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Simon Girty Turncoat Hero: The Most Hated Man on the Early American Frontier by Phillip W. Hoffman The subject of this panoramic biography is one of the most mysterious; misunderstood icons of early American history. Simon Girty was a sharp-witted; rascally; many-tongued frontiersman whose epic adventures span the French and Indian War; Dunmore's War; the American War for Independence; the Indian Wars; and the War of 1812. After defecting from the Patriot cause to serve the British in March 1778; Girty achieved instant infamy. To understand his motivation one must discover; as he did; that the real; underlying cause of the American Revolution was the unquenchable thirst for Indian land of many of our so-called founding fathers - including George Washington - and their unrelenting dissatisfaction with the restrictions imposed upon their land speculation ambitions by the King's Proclamation of 1763. Like a detective doggedly combing through old evidence; author Phillip Hoffman spent seventeen years studying every detail of Girty's life. By exploring microfilm; ledgers; military records; congressional records; newspaper and magazine articles; and dozens of early American and Canadian fiction and non-fiction works; Hoffman was able to peel away the mythic legend that has hidden Girty's real persona for two and a half centuries. Little in Simon Girty's life was conventional or predictable. Raised by an Irish Indian trader who had settled near Harrisburg; Pennsylvania; Simon's earliest experiences quickly isolate him from the majority of the colonists in the region. During the French and Indian War; Simon and his family are captured by hostile Indian warriors; and Simon is carried north and adopted; emerging eight years later as a gifted linguist and a trained interpreter fluent in eleven native languages. Girty begins his career as a spy-interpreter-intermediary; serving both English and Native American leaders. Girty's contacts include the great Seneca sachem Guyasuta; Sir William Johnson; merchant George Morgan; businessman John Connolly; William Crawford; Matthew Elliott; Lord Dunmore; Simon Kenton; and George Rogers Clark. He also interacted with Mingo chief John Logan; Mohawk chief Joseph Brant; Half King of the Wyandots; Captain Pipe of the Delawares; Moravian missionaries David Zeisberger and John Heckewelder; Shawnee chiefs Blue Jacket and Tecumseh; Miami war chief Little Turtle; Detroit Governor Henry Hamilton; U.S. general Anthony Wayne; and Daniel Boone. Through Girty's eyes we relive the ill-fated Squaw Campaign; his rescue of Simon Kenton; the deadly ambush of Rogers' Flotilla; the Battle of Sandusky; William Crawford's trial and death by fire; the conquest of Martin's and Ruddle's Stations; the disastrous American defeat at Blue Licks; and the incredible victories over Harmar and St. Clair by a confederation of Western and Northern Tribes. Finally; with Girty and his companions Alex McKee and Matthew Elliott; we witness the climactic defeat of the Indians by "Mad" Anthony Wayne at Fallen Timbers. Hoffman’s dedication to detail; combined with his superb talent as a storyteller; brings us an intimate view of the full sweep of early American frontier conflicts; as experienced by a devoted adventurer whose heart was as much Indian as it was white. The author's erudite; yet accessible style makes this book a pleasure to read and savor. Simon Girty Turncoat Hero is American history at its best.