The first volume in The Tennessee Frontier Trilogy, The Overmountain Men traces the settlement of the Tennessee frontier in pre -- Revolutionary War America. A fascinating story and an inspiring record of the courage of the colonists.
Cameron Judd is the author of more than 30 novels written under his own name and pseudonyms ( Tobias Cole) and is an award-winning newspaperman.. He got his start in 1980, on a lark, and has referred to himself elsewhere as a sort of unintentional novelist. He lives near Greeneville, Tennessee, with his wife.
An adventure entrenched in the colorful history of beyond the backcountry
This was a great story about a place and time period that isn't taught in school. I appreciated that the author covered the period through the eyes and ears of very different people. When white colonial 'long hunters' disobeyed British law (Proclamation of 1763) by starting settlements west of the Appalachian Mts., the clash between cultures and value systems had nearly catastrophic results. In the end, only the strongest survive...only the side with most resources can prevail. I found the Cherokee culture very fascinating, and at times it rang true for even modern men. It is the young who have the luxury of standing steadfast to their own principles. Wisdom is most often dependent on having lived and learned from so many experiences that those who are wise better see the harsh reality, while the youthful believe they can (almost) single handedly bend the inevitable to their way of thinking. From varied characters,this novel reflects soon what can happen when several cultures collided. ...Now, how could this story end differently if each culture was represented equally, so the Cherokee, Shawnee, hunters, speculators and settlers had equal say instead? I suppose there was no political correctness then, as if being politically correct today guarantees culture equality in our great nation...
I loved this series. Such a fascinating peak into what life was like and compassionately told from all perspectives so one group of people weren't completely vilified. Hard things happen, but it was not overly detailed to make it unbearable. Great character development. Loved it!
A good, entertaining yarn that felt really rushed in alot of places. There was enough narrative jam-packed into these 400+ pages to fill out two much better paced 300 page novels.
Part of the Tennessee Frontier Trilogy, “Overmountain Man” is historically significant because it describes in great detail how hard life was when the American colonists crossed the mountain ranges into Tennessee, Kentucky and the Ohio Valley prior to the American Revolution. First published in 1991, this riveting tale traces the life of Joshua Byrum – son of settlers, Indian captive, wilderness survivor, freedom fighter and frontiersman. He was Daniel Boone and Jeremiah Johnson rolled into one. There's lots of action, hardship and a little bit of romance in this novel. I look forward to reading the rest of the trilogy.
A very good frontier tale about the men and women who settled Tennessee and opened up Kentucky. Follows the life of a 10-year old boy whose mother dies and his father abandons him. Blends history and fiction together very well. Recommended to fans of frontier stories and action/adventure stories.