The Earth is Weeping: The Epic Story of the Indian Wars for the American West - Hardcover

Peter Cozzens

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1786491494 ISBN 13: 9781786491497

Publisher: ATLANTIC BOOKS, 2017

Synopsis

In a sweeping narrative, Peter Cozzens tells the gripping story of the wars that destroyed native ways of life as the American nation continued its expansion onto tribal lands after the Civil War, setting off a conflict that would last nearly three decades.

By using original research and first-hand sources from both sides, Cozzens illuminates the encroachment experienced by the tribes and the tribal conflicts over whether to fight or make peace, and explores the squalid lives of soldiers posted to the frontier and the ethical quandaries faced by generals who often sympathized with their native enemies.

Bringing together a cast of fascinating characters, including Custer, Sherman, Grant and a host of other military and political figures, as well as great native leaders such as Crazy Horse, Sitting Bull, Geronimo and Red Cloud, The Earth is Weeping is the fullest account to date of how the West was won... and lost.

About this title

Review

An Amazon Best Book of November 2016: Why write a book about the Indian Wars when we already have Dee Brown’s seminal 1970 account Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee? It turns out there’s a very good reason. While Dee Brown’s book greatly informed our modern view of the conflict between Native Americans and the United States government, it didn’t get everything right. Put very simply, the Indians weren’t all good and the white people weren’t all bad. In fact, especially with the Native Americans, it was much more complicated than that. As an example, inter-tribe rivalries led to strategic decisions—like siding with the U.S. government—that made sense given the landscape of power. This is a story of survival, one that unfolds under the shadow of a predetermined tragedy. If you’re at all interested in the Indian Wars, this scrupulous and even-handed account is essential reading. --Chris Schluep, The Amazon Book Review

About the Author

Peter Cozzens is the author or editor of sixteen acclaimed books on the American Civil War and the Indian Wars of the American West, and a member of the Advisory Council of the Lincoln Prize. In 2002 he was awarded the American Foreign Service Association's highest honour, the William R. Rivkin Award, given annually to one Foreign Service Officer for exemplary moral courage, integrity and creative dissent.

Edition details

• Publisher: ATLANTIC BOOKS
• Publication date: 2017
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1786491494
• ISBN 13: 9781786491497
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 576