Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 11/09/2010
ISBN-13: 9781416548591
ISBN-10: 1416548599

Famed as a Revolutionary War hero and reviled for his callous treatment of Native American tribes, Andrew Jackson remains a lightning rod for cultural historians. Acclaimed author A.J. Langguth's study of the seventh President argues that his actions--in the context of states' rights, Manifest Destiny, and Native American issues--contributed to causes of the Civil War three decades later. Whether or not readers buy this larger claim, Langguth convincingly identifies populist versus executive power as an ongoing central conflict in American politics. Readers who liked Jon Meacham's informed, even-handed treatment of Jackson in American Lion will want to check this out as well.

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Publisher: Scribner
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 05/25/2010
ISBN-13: 9781416591054
ISBN-10: 1416591052

The Comanche warriors' skill on the battlefield unfortunately resulted too often in overly simplified portrayal as savage enemies of white, Western progress. Born to a white girl kidnapped at age nine, Quanah Parker's personal history embodies the 40-year battle the Comanches waged (and ultimately lost) to defend their territory. Author S.C. Gwynne places Parker's life in the context of early America (from Spanish colonialism through the railroads' expansion). Historical biography buffs, as well as those interested in Native American history will appreciate this engaging, well-told narrative.

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Publisher: Sterling Innovation
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 09/01/2009
ISBN-13: 9781402760662
ISBN-10: 1402760663

This meticulously researched, emotionally powerful work was the first to systematically describe brutalities inflicted on Native American tribes from their perspectives. Author Dee Brown details their persecution--from the forced, deadly march inflicted on the Navajos to the massacre of Sioux men, women, and children at Wounded Knee--often in the words of Native Americans themselves. The result is a poignant, informed testament to their endurance as well as a moving indictment of government sanctioned cruelty. Period photos reinforce Brown's compelling content, making this essential for readers with any serious interest in Native American history.

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Publisher: Broadway Books
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 08/12/2008
ISBN-13: 9780767926249
ISBN-10: 0767926242

Author Sally Jenkins details Coach Glenn "Pop" Warner's fierce commitment to Native American equality in the rough-and-tumble early days of football. Warner trekked to the Dakota territory in 1879 to recruit students for the Carlisle Indian Industrial School: a mere two decades later, he produced a team that shockingly bested its Ivy League rivals and thoroughly owned the gridiron by the early 20th century. The topic will thrill more than history or sports fans--narrative non-fiction readers who like to root for the underdog will be ready to go into overtime on this topic with Lars Anderson's Carlisle vs. Army as well.

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Publisher: Knopf
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 08/09/2005
ISBN-13: 9781400040063
ISBN-10: 140004006X

In a work that Publishers Weekly praises as a "first-rate history of Native America and its inhabitants," readers are challenged to re-discover the New World as it really was before Christopher Columbus. The co-author of Noah's Choice brilliantly distills recent findings on pre-contact, Native American peoples and considerable myth-busting ensues! We learn that indigenous people settled here far earlier than 12,000 B.C.; and by 1491, their populations may have equaled those of Europe. Presenting evidence that Maya, Aztec, Inca, and other early American societies possessed sophisticated socio-political and economic systems, the author makes an intriguing claim for their consideration (alongside European thinkers) as contributors to world history on ideas of democracy and liberty.

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Publisher: Viking
Check Library Catalog Pub Date: 07/05/2007
ISBN-13: 9780670031504
ISBN-10: 067003150X

This deceptively compact history packs a punch readers won't soon forget. Touching lightly on first contact between the Cherokee and Spanish--and subsequent European-borne epidemics that decimated tribal populations--the authors quickly turn to the snakepit of 18th-century socio-political issues surrounding the Cherokee's expulsion from their Southern Appalachian homeland to present-day Oklahoma, along the Trail of Tears. Lucid, understated prose breaks down legal cases, partisan deals, and inter-tribal conflicts that emerged while the U.S. government's policy toward the Cherokee nation shifted from tolerant "civilizing" to the equivalent of genocide. An excellent introduction for those interested in more scholarly treatment of Native American history.