Lord of the Mohawks: A Biography of Sir William Johnson

Sir William Johnson, the greatest frontiersman of the American Colonial period, defied all of the stereotypes that we typically associate with the term. Rather than a rough hewn log cabin, he inhabited a feudal manor. In place of the proto-democratic individualism of our mythologized frontiersmen, he epitomized the clannish feudalism of his native Ireland. And rather than being a noted Indian slayer, he was an adopted Mohawk sachem, a chief both in war and peace, and one of the Native's greatest friends among the whites. Johnson ranks among the most important men of the entire Colonial period, rivaled in fame and influence only by Benjamin Franklin. He earned honor and respect from two worlds; made a Baronet for his service to England as the Crown's Indian Superintendent, and made a chief of the Mohawk nation of the Iroquois Confederation. His keen understanding of the strategic importance of the Natives to the balance of power in North America and his mastery of Indian diplomacy made him the single most important man to the victory of British Arms in America during the French and Indian War. Had he not died in 1774, on the eve of the American Revolution, he likely would have been a crucial, if not deciding figure in that conflict as well. James Thomas Flexner, who is best known for his outstanding, four volume biography of George Washington, here handles the fascinating life of Sir William Johnson just as brilliantly. From his prologue to his final sentence he grabs and holds the readers attention, weaving a gripping tale that is also illuminating history. He makes a strong case for Johnson's preeminent importance to the development of Colonial America and even to the eventual formation of The United States. Anyone with an interest in Colonial America, The French and Indian Wars, or The Five Nations of the Iroquois Confederation should consider this book a must read. It receives my very highest recommendation. Theo Logos

Sir William Johnson was a loyal subject of the British crown. Yet his contribution to what is now the United States of America is little known or appreciated as it ought to be, most likely because he was a loyalist. Without his contribution to the British victory over France in North America, the United States simply would not exist. Flexner provides us with a biography of this man that avoids the pitfalls of some of the exagerated Johnson legends by careful historical research.From the complicated family life of a man who never married his children's mothers, to his intricate involvement and dealings with the Iroquis Confederacy that held that Confederacy to the British side, Flexner presents a fascinating story of a side of American history many Americans are probably not aware of. You can not fully understand and appreciate American history without knowing about Sir William Johnson.