Product Description

This text looks at the 1675 war between the English colonists and the indigenous people of New England, which decimated the region's native population. The author examines the causes of the conflict, and its effects on the relationship between the two cultures.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #178304 in Books
• Published on: 2000-02
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 257 pages

Customer Reviews

Academically self-fulling point of view
This is a well researched, academic book that has a fundamental flaw: the underlying thesis, that King Philip's War was a civil war, is preposterous.

The differences between native and English societies on the eve of the war were profound--Philip says as much to John Easton a week before the war. The fact that the English attempt to control the war through a series of treaties also speaks to the two, separate societies. Ask Russell Peters of the Wampanoag, or Ella Sekataw of the Narragansett, what they think of the civil war thesis.

Drake writes well, but this essay was clearly composed to meet the demands of a thesis committee, not common sense. Also, as with Lepore's book, you need to read a history of King Philip's War before you can begin to understand what Drake is trying to say. To do that, start with Ellis, Leach or Schultz/Tougias.

Interesting Thesis, Bad Writing
Historian James Drake presents an intriguing thesis in this book. In his view, King Philip's War was a civil war that tore apart a highly integrated European-Indian society. On the face of it, this idea seems ludicrous, but Drake presents a very convincing case. Even if Drake does not win you over, you learn a lot about both colonial and Indian societies. Even the most ardent critics of the work must admit that Drakes presents some significant challenges to conventional thinking.

The problem is that Drake does not know how to write well. The book is dreadfully slow and dry, with little penchent for anything but the most academic trivia. If one stays awake, you will find some very fascinating insights mixed together with the horrendously slow treatise, but often, it's not worth it.

For fans of colonial history, it's a must. For anyone else, be warned: it will be a tough read.

An Important Contribution
This is a clearly written and thoughtful analysis of King Philip's War. While some may disagree with the author's characterization of the conflict as a "civil war," Drake effectively illuminates the important and complex connections that developed among the New England colonies and some Native American nations and how those connections helped to bring about the war.