That Dark and Bloody River by Allan W. Eckert is a historical novel that tells the story of the American frontier in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. The book is set in the Ohio River Valley, which was a hotbed of conflict between Native Americans and white settlers. I really believe most people living in that area have no idea how brutal and bloody that battle over both transit on the river and the settling of the lands on either side was.
Eckert’s novel is a sweeping epic that tells the stories of many different characters, including Native American leaders such as Tecumseh and Blue Jacket, white settlers such as Daniel Boone and Simon Kenton, and American military leaders such as George Rogers Clark and William Henry Harrison. The book is full of action, adventure, and even some romance, and it provides a fascinating glimpse into a time of great change and upheaval in American history.
At the time the book is set, the Ohio was the bleeding frontier of the nation and the major road west. As it went, so went the country. I refer to it a couple of times in the latest trilogy (Liz Danger) I’ve written with Jennifer Crusie which we set in the fictional town of Burney, on the banks of the Ohio River.
Eckert’s research for the novel is extensive, and he brings a wealth of detail to his characters and their world. The book is long, but it never feels slow or bogged down. Eckert’s writing is clear and engaging, and he does a masterful job of bringing the past to life.
That Dark and Bloody River is a must-read for anyone interested in American history or historical fiction. It is a powerful and moving story that will stay with you long after you finish reading it.
I recommend all of Eckert’s frontier books.
Through the first hundred pages,I felt it was very deep historical account and the father I read it’s more of a character novel, as opposed to pure historical. I’m 75 years old and I was crushed as I read about how the indigenous Americans were murdered, raped and killed by countries, colonizers and our forming nations . It’s hard to believe how long they’ve been here according to the paleo, which were dated 10,000 years old, they owned the lands of all the Americas, into Canada, from east to west 1.5 billion acres., and genocide of 12-100 million or 90% of them, they the white s, were brought to this country in slavery 1. 5 million, plus 2.5-5 million indigenous Americans matched the number of the blacks who’s sold into slavery, in the colonial and West Indies . We never once were told of this in our history classes 70 years ago. What happened to them was 15 times worse than what hitler did to the Jews, but this genocide was kept a secret. 1500-1900. Concentration camps, murdering for their lands. I started to want head of their history, because my great grand mother, who to the best of my knowledge was a full blooded Indian fro Lincoln, Nebraska , gave both to my grandfather, Grover Harrison Gatts born on October 2, 1888 and died on January 3, 1966