkien makes middle earth.
May 8, 2022
Great Finale To A Wonderful Series
This was such a good book. It gives factual details in a way you can see in your mind the events as they happened.
This was such a good book. It gives factual details in a way you can see in your mind the events as they happened.
September 6, 2023
Phenomenal story of a historical period not
well known by most Americans.
Eckert was an amazing historian & reveals a narrative
as good as any storyteller.
well known by most Americans.
Eckert was an amazing historian & reveals a narrative
as good as any storyteller.
November 8, 2013
This was an epic book although not for the squeamish. I have read Eckert novels before, The Frontiersman, Wilderness Empire, and I knew what to expect. Even so, the way he describes the casual brutality of the fighting and dying during Pontiac's Rebellion is absolutely horrific. It is horrific in the way mindless atrocities occurred involving specific human beings whom Eckert describes in touching accuracy.
As Eckert describes it, the rebellion itself was an amazingly complicated conspiracy drawn together almost single handedly by the Ottawa War Chief, Pontiac. Initially, we relate with Pontiac and sympathize with his hatred of the English who had driven his people further west and defeated the French in the Seven Years War. Pontiac, respected an admired the French general, Marquise de Montcalm, and he vowed eternal loyalty. We saw that Montcalm treated Pontiac not only as an equal among men but as an equal among leaders. It was in this relationship, Eckert describes the seeds of Pontiac's War.
As Eckert describes the sieges on the frontier he highlights the terrible escalation of brutality. The whites were no better than the Indians. He has recounted plenty of shameful moments of inhumanity involving burnings, cannibalism, small pox, plundering on both sides and murder of noncombatants. I found especially interesting to internal politics of the Pennsylvania Colonial Assembly between the war faction and the pacifism of the Quakers. There was no middle ground. You were either murdering white racist frontiersman or an Indian-loving, peace-at-all-costs Herbert milktoast. The book is written as a narrative which the author believes is different from a novel. It has very little dialog, and foot notes. It is a long... long read, but well worth the effort.
As Eckert describes it, the rebellion itself was an amazingly complicated conspiracy drawn together almost single handedly by the Ottawa War Chief, Pontiac. Initially, we relate with Pontiac and sympathize with his hatred of the English who had driven his people further west and defeated the French in the Seven Years War. Pontiac, respected an admired the French general, Marquise de Montcalm, and he vowed eternal loyalty. We saw that Montcalm treated Pontiac not only as an equal among men but as an equal among leaders. It was in this relationship, Eckert describes the seeds of Pontiac's War.
As Eckert describes the sieges on the frontier he highlights the terrible escalation of brutality. The whites were no better than the Indians. He has recounted plenty of shameful moments of inhumanity involving burnings, cannibalism, small pox, plundering on both sides and murder of noncombatants. I found especially interesting to internal politics of the Pennsylvania Colonial Assembly between the war faction and the pacifism of the Quakers. There was no middle ground. You were either murdering white racist frontiersman or an Indian-loving, peace-at-all-costs Herbert milktoast. The book is written as a narrative which the author believes is different from a novel. It has very little dialog, and foot notes. It is a long... long read, but well worth the effort.
April 7, 2014
The third book in a very old six book history series of native Americans, I found the book fascinating. As someone who grew up in the midwest, but never learned about the Indians there I was amazed to find out that Pontiac was an Indian chief from the Ottawa tribe that kept Detroit under seige for most of 1763, continuing to fight the British after the French-Indian war had ended. He foresaw that the British would eventually overrun their territory if they weren't stopped, but incorrectly thought the French would come back and save them and let the Indians continue to live according to their customs. As in most conflicts, this too was full of multiple blunders and dumb decisions on the part of both sides. My only complaint on the writing would have been to put the location along with the date on each daily entry as the book jumped from fort to fort and it wasn't always immediately obvious which fort was being discussed, and I lost track as to who was commanding where several times.
September 20, 2009
I got off to a slow start for the first 100 - 150 pages of the book, but then it took off and I had trouble putting it down. Full of amazing and horrifying information about the years 1758 - 1764 during the Indian uprising following the end of the French and Indian war, the book carries you along with the English soldiers and traders while the reader alternately shudders and cheers. The whimsicality of the different Indian tribes in the taking and slaughtering of prisoners was especially hard to bear. There was absolutely no second-guessing them. The book leaves you with the urge to find out what happens to these people later, which is always the hallmark of a good book. In fact, I am going now to find out what happened to Major Henry Gladwin.
January 10, 2009
I have 2008 as the date I read this book- that was a second read. It's basically about the uprising of Chief Pontiac. It's a very good read the first time but with the amount of people, places and dates it was better the second time. This is the second Allan Eckert book I've re-read. I plan on re-reading the entire Winning of America Series and the companion book That Dark and Bloody River: Chronicles of the Ohio River Valley. It's like reading American history in the form of a novel. The books are well researched with sources well documented at the backs of the books as well as amplification notes at the back which are great, especially the on the first read.
October 14, 2012
The Conquerors has been on my history shelf as part of Allan W. Eckert's "The Winning of America" series.
As with other books written by Eckert, the historical narrative is well-documented and well-explained with his Amplification Notes.
This is the story of Pontiac's uprising, the siege of Fort Detroit, and attacks on traders and settlers who lived in present-day New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, and Ohio during the years of 1758-1769.
I recommend it to adult readers with the warning it details horrible violence.
As with other books written by Eckert, the historical narrative is well-documented and well-explained with his Amplification Notes.
This is the story of Pontiac's uprising, the siege of Fort Detroit, and attacks on traders and settlers who lived in present-day New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, and Ohio during the years of 1758-1769.
I recommend it to adult readers with the warning it details horrible violence.
Want to read
April 9, 2009history
September 28, 2008
Another fantastic Eckert.
The Conquerors transports the reader to the story of Pontiac, the fierce and brilliant war chief.
The Conquerors transports the reader to the story of Pontiac, the fierce and brilliant war chief.
February 12, 2011
Great read and very informative but it does not have the exciting element that the Frontiersmen has.
December 24, 2011
A great narrative of the early history of our country, quite unlike our usual textbook idea of history. Great read!
May 20, 2015
Not a good as, "The Frontiersmen," but still a very interesting look at how we managed to defeat the Brits and kill off/displace the Native Americans who used to call the Mid-West home.
July 20, 2013
Wow! The things people went through back then. Glad it wasn't me.
Read
June 17, 2018I loved this book it gives history of early Natives in Southeast MI and Ontario. Details of Pontiacs war.
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews