George Rogers Clark

"I Glory in War"

By: William R. Nester

Narrated by: Carl Hausman

Length: 14 hrs and 4 mins

Publisher's Summary

George Rogers Clark (1752-1818) led four victorious campaigns against the Indians and British in the Ohio Valley during the American Revolution, but his most astonishing coup was recapturing Fort Sackville in 1779 when he was only 26. For 18 days, in the dead of winter, Clark and his troops marched through bone-chilling nights to reach the fort. With a deft mix of guile and violence, Clark led his men to triumph without losing a single soldier. William R. Nester resurrects the story of Clark's triumphs and his downfall in this, the first full biography of the man in more than 50 years. Nester attributes Clark's successes to his drive and daring, good luck, charisma, and intellect. Born of a distinguished Virginia family, Clark wielded an acute understanding of human nature, both as a commander and as a diplomat. His interest in the natural world was an inspiration to lifelong friend Thomas Jefferson, who asked him in 1784 to lead a cross-country expedition to the Pacific and back. Clark turned Jefferson down. Two decades later, his youngest brother, William, would become the Clark celebrated as a member of the Corps of Discovery. After the revolution, he raged against the government and pledged fealty to other nations, leading to his arrest under the Sedition Act. He died at the age of 65, bitter, crippled, and alcoholic.

Army Historical Foundation, Excellence in US Army History Writing. The book is published by University of Oklahoma Press.

©2012 William R. Nester (P)2016 Redwood Audiobooks

So far, so spotty.

I'm only part way through the book, so I hesitated reviewing at this point, but I had to flag it. I realize this is a biography about GR Clark, so he gets the focus, but events surrounding him are all but glanced over.
What really set me off is this book's account of the Battle of Point Pleasant. Clark was apparently at the battle, but the whole encounter is handled in slapdash manner. There is no mention of the general belief (possibly false) that Lord Dunmore purposefully left the Americans exposed to be mauled by the Indians or mention so far of how big a grievance it was for the colonists leading into the Revolution. Worst of all the account of the battle is completely faulty. The author falsely reports that the American commander, Colonel Andrew Lewis, was killed (it was actually his brother Charles Lewis who was killed), and there's no mention of the death of Pucksinwa, the Shawnee war chief and one of the biggest leaders of the pro-war faction (also the father of Tecumseh). The author attributes the Indians' withdrawal purely to running out of ammunition (a likely contributing factor) without acknowledging the loss of one of their key leaders.
I hope the biography improves as it progresses, but I worry if these kind of oversights will continue.

Great American hero.

Great book. However, psychological mumbo jumbo at the end was all speculation. So it closed weakly.

History of Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, and MO.

I learned a lot about where I live and I thank God for the VA.

Wonderful Narration on a Riveting Biography!

Would you consider the audio edition of George Rogers Clark to be better than the print version?

Yes, I absolutely would.

What did you like best about this story?

Learning some fascinating details about continental life in mid-18th century.

Which scene was your favorite?

The nuanced rendition of Clark's sad final days.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

It was a very moving story evoking a range of emotions. I was angry at the government's treatment of Clark, and I was sad learning how he struggled later in life.

Any additional comments?

I highly recommend listening to this book. You won't want to turn it off (or in my case, get out of the car:).