"The Hunters of the Hills" is a historical fiction novel written by Joseph A. Altsheler, published in 1916, set during the French and Indian War. The book revolves around the adventures of three characters: Robert Lennox, Tayoga, and their older partner Dave Willet. Robert Lennox is a young colonial American who is brave, adventurous and has a deep sense of justice. Tayoga is a young Mohawk Indian, who is wise, cunning, and skilled in fighting. Dave Willet is an older experienced frontiersman who acts as a mentor to Robert and Tayoga. The three main characters are part of a small band of rangers who are tasked with protecting their settlements from the attacks of the French and their Native American allies. They engage in various missions, including intelligence-gathering, sabotage, and rescue operations. But, are they going to get successful in their missions? The book is full of action, adventure, and danger as the rangers face many challenges, including battles with the enemy, survival in the wilderness, and personal conflicts.
Joseph A. Altsheler was born on April 29, 1862, in Three Springs, Hart County, Kentucky, to Joseph and Louise Altsheler. He was a newspaper reporter, editor, and author of popular juvenile historical fiction. He wrote fifty novels and at least fifty-three short stories. Seven of his novels were in sequence.He worked as an editor at the Louisville Courier-Journal in 1885. In 1892, he started to work for New York World and then as the editor of the World's tri-weekly magazine. He wrote children's stories due to a lack of suitable stories.On May 30, 1880, Altsheler married Sarah Boles and had a son named Sidney. In 1914, during World War I Altsheler and his family were in Germany and they were forced to remain there.Altsheler died at the age of 57, on June 5, 1919, in New York. His wife, Sarah Boles died after 30 years. Their bodies are buried at the Cave Hill Cemetery in Louisville, Kentucky.Although each of the thirty-two novels constitutes an independent story, Altsheler suggested reading in sequence for each series (that is, he numbered the volumes). You can read the remaining eighteen novels in any order.
