Kenneth Roberts was one of America's best-known nonfiction magazine writers back during the heyday of the Saturday Evening Post. One of his best-known articles was a profile of Hitler following the Beer Hall Putsch, which became a book in its own right at a time when no one in America knew who Hitler was.

Beginning in the mid-1930s, Roberts wrote a series of brilliant but erratic historical novels about America in the late 1700s, set in his beloved Maine or in neighboring Boston and Portsmouth, NH. "Northwest Passage" (which was serialized by the Post) was his masterpiece and the most popular book in America for two years during the 1930s, although it's barely remembered today (or, if remembered, known only as the source for a mediocre Spencer Tracy movie of the same name).

The book is the story of a real person, Major Robert Rogers, a miltary leader from pre-Revolutionary America whose unit, Rogers' Rangers, was America's first to fight "Indian-style" (in other words, to fight battles the way we fight them today). Rogers' great success in warfare led to him becoming one of the colonies' first published authors, a star in London, and later the royal governor of Michilimackinac (the fort at the tip of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan ... and the land westward), but his unwillingness to join with pluderers who wanted to loot the British and colonial treasuries in the name of the Crown led to his arrest and unwarranted disgrace ... and to his ultimate decision to side with the British during the American Revolution, like Roberts' other main hero, Benedict Arnold ("Arundel" and "Rabble in Arms").

This novel is made up of two very different but intricately-plotted books. Book 1, which ranges in place from Harvard College to the British Army during the French and Indian Wars and the New England art world, tells the story of a young man, Langdon Towne, who becomes Rogers' personal secretary during Rogers' Rangers' expedition to destroy the town of St. Francis, home of the native group most hostile to the New England settlers. Book 2, which begins in London, crosses back to upstate Michigan and the Dakota lands, and then returns to London, tells the story of Towne's advancement as an artist and his involvement with Rogers' plan to discover the Northwest Passage.

The reason that this book rates 4 stars instead of 5 has to do with a writing issue that must be mentioned. Roberts' friend Booth Tarkington served as "editor" of the first three-quarters of the book, and the Roberts-Tarkington prose is stellar. However, under severe time pressure to finish the second half of the book (due to its smash-hit status), Roberts wrote the last quarter without Tarkington's help, and the change in writing quality is jarring -- especially as it comes right during the most historically-important and dramatically-important section of the book, Rogers' betrayal by his Northwest Passage expedition commanders and by his British and American enemies. Roberts had offered Tarkington co-writing credit, which Tarkington refused, but this justaposition of styles shows just how critical Tarkington's help was. The plot continues smoothly, though, even if the writing doesn't.

One more point: in researching and writing this book, Roberts uncovered (after two years of searching, and just before publication of Book 2) the actual court-marshal transcripts of the two court-marshals with which Rogers was involved, which were believed to have been destroyed by Rogers' enemies -- and both supported Roberts' sympathetic treatment of Rogers. Thus, not only was this book incredibly popular, but it was significant for historical research as well. What more can you ask from one book?

Kenneth Roberts was one of America's finest writers of historical fiction- mainly because he actually really knew the history into which he placed his fictional characters.

"Northwest Passage" is arguably his most popular work, and its Book I was made into a pretty good 1940 movie with Robert Young as the fictional Langdon Towne and Spencer Tracy as the legendary Robert Rogers. (I must admit that everytime I read Rogers' dialogue in "Northwest Passage" I hear the voice of Spencer Tracy.) Anyway "Northwest Passage," the novel, is actually made up of two very different books.

Book I is one of the finest pieces of historical fiction that I have ever read. It's the story of Rogers' Rangers attack on the Abenaki Indian village of St. Francis during the French and Indian War. The story revolves around a fictional character, Langdon Towne, an upper middle class lad who wants to become a great artist by painting "true life" subjects such as Indians. Fleeing a dispute with local crooked politicians, Towne joins Major Rogers and his Rangers on the eve of their departure for St. Francis. What happens next is a thrilling story. Roberts' descriptions of the northern New England terrain, the agony of fatigue and starvation, and the gruesome depiction of the barbaric nature of war are stunning to read. Also amazing is the depiction of Major Rogers as seen through the worshipful eyes of Towne. The reader will finish Book I with a heroic image of Rogers as an indefatigable, courageous, clever tactician and born leader.

Book II, though, is a disappointment. Of course, it is very understandable that Book II is a let down, since Book I can hardly be topped as a historical adventure. Roberts' spends most of Book II tearing down the heroic image of Rogers that he built-up in Book I. Alcohol, debt, political enemies, a bad marriage, and his own vices reduce Rogers to a rather pathetic character. Book II also suffers from a lack of focus- we follow Towne as he develops into a famous painter from New England, to England, to the Upper Great Lakes, to Canada, back to England, and then to New England. Unlike Book I, which dealt with just a few short months of time, Book II is all over the place. However, the biggest problem with Book II is that nothing really happens in it- just Rogers' long decline and Towne's search for fulfillment.

Finally, Kenneth Roberts' books usually contain some extremely well developed and strong female characters, but "Northwest Passage" is lacking in this department. The interesting character of Jennie Coit disappears quickly. And Anne Potter, who had the possibility to be extremely interesting, is just too thinly drawn.

"Northwest Passage's" Book I is a terrific piece of historical fiction. I cannot speak more highly of it. However, Book II drags, and is really only interesting in that illustrates what happens to the characters introduced in Book I. Book II is actually just a very long and detailed epilogue to Book I.

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.