The author was a professor of American history at Northwestern University. This book was the result of many years of research by Dr. James on General Clark’s papers, as well as on the history of the Revolutionary War in the west. Dr. James also drew upon the notes of Lyman Draper at the Wisconsin Historical Society, who spent 15 years researching Clark for a biography that he never completed.

Some of the significant people and topics covered in this volume are:
Daniel Boone, Boonesborough, Joseph Brant, Fort Pitt, Capture of Cahokia, Fort Chartres, Cherokee Indians, Chilicothe, Clark Expedition against British 1777, Dunmore’s War, Kaskaskia, Shawnee expedition, Vincennes expedition, Cornplanter (Seneca chief), Cornstalk (Shawnee chief), Michael Cresap, Chief Logan, Virginia Governor Dunmore, Arent De Peyster, Fort Finney, Fort Harmar, Fort Jefferson, Fort Nelson, Edmond Genet, Simon Girty, Lieutenant-governor Henry Hamilton, Josiah Harmar, Harrodsburg, Transylvania, Thomas Jefferson, Indian attacks in Kentucky, Expedition against Wabash Indians, Benjamin Logan, Indian Commissioner George Morgan, Ouiatanon trading post, Arthur St. Clair, John Sevier, James Wilkinson.