Northwest Passage

I've spent a lot of time on the history surrounding the actual events of Rogers Rangers raid on the Abenaki village of Odanak in 1758. But here is a book that throws back the curtain and hurls us out the window into the midst of 18th Century America and Britain. This is simply one of the finest historical novels out there; closely rivalling LeGrand Cannon's Look To the Mountain. Good historical escapist fun and drama.

I first discovered Northwest Passage at a library while I was still in high school, and ever since then I have been a confirmed Kenneth Roberts fan. His ability to bring the frontier and its characters alive is uncanny and unmatched by any other author I've ever read. His research into the foods, weapons, country and historical events he writes about is unparalleled, and each character in all of of his novels seems so real it sometimes becomes diffcult to determine if they were real or not. Mingling real-life historical figures such as George Washington, Benedict Arnold and others, with fictional characters such as Steven Nason, Cap Huff, and other truly unforgettable creations, lends them a credibility that results in history coming alive. One's understanding of historical events and people that have become blase' over the years is competely turned upside down and inside out as you gain new insight and understanding of what happened, why it happened and what it meant through Roberts' masterful writing backed up by exhaustive research into his subjects and events. The characters not only are drawn larger than life in all their strengths and weaknesses, but as they move through several of Roberts' novels and are observed and encountered differently when viewed from different perspectives, we begin to realize that history is not static but is dynamic and alive. Example: RABBLE IN ARMS and OLIVER WISWELL are both books about the American Revolution, but written from diametrically opposite viewpoints ! RABBLE IN ARMS follows the struggle of the colonists to free themselves from England's grip as envisioned from the rebellious colonists' perspective, while OLIVER WISWELL is about the very same events written from the perspective of a Loyalist; many of the very same characters populate both novels, but the view one gets of them is so different from one to the other of the books that it hardly seems as if at first they are about the same thing. Additionally, OLIVER WISWELL is an outstanding exploration of the Loyalist cause and why they believed we would all be better off to remain loyal subjects of England.I've read all of Roberts' books, and have a first edition of OLIVER WISWELL purchased for $3.00 from a used bookstore with an original newspaper review that had been tucked inside the book by the original purchaser. The review is of the novel itself, and after reading that review from more than 60 years ago, it is very apparent over the years the very high and well-deserved reputation of Roberts has not diminished.My recommendation is: read them. Read them all !! You will never find finer writing or an author with a keener appreciation of his subject matter and the period about which he writes than Kenneth Roberts. All of Roberts' books should be reprinted, again and again, as they were when they were first published (check the frontispieces to see how many times his novels have been re-printed over the years --- it's astounding!). Every pe

Kenneth Roberts is my favorite novelist so this review may be somewhat biased, but Northwest Passage truly is a book people should read. It is gripping, a book I had a difficult time setting down. Roberts had a style that was unique in that the reader can many times feel the sensations he is describing. When the soldiers were hungy and were failing at hunting, Roberts could create a sensation of hunger and frustration. When he described the streets of London, the reader feels like he/she is actually there.This book is wonderful. It's full of lively, intelligent characters and solid story plots. It is as good a represtation of colonial America as was ever done in the form of a novel. Hopefully it will remain a timeless classic forever.

Set in Colonial America during the French and Indian War, historical novelist Kenneth Roberts' Northwest Passage is an epic work about the larger-than-life Major Rogers and the artist Langdon Towne who joins Rogers' Rangers. As Langdon gradually draws strength, wisdom, and experience from adversity, Major Rogers slowly crumbles before hardship. A powerful story of enduring the fire for better or ill, Northwest Passage is a gripping read and a standout recommendation on the historical fiction shelf.

Kenneth Roberts' "Northwest Passage" is one of the great novels of the 1930's. Little remembered now, it is the story of Major Robert Rogers and the early Rangers of the French and Indian War. Most of the book is an accurate description of what occured during that time period, and one gets an incredible feel for the hardships and calamities that befall these men. The book is written in the first person as the narrator is one of the Major's trusted associates; the story involves both men and their lives together in the wilderness and much later when their paths cross once again near the end of the 18th Century. Rogers himself commanded the first real "commando" unit and he is the father of all subsequent outfits like the Green Berets, the Navy Seals etc. Kenneth Roberts was one of the great historical fiction writers of his day and anyone who is interested in this time period would be wise to read this book. It is truly a classic.