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The Ohio River Trilogy #1-3
The Zane Grey Frontier Trilogy: Betty Zane, The Last Trail, The Spirit of the Border
Zane Grey’s first trilogy-- Betty Zane , The Last Trail , and The Spirit of the Border --now available for the first time in one big volume!
Inspired by the life and adventures of the author’s great-great grandmother, Betty Zane tells the story of the last battle of the American Revolution, in which the heroine was a young, spunky, and beautiful frontier girl named Betty Zane. In The Last Trail, a woman is kidnapped from Fort Henry by a band of renegades and hostile Ohio Valley Indians, and Lewis Wetzel and Jonathan Zane set out in pursuit, with little hope of survival. Finally, in The Spirit of the Border, Lewis Wetzel must single-handedly save Fort Henry, armed only with his long rifle and knife.
Inspired by the life and adventures of the author’s great-great grandmother, Betty Zane tells the story of the last battle of the American Revolution, in which the heroine was a young, spunky, and beautiful frontier girl named Betty Zane. In The Last Trail, a woman is kidnapped from Fort Henry by a band of renegades and hostile Ohio Valley Indians, and Lewis Wetzel and Jonathan Zane set out in pursuit, with little hope of survival. Finally, in The Spirit of the Border, Lewis Wetzel must single-handedly save Fort Henry, armed only with his long rifle and knife.
736 pages, Hardcover
Published October 2, 2007
About the author
Zane Grey
2,100 books598 followersPearl Zane Grey was an American author best known for his popular adventure novels and stories that presented an idealized image of the rugged Old West. As of June 2007, the Internet Movie Database credits Grey with 110 films, one TV episode, and a series, Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theater based loosely on his novels and short stories.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
February 25, 2024
Before you write me off as too much of a snob to like Zane Grey. His THE OHIO RIVER TRILOGY: Betty Zane + The Spirit of the Border + The Last Trail (Western Classics Series): Historical Novels are not my first, or second of his titles. Bottom line first, these books are not well written. The books have their moments, but much is bad writing.
The Ohio Trilogy is informed by and inspired by the Zanes side of his family and their legitimate, heroic and historic roles in settling the Ohio River area in the years just after the American Revolution. In fact the first book is a near exact retelling of his fore mother, Betty Zane and her heroism in saving Fort Henry. This battle is a matter of history, it is considered the last battle of the American Revolution and what Betty did would have been worthy of a Medal of Honor, had they been available or ever awarded to a civilian, or a woman.
In fairness to Zane Grey, the three books are more in the line of adventure romances, and fairly early in his books. So perhaps not Grey at his best or most mature.
What the Canadians would call, the peoples of the first nations pretty much get short shifted by Grey. The say “Ugh” a lot, speak in low quality, TV Indian English, and are routinely savages, and the rest of what we know was intended to be judgement disparagement. Again, to be fair to Grey, about ½ way into book 1, makes it clear that the first nations people had been good neighbors, even friendly until routine abuses by , theft by and other bad white people gave them cause to be hostile. By book 3 there are clear distinctions between won over peaceable Indians and those in the thrall of white criminals, but we too often find ourselves reading the definition of “the only good Indian is a …” Grey does not always s feel the need to finish . Further a central character in all three books is a Borderman, named Lewis Wetzel. Wetzal, AKA the Death Wind. He is a good guy because he is a nick of time savior of the local white people and especially to frequently kidnapped white women. OTOH his one goal in life is to hunt down, bushwack, murder and scalp Indians.
As for the writing. Do not try to distinguish white, or red males by their description. Among the good guy males, all are tall, broad shouldered and handsome. Almost nothing makes it easy to know one of the original peoples except the occasional mention of feathers or reference to apparent age. Likewise, the women, where they get other than wallpaper mention pretty much all look the same. Leading women are allowed to have some spirit but ultimately, they are all weaker vessels among their rowdy, hard working males.
Much of the plot is re-used. Bad white guy misleading red ones, targets a white woman for kidnapping. Some combination of a one-man army, Wetzel and a sometimes-side kick get injured, get captured, escape save the day or something like that. Book 3 does have a few less than obvious end of the book twists, but there is a lot to get to them.
Overall, the Ohio River Trilogy is old school ‘He man’ adventures. Perhaps a way to see into Zane Grey’s development as a story teller. He does get better. This trilogy is Zane Grey before he got better.
The Ohio Trilogy is informed by and inspired by the Zanes side of his family and their legitimate, heroic and historic roles in settling the Ohio River area in the years just after the American Revolution. In fact the first book is a near exact retelling of his fore mother, Betty Zane and her heroism in saving Fort Henry. This battle is a matter of history, it is considered the last battle of the American Revolution and what Betty did would have been worthy of a Medal of Honor, had they been available or ever awarded to a civilian, or a woman.
In fairness to Zane Grey, the three books are more in the line of adventure romances, and fairly early in his books. So perhaps not Grey at his best or most mature.
What the Canadians would call, the peoples of the first nations pretty much get short shifted by Grey. The say “Ugh” a lot, speak in low quality, TV Indian English, and are routinely savages, and the rest of what we know was intended to be judgement disparagement. Again, to be fair to Grey, about ½ way into book 1, makes it clear that the first nations people had been good neighbors, even friendly until routine abuses by , theft by and other bad white people gave them cause to be hostile. By book 3 there are clear distinctions between won over peaceable Indians and those in the thrall of white criminals, but we too often find ourselves reading the definition of “the only good Indian is a …” Grey does not always s feel the need to finish . Further a central character in all three books is a Borderman, named Lewis Wetzel. Wetzal, AKA the Death Wind. He is a good guy because he is a nick of time savior of the local white people and especially to frequently kidnapped white women. OTOH his one goal in life is to hunt down, bushwack, murder and scalp Indians.
As for the writing. Do not try to distinguish white, or red males by their description. Among the good guy males, all are tall, broad shouldered and handsome. Almost nothing makes it easy to know one of the original peoples except the occasional mention of feathers or reference to apparent age. Likewise, the women, where they get other than wallpaper mention pretty much all look the same. Leading women are allowed to have some spirit but ultimately, they are all weaker vessels among their rowdy, hard working males.
Much of the plot is re-used. Bad white guy misleading red ones, targets a white woman for kidnapping. Some combination of a one-man army, Wetzel and a sometimes-side kick get injured, get captured, escape save the day or something like that. Book 3 does have a few less than obvious end of the book twists, but there is a lot to get to them.
Overall, the Ohio River Trilogy is old school ‘He man’ adventures. Perhaps a way to see into Zane Grey’s development as a story teller. He does get better. This trilogy is Zane Grey before he got better.
June 12, 2021
Western romance
Beautiful old fashioned lyrical writing. Loved when I was seventeen, like a bit less in my late sixties but still worth reading. Some of the attitudes dated. Like the attitude that recognizes the native Indians were cheated, lied to and betrayed. Dislike having them called savages because they fought to keep their land and way of life.
Beautiful old fashioned lyrical writing. Loved when I was seventeen, like a bit less in my late sixties but still worth reading. Some of the attitudes dated. Like the attitude that recognizes the native Indians were cheated, lied to and betrayed. Dislike having them called savages because they fought to keep their land and way of life.
April 6, 2012
Wonderful. All three are great stories. Zane Grey's Lewis Wetzel is a great frontier hero (although the real life Wetzel was apparently somewhat disreputable).
July 30, 2024
3.5 stars
Great stories if you can get through the extensive descriptions of nature and scenery, common for this literary period.
All 3 books in this 3-in-1 followed a group of settlers in the Ohio River Valley, in or around Fort Henry. These stories were based on the journal writings of the author’s ancestors that were the main characters of the plot lines.
“Betty Zane” details the build up to a huge battle between the Fort and a group of 600 combined Native American and British forces. The main character, Betty Zane, plays a pivotal role in deciding the outcome of this battle in favor of the Fort. As with all of these books, the author is writing in the very early 20th century and using the very detailed descriptions of nature and scenery that seemed to drag on. However, the battle scenes were fantastic!
“The Last Trail” follows a few of the main supporting characters from the first book, Lew Wetzel and Jonathan Zane, two frontiersmen. Other characters from the first book are also quite involved in this book, such as the patriarch Colonel Zane. The exploits and adventures of these two could be made into movies many times over.
“The Spirit of the Border” mainly focuses on a group of settlers that come into the area of Fort Henry to perform missionary work. Two of these characters are twin men in their early 20s, Jim and Joe. Jim works as a preacher attempting to convert Native Americans to Christianity, while Joe wants to become Lew Wetzel’s right hand man as a frontiersman fighting traitorous white men and hostile Natives. As with the other books here, the drawn out descriptions can become cumbersome but the adventure and fight scenes are fantastic reads.
Great stories if you can get through the extensive descriptions of nature and scenery, common for this literary period.
All 3 books in this 3-in-1 followed a group of settlers in the Ohio River Valley, in or around Fort Henry. These stories were based on the journal writings of the author’s ancestors that were the main characters of the plot lines.
“Betty Zane” details the build up to a huge battle between the Fort and a group of 600 combined Native American and British forces. The main character, Betty Zane, plays a pivotal role in deciding the outcome of this battle in favor of the Fort. As with all of these books, the author is writing in the very early 20th century and using the very detailed descriptions of nature and scenery that seemed to drag on. However, the battle scenes were fantastic!
“The Last Trail” follows a few of the main supporting characters from the first book, Lew Wetzel and Jonathan Zane, two frontiersmen. Other characters from the first book are also quite involved in this book, such as the patriarch Colonel Zane. The exploits and adventures of these two could be made into movies many times over.
“The Spirit of the Border” mainly focuses on a group of settlers that come into the area of Fort Henry to perform missionary work. Two of these characters are twin men in their early 20s, Jim and Joe. Jim works as a preacher attempting to convert Native Americans to Christianity, while Joe wants to become Lew Wetzel’s right hand man as a frontiersman fighting traitorous white men and hostile Natives. As with the other books here, the drawn out descriptions can become cumbersome but the adventure and fight scenes are fantastic reads.
January 9, 2022
Betty Zane – What an amazing story! The romance of Myira and Issac brought a smile to my face and in some instances, a lump in my throat. On the other hand, Betty Zane was a contradiction to me. At times she made me angry, thinking she was nothing but a spoiled brat. At other times, her compassion, courageousness, and confidence make me like her and believe she would be a treasure for any man of the time. What an exciting and tumultuous time! I close my eyes and listen as J. Rodney Turner describes the beautiful wilderness and the people who tamed and settled it. As hard as that life must have been, I wish I had lived during that time. What a wild and wonderful experience it would have been. The times that tried men’s souls.
The Spirit of the Border – Prepare for a thrilling and gritty tale of Lewis Wetzel, legendary frontier scout and Indian fighter, called “Le Vent de la Mort”, which, translated from French is “Deathwind”, by the Wyandot (Huron) Indians. Some sources state his private war with the Indians took place between 1777-1788. Of the many wilderness locations involved is Fort Henry just off the Ohio River in what is now Wheeling, West Virginia. Later, Wetzel moved to the Marietta, Ohio area in 1789. Much of the story is historically accurate, the Siege of Fort Henry in 1782 in particular. The story includes other pioneer families such as the Zane’s, who according to Grey commanded Fort Henry. It’s a great tale, with much action and excitement. The woodcraft and skills described of Wetzel are extraordinary, although some of his actual exploits and later err…accomplishments are quite controversial. Records indicate Wetzel died in 1808 in Natchez, Mississippi.
The Last Trail (prior review posted)
The Spirit of the Border – Prepare for a thrilling and gritty tale of Lewis Wetzel, legendary frontier scout and Indian fighter, called “Le Vent de la Mort”, which, translated from French is “Deathwind”, by the Wyandot (Huron) Indians. Some sources state his private war with the Indians took place between 1777-1788. Of the many wilderness locations involved is Fort Henry just off the Ohio River in what is now Wheeling, West Virginia. Later, Wetzel moved to the Marietta, Ohio area in 1789. Much of the story is historically accurate, the Siege of Fort Henry in 1782 in particular. The story includes other pioneer families such as the Zane’s, who according to Grey commanded Fort Henry. It’s a great tale, with much action and excitement. The woodcraft and skills described of Wetzel are extraordinary, although some of his actual exploits and later err…accomplishments are quite controversial. Records indicate Wetzel died in 1808 in Natchez, Mississippi.
The Last Trail (prior review posted)
June 12, 2018
This the first time I've read all three books in the frontier trilogy. I read "Betty Zane" back in college when I was taking a course on Ohio history. I didn't realize all three books were all essentially romance stories - much more so than other works I've read by Zane Grey. My parents were huge Zane Grey fans, and owned the complete hardback red and gold collection of his work. The faded lettering on the spine tell which books were favorites. My sisters all loved the frontier trilogy, and now I know why. I found the stories interesting, but I thought he played a little fast and loose with some of the historical aspects of his stories. All-in-all, a good read though.
September 27, 2024
This is three books in one. The first is the story of Betty Zane, the author’s great great grandmother. The story centers around her coming to a fort near present day Wheeling, West Virginia which was at the time of the Revolutionary War the frontier. The second is more of a story about Lewis Wetsel as an Indian fighter, but has a sad tale woven into it. The third is a story of Jonathan Zane and is mostly a love story. All three paint an interesting picture of the beginning of Ohio and West Virginia.
June 19, 2022
I finished this. I finished reading this Trilogy in the early hours. The Last Trail was a very good book it was the 3rd book Johnaton Zane and Weztel were known as bordermen that track bad men down. In this book they are after horse theives, kiddnappers, murders. In the end the bad men lost and died. Johnaton found love and not sure on Weztel but the bordermen ended the war with Indians in that area came in peace. As with his books I loved reading this trilogy very much.
February 8, 2020
Informative look at the Ohio pioneer life
Danger from Indian tribes and disturbing characters who mostly want to abduct women. The story plods along but the characters are trying to adapt to a new environment.
Danger from Indian tribes and disturbing characters who mostly want to abduct women. The story plods along but the characters are trying to adapt to a new environment.
July 11, 2024
this is the best place to start for first time western readers, all 3 books where amazing
July 29, 2023
Before reading Zane Grey novels in earnest, I used to be turned off by his narrative style which tends to be overly verbose. However, the first few books Grey ever wrote (of which these three are among), at the request of his mother are less about setting mood than they are about dialogue and exposition.
In Betty Zane, we learn about the powerful heroism of young Betty, a frontier youth, who acted to save a fort that was experiencing Indian attack. In The Spirit of the Border, Lewis Wetzel (another historical figure of renown) called a border man and scout, vows to cleanse the frontier of Amerindian "savages" and the white outlaws that prey on the bold pioneers moving west. The Last Trail focuses on the kidnapping of a young lady from Fort Henry and the border men's attempts to track, find, and rescue the youthful pioneer. The climax and denouement IMHO are extremely strong.
The literary language is antiquated. Grey wrote these books over a hundred years ago during a historical period where misogyny and cultural/ethnic sensitivities were not a thing. Consequently, a post-modern audience may find the language jarring. Trigger Warning, for that language although I find some of the views about Betty to be enlightened in accordance with current societal mores.
In Betty Zane, we learn about the powerful heroism of young Betty, a frontier youth, who acted to save a fort that was experiencing Indian attack. In The Spirit of the Border, Lewis Wetzel (another historical figure of renown) called a border man and scout, vows to cleanse the frontier of Amerindian "savages" and the white outlaws that prey on the bold pioneers moving west. The Last Trail focuses on the kidnapping of a young lady from Fort Henry and the border men's attempts to track, find, and rescue the youthful pioneer. The climax and denouement IMHO are extremely strong.
The literary language is antiquated. Grey wrote these books over a hundred years ago during a historical period where misogyny and cultural/ethnic sensitivities were not a thing. Consequently, a post-modern audience may find the language jarring. Trigger Warning, for that language although I find some of the views about Betty to be enlightened in accordance with current societal mores.
February 1, 2012
Recently, my mother and I have been on a quest to find easy, entertaining fiction reads for my grandfather. He has blossomed into a reader late in life, and it is important for us to find titles that will be familiar to him in genre and setting. It just so happens that one of his favorite TV shows was Gun Smoke and he has been a lifelong fan of the classic Western.
Enter, author Zane Grey. I have only read one of his books (the first in the Frontier Trilogy - Betty Zane), but from what I have read about the author, he seems to be a perfect fit.
Betty Zane was an quick, fun read. Due the setting and era the book was written, it is not politically correct. the pioneers are good, the Native Americans are - for the most part - the enemy, and men and women know their place well. But perhaps that is what is so appealing: it is a glamorized, romanticized portrayal of the American frontier and the brave pioneers who explored and settled it.
The novel reads like a good Western: a pretty maid, strong men, adventures and romance. A fluent reader could get through the entire book in a day or so...but that, too, is also the point. This title would be a great distraction while flying on a plane or sitting in a waiting room. Not a lot of thought, but a lot of adventure and a historical setting that will be fun to imagine.
I am told that Zane Grey's most famous book is Riders of the Purple Sage which, according to Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riders_o...), helped lay the groundwork for the formula of the popular Westerns we know and love today. I will have to give that one a try, as well.
Enter, author Zane Grey. I have only read one of his books (the first in the Frontier Trilogy - Betty Zane), but from what I have read about the author, he seems to be a perfect fit.
Betty Zane was an quick, fun read. Due the setting and era the book was written, it is not politically correct. the pioneers are good, the Native Americans are - for the most part - the enemy, and men and women know their place well. But perhaps that is what is so appealing: it is a glamorized, romanticized portrayal of the American frontier and the brave pioneers who explored and settled it.
The novel reads like a good Western: a pretty maid, strong men, adventures and romance. A fluent reader could get through the entire book in a day or so...but that, too, is also the point. This title would be a great distraction while flying on a plane or sitting in a waiting room. Not a lot of thought, but a lot of adventure and a historical setting that will be fun to imagine.
I am told that Zane Grey's most famous book is Riders of the Purple Sage which, according to Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riders_o...), helped lay the groundwork for the formula of the popular Westerns we know and love today. I will have to give that one a try, as well.
February 20, 2017
I just read Bette Zane. I liked it very much.
June 5, 2011
A mixture of romance and factual happenings on the Ohio Valley Frontier in the 1700's. Lewis Wetzel and Jonathan Zane devote their lives to protect the settlers.
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August 3, 2011I bought this when I found out there were more books other than Betty Zane. Really enjoyed these too - although Betty Zane is still my favorite.
October 25, 2014
Had never read any Zane Grey, but living in Ohio close to the area where this trio of novels is set made the stories very interesting. Will probably read some more of his work in the future.
May 6, 2014
I liked this trilogy. The characters a fantastic. The writing is decent. It irritated me mildly that major events in the first book are sideline comments in the next two.
March 2, 2014
My grandfather loved zane grey. I read these many years ago.
February 23, 2015
I absolutely loved this series.
March 17, 2008
These books started were some of my first Grey, and I understand why he was so successful
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews