In Indian Captive, Indian King, Timothy J. Shannon uses the character of Peter Williamson to tell a larger story about the Anglo-American world in the mid- to late eighteenth century. From this man’s multifaceted life, Shannon derives much information about a myriad of topics relating to this time period and provides a detailed portrayal of both man and empire, but some readers may not appreciate the depth and volume of the peripheral and occasionally tangential material included here.
Shannon divides his book into two logical sections, the first covering Williamson’s years in America and the second concerning his time back in Scotland. Williamson claimed that he came to the colonies as an involuntary indentured servant, gained his freedom and some wealth, was taken captive by Native Americans, escaped, enlisted in the British army, became a prisoner of war of the French, and finally was transported to England for exchange....
