Product Description

"An invaluable addition to Western history."—Evan Connell, author of Son of the Morning Star

TWO OF AMERICAN HISTORYíS MOST BRILLIANT WARRIORSóAND FIERCEST ENEMIES—COME ALIVE

This captivating dual biography chronicles the lives and battles of Americaís most famous warriors, the legendary Apache shaman, Geronimo, and the nationís most successful Indian fighter, General George Crook. Artfully constructed from the warriors' own words, as well as newspaper accounts and the firsthand recollections of those who fought with—and against—them, here is a compelling and uniquely evenhanded account of the intriguing men at the center of one of American history's most definitive, longest-running struggles—the infamous Apache Wars. Born to defend their respective culturesóand destined to destroy each other in the process—the vengeful, spiritually powerful Indian warrior and the remorseless, consummate professional officer are inextricably bound to each other in the fabric of our country, and in the hearts of their peoples.

Product Details

• Published on: 2000-02-22
• Format: Amazon Upgrade
• Number of items: 1

From Publishers Weekly
Aleshire (professor of American Studies at Arizona State University and author of Reaping the Whirlwind) seeks to replicate the format of Stephen E. Ambrose's 1975 Crazy Horse and Custer in a "paired biography" of two warriors of the 19th-century American Southwest: U.S. Gen. George Crook and Apache leader Geronimo, who waged a battle of wits and wills for 15 years. If their culture and characters were different, still they came to understand each other both as men and as representatives of their respective value systems. Aleshire's Crook is an archetypal American: a common-sense intellectual who doesn't hesitate to act on his convictions. Understanding the culture of the Apache so well that he earned their nickname "Grey Fox," Crook nevertheless regarded the tribe as doomed by a white advance whose legitimacy he did not question. His task was only to make conquest as completeAand as merciful and honorableAas possible. Tragically, Crook was so much outside his own system that he was unable to prevent the defeated Apaches' deportation to Florida. Aleshire's Geronimo is Crook's counterpoint. A shaman and a warrior, he was a whirlwind both to his people and to the Anglos and Mexicans who made him a symbol of terror. Though Geronimo vigorously defended his tribe at all costs, Aleshire suggests that the total defeat he eventually suffered was unavoidable. Giving a voice to each protagonist, Aleshire tells their stories by drawing on personal memoirs and government reports and dispatches. Although more conventional scholars might be disconcerted by his face value acceptance of Geronimo's claim to supernatural powers, Aleshire's approach works; presenting each culture on its own terms rather than simply inverting stereotypes and making the white man the true savage, he depicts a mortal combat between men of conviction, principle, and spiritual power. B&w photos, maps. (Mar.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal
If many Americans know the celebrated warrior and shaman Geronimo, far fewer are familiar with his opposite number and skilled pursuer, the Indian fighter George Crook, whose respect for Apache culture helped him to devise a style of campaigning that effectively subdued Indian resistance. Aleshire (American studies, Arizona State Univ.) brings alive both men and the societies they represented in this provocative account of conflict and conquest. Alternating chapters between his two protagonists, each combatant represented by a distinctive narrative voice, Aleshire offers a refreshing approach to understanding the Apache wars, allowing readers to grasp the conflict from multiple perspectives. Recommended for public and academic libraries.
-Brooks D. Simpson, Arizona State Univ., Tempe
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
In Crazy Horse and Custer, Stephen Ambrose used the technique of examining parallel lives to demonstrate the immense cultural divide separating the Plains Indians from European Americans. Aleshire, professor of American studies at Arizona State University, is less successful here as he recounts the saga of Geronimo, the "hopelessly wild" Chiricahua Apache, and his ardent pursuer, General George Crook. In striving to find common threads in the lives of his protagonists, Aleshire often strains credulity. He also seems too willing to gloss over some of the outrages committed by each side as the result of cultural peculiarities rather than moral failings. Still, the struggles and tragic fates of these two warriors make for a grand historical drama, and Aleshire generally tells their stories with understanding and compassion. This is an informative and interesting look at two strong men who were both victimized by a changed world they could not comprehend. Jay Freeman

Customer Reviews

I Loved It!
I am a Phoenix, Arizona native and I Loved This Book! I bought 3 copies to share with family and friends for Christmas.

Although I have lived in Phoenix and the White Mountains of Arizona all of my life and have known of the diverse Native American nations sharing our community, I had never heard the fascinating histories told with such depth and detail. I enjoyed the dual biography format of the book which allowed the reader to see General Crook and Geronimo side by side as men in opposing political environments.

The descriptive, creative language Aleshire uses makes the scenes come to life as if I were there. His story makes the history of the White Mountains, Chirichauas, San Carlos areas rich, deep and vivid with history.

Many thanks to Peter Aleshire from an Arizona native.

Junk
What a sorry mess of a book. This a shallowly researched retelling of the lives of these fighters, based on outdated secondary sources. In fact, it reads like apologia for Crook. It is well known today that only 500-750 Lakota and Cheyenne warriors faced Crook (and his 1300 men) and beat him at the Rosebud, yet Aleshire tries to claim that the two sides were of equal strength. And later, the role of Crook in conspiring with Red Cloud to remove Crazy Horse as a potential rival to Red Cloud (who had no civil authority with the Oglala except that handed to him by Americans) is not even mentioned. Instead, Crook is portrayed as innocent of having anything to do with the death of Crazy Horse. I freely admit to knowing much more about the Lakota than about the Apaches. But if Aleshire can not get these details right, why should I trust anything he has to say about the Apache aspects? Again, this seems like a book designed to gloss over Crook's moral lapses, perhaps as a counter to recent books that expose these sad events.