Historical fiction book · Curated
Northwest Passage
Kenneth Roberts · historical fiction
In 1759 Langdon Towne, a Portsmouth artist who has fled trouble at home, reaches Crown Point and joins Major Robert Rogers' Rangers on the raid against the Abenaki village at St. Francis. Kenneth Roberts's 1937 novel is early-modern military historical fiction of that march, and of Rogers' later years in London and at Fort Michilimackinac.
Why read it: A widely searched French and Indian War novel—the Roberts title readers look up by name (a 1937 U.S. bestseller), and a Rangers counterpart to The Last of the Mohicans already on the shelf (not Arundel).
About this historical novel
Northwest Passage by Kenneth Roberts is historical fiction set around 1759–1768 in the Early modern period with key settings including Portsmouth, Crown Point, St. Francis, Lake Champlain. In 1759 Langdon Towne, a Portsmouth artist who has fled trouble at home, reaches Crown Point and joins Major Robert Rogers' Rangers on the raid against the Abenaki village at St. Francis. Kenneth Roberts's 1937 novel is early-modern military historical fiction of that march, and of Rogers' later years in London and at Fort Michilimackinac.
On HisFic we tag it under 5. Military & war and 6. Adventure & epic so you can pair it with similar story types. Recurring themes include Rogers' Rangers, the French and Indian War, the St. Francis raid, the Northwest Passage, and ambition. A widely searched French and Indian War novel—the Roberts title readers look up by name (a 1937 U.S. bestseller), and a Rangers counterpart to The Last of the Mohicans already on the shelf (not Arundel).
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Plot summary
In 1759 Langdon Towne, a Portsmouth artist who has fled trouble at home, reaches Crown Point and joins Major Robert Rogers' Rangers on the raid against the Abenaki village at St. Francis. Kenneth Roberts's 1937 novel is early-modern military historical fiction of that march, and of Rogers' later years in London and at Fort Michilimackinac. A widely searched French and Indian War novel—the Roberts title readers look up by name (a 1937 U.S. bestseller), and a Rangers counterpart to The Last of the Mohicans already on the shelf (not Arundel).
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Eras
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Regions & places
North America
Portsmouth · Crown Point · St. Francis · Lake Champlain · London · Fort Michilimackinac
Themes
- Rogers' Rangers
- the French and Indian War
- the St. Francis raid
- the Northwest Passage
- ambition
Tags
military · classic · bestseller