UNCONQUERED

Much publicized and unique- or almost so- in that the motion picture release has preceded the no by several weeks. In some cases this is a distinct detriment to sales -- and a help to rentals. But my feeling about this would be that the people who read Neil Swanson for the richness of his tapestry of American frontier history will prefer to read the novel for those values, even though the cream is off the jug of the romantic adventure story. Swanson spins a good yarn and provides full measure, running ever, of meticulously detailed historical and period background. Those whose are still fresh on The Judas Tree, first of this tremendous project, will feel that coincidence is overplayed in the similarities:- in The Judas Tree Leslie's love is betrayed when his sweetheart marries his father; in Unconquered, Chris loses his love to his brother; both buy -- out of pity which later turns to love, indentured maidens on board ship; both played a part in the grim siege of Fort Pitt, precipitated by Pon conspiracy and uprising. But Unconquered fills in much of what went into the making of that uprising -- rounds out our knowledge of the characters, many of them historically accurate, that played their parts. This is a faster paced story, more of adventure, hairbreadth escape, variety of pattern, color and romance, as Chris finds Abby only to lose her to the perfidious Garth, to find her again at Fort Pitt- and lose her to the savages, to rescue her from torture in an Indian encampment and escape- at peril to them both- only to get into worse situations, with subsequent resolution for their mutual happiness. Bare bones of history come alive. We can forgive it if the characters are screen dimensional. The publishers are launching this on a special date of its own- with extensive publicity.