Oklahoma Books

What a powerful story! Great to see such a talented writer sharing her abilities. I was very pleased with this book and was only dissapointed that it came to an end. I can't wait to see where Brya's next chapter leads. Hope I don't have to wait long. This would make a fantastic movie!

I was held captive by Mrs. Byrd's descriptive narration. I guess truth is stranger than fiction. The characters were fascinating and so true to life. Can't wait to read the sequel.

I can't believe the other reviewers liked this book. I thought it was drivel. Ok, it was mildly entertaining if you could overlook the inconsistancies in time, geography, and stupid stereotypes about the people in the book. (not to mention the glaring lack of depth of characters and plot) But my main complaint about the book is, (I live in Oklahoma) that at the very least, the author could have picked up an Oklahoma map to make sure the characters were on the right highway to their destinations. If this is a "true story" use real towns and highways, if it is fiction, don't try to pass it off as true.
It is very unbelievable.

From the era of the Depression and Dust Bowl, the author's search for 'her roots' gives us insight into the strategy of a true survivor. The running of a tear here, to a chuckle and smirk there; the author allows the reader to share in the tragedy; the failures and successes of Byra along the way. A quick read, with pages flying in emotion, I definitly recommend this novel.

This is a truly excellent book. It has everything you could ever hope for - a dysfunctional family, steamy romance, drama, intrigue, true love, and horrible tragedies. Once I got into it, I couldn't put it down, which is a rare thing for me because I am an engineer; Trinity's Daughter was not so convoluted that my math-minded brain couldn't grasp it! I don't know if I can wait a year for the sequel to come out! The most interesting part about this book is that it is based on a true story, so you can really empathize with the characters. I would definitely recommend putting this at the top of your "must read" list!

Haven't read the book yet, but scanning through I think it would be good for a book discussion group who has read Grapes of Wrath, which ours has.

More vivid, more real than Grapes of Wrath. Three things struck me. Dust storm: I was especially startled by the description of the dust storm, and how wretched it must have been. Daily life:She captures the strugggle of trying to make it all work--kids, hubby, less than adequate living conditions. Fear/Desperation: really great description of workers wanting to participate in an organizing campaign, yet paralyzed with fear. That is a reality that all too many workers face today in trying to bring democracy to the workplace. Sad isn't it? Sixty years later and the problems are still the same. I was sad to take the book back to its home, in the public library, when I was done reading it.

This book was really autobiographical to an extent and was interesting in that it was deeper in the description of the hardships of the people prior to emigrating.

"The dust was blowing thinly off the field and over the yard like a warn and dingy curtain flapping disconsolately at the window of the world. Through it the old man saw the faded landscape, gray and colorless except for the line of half-dead trees along the creek." (Pg. 125) Yes, I love Steinbeck, too. But certainly his Grapes of Wrath cannot be the consumate novel on the tragedy of the dust bowl era. Babb writes with such clarity and precise description that it is plain she has experienced at least some of the horrific conditions that her characters experience. And yet this book is not all gloom. There are bright spots, such as the Widow Starwood's 'gift' to the bankers who demand payment on her farm equipment after her husband dies from dust pneumonia. Somehow, some way, the people who lived through these times found reason to get up every morning and continue with life. The role of hope in the dominance of the human spirit is subtly presented again and again, juxtaposed with the harsh cruelty of Nature--and Mankind.

This book is a beautifully written poignant tale of a time that was not so long ago. It is a shame it has taken this long for the book to be published and brought to the public eye. Ms. Babb, wherever you are, you have much to be proud of here.

As we learn in the Lawrence Rodgers' concise and articulate foreword to "Whose Names Are Unknown," author Sanora Babb had the uniquely unfortunate circumstance of completing her masterwork at the time of the publication of John Steinbeck's "Grapes of Wrath." Her once enthusiastic editor, Bennett Cerf, noting the similarities between the two books, shelved the printing of Babb's novel, hypothesizing that the American public could not tolerate two novels treating similar, if not identical, characters, conflicts and themes. For nearly seventy years, "Whose Names Are Unknown" lay dormant, invisible, unacknowledged and inaccessible. Thankfully, the University of Oklahoma Press has addressed this absence, and both the novel and its author may now take their respective places as giants in American literature.

"Whose Names Are Unknown" is a masterpiece. It is a soaring indictment of economic injustice just as it eloquent extols of the decency and dignity of the thousands of displaced farmers, whose lives blew away in the ferocious dust storms of the Great Depression. The novel has trenchant social commentaries, a gripping plot and characters who are painfully believable. Babb evokes the despair of economic misery and the pain of Americans becoming pariahs in their own land. "Whose Names Are Unknown" was written from the crucible of Babb's own experiences; it has a spare authenticity that "The Grapes of Wrath" does not capture. Where Steinbeck writes with great compassion, Babb writes with empathy. Both side with the dispossessed, and each deserves the widest reading audience.

The Dunne family shoulders the economic and psychological burdens of the Great Depression. Often inarticulate and suspicious of language, Milt struggles for understanding; his is an odyssey of disappointment, rage and endurance. He suffers the loss of home, the agony of displacement and the indignity of prejudice. His wife, Julia, not only serves as the family's emotional anchor; she also exerts a quiet moral influence as its conscience. When she and her husband leave the family's patriarch behind to tend a wind-devastated farm, they embark on a path worn smooth by other migrants, whose pattern of life and hopes had been blighted by drought and depression. The Dunnes believes in "endurance and acceptance, the sad hard experience" which "belonged to the good." Yet simmering beneath their resignation are questions. "Why was one man with leisure to waste and another with no hour to spare?" Why does Milt "feel such hunger? Why does he hanker after the unknown?"

Gradually, the Dunne family emerges as symbolic of every American displaced by the scourge of bad times and reviled for their unwanted poverty. Slowly, the Dunnes abandon hope; at first, they relinquish the dream of returning to their prairie home; eventually, they commit themselves to survival, working for a pittance, going to bed with angry, empty bellies, suffering the torment of prejudice. The Dunne children learn they are "Okies," a word California children have learned from their hateful parents. It devastates the migrant children, and Babb is at her best when she describes the pain of marginalization. "An okie. Something bad? An okie is me....Why does it make me feel all by myself?...Someone different. Someone not as good."

One of the greatest attributes of our national literature is its embodiment of who we are as a people and how we choose to define ourselves. Authors like Sanora Babb believe deeply in the democratic experience and endow the characters of their writing with values that we'd like to believe best represent us. Through the Dunnes, Babb describes an American betrayal, an abandonment of the bedrock notions of human equality and dignity that all of us ought share. "Whose Names Are Unknown" will stand as a powerful reminder that the have-nots are our best teachers.

Another of a line in study of out of control power that changed the world. A study of Hitler that contributes to the greater picture of governmental agents of change.. Study with opinions.

This is the "Book" that started it all folks. Written at the express order of the President, for the War effort. O.S.S., Father of the CIA, was a collector of information, and detained German Deportees for interviews with Doctor Langer. Every fact and prediction, written by Langer, about Hitler, and the German Leadership came to pass. Written and completed 2 years before Hitlers death, the book told how and why Hitler would kill himself, his sexual deviations, and nothing since comes close to Langers work. Brilliant. A must read for any student of History.

Walter C. Langer uncovers explicit facts about one of history's most mysterious figures. Langer shows that there was much more to Hitler's life than that which Nazi propaganda portrayed. This book contains facts which contradict most biographies of Hitler, including Hitler's own "Mein Kampf." The tragedies and hardships sustained during his rough childhood combined with his harsh endeavors in Austria and Germany provide the base for his adult life where he lives anything but a relative normal one.

Though Hitler's madness may appear to be based primarily on his anti-Semitic beliefs, the book rarely focuses on this subject and shows that there was more to his hate than just hate for the Jews. Ironically, as the book explains, he befriended and was aided by a number of Jews throughout his life.

Clearly ambition and Providence play a key role in Hitler's life, and one can only wonder what Hitler would have done with his life had he not endured such malaise before his rise to power. Ironically, Langer's perspective on Hitler makes it possible for the reader to feel an iota of sympathy for a man who is responsible for killing millions of people.

There are many facts found in the book that I would never have imagined could have been true. I recommend this book to anyone who wishes to find out almost everything there is to know about Adolf Hitler.

This book was written under commission from the war effort as an attempt by a psychiatrist to try to shed some light from the sparse knowledge that was available about Hitler, his background and his early years. Unlike the scruples that MD's tipically have when expressing clinical views about their experience and their patients, the war effort justified some daring and what would seem today wild projections from sparse and fragmented data. Notwithstanding, history as later evolved lent credence to Dr. Langer's findings and this book is a fascinating exploration of the very soul of a troubled mind that explains some very obscure attitudes and reactions of its subject.

This book was soo interesting!!! I would recomend it to everyone who's ever thought, "Jee, I wonder why Hitler was the way he was." I can now truley understand why Hitler killed 11 million people. (I don't agree, of coarse, but I understand why he did it.) It tells all about his childhood, personal life, and later military life. I couldn't put it down, and I am going to start reading it for a second time. This is definatly worth buying. -Kelly

This is the story of Waite Phillips, brother of Frank Phillips who started Phillips Petroleum. His life was the most interesting of anyone I have read about so far. This man really lived life to the fullest and seemed to enjoy it more then others. He was a great business man who said he never had a mortgage on any property that he ever owned even though he owned at one time around 700,000 acres of land and had millions invested in commercial properties and 7 homes.

The book goes through his childhood and his traveling adventures as a young man to working for his brothers in the oil business and then venturing out on his own starting his own oil company. Later on in life he moved into Real Estate and seemed to make money at everything he did. He was also a great philanthropist who gave away his prized New Mexico ranch to the Boy Scouts and along with that an office building in Tulsa to provide income for it's upkeep. One of his epigrams was "The only things we really keep are those we give away."

The book has 39 chapters and is only 375 pages long. It has many pictures of family and some of the buildings that he owned. It also contains exerts from Waite's diary and many of his own epigrams which are very insightful and gives you a real perspective of who Waite was.

It is the story that makes this book so great. Anyone I believe can appreciate the way Waite lived his life and will walk away with maybe a renewed perspective on life.

This book is well written and informative. If you like biographys, this is a good choice.

This book is about the journey of life of a very special man. A man who had vision at all times, through failure and dedication to live a supreme life.
His struggles to succeed are well told, and by his ultimate success, he would become a wealthy man. A man with the sense of good who would later will his fortune of land to the Boy Scouts of America.

This is a fascinating story of Waite Phillips and his dreams of living a cowboy life out west, his bond with twin brother Wiatt, and his life as an oilman, wildcatter and millionare. Most importantly, it is the story of a man with the wisdom to understand that "A man keeps nothing unless he gives it away". His gifts to the Boy Scouts of America, hospitals, universities, and the city of Tulsa stand as a testiment to his wisdom and love of people. I recommend this book more often than any other. It should be required reading for all.

And I will admit, my interest in opening the book was being there when Mr.Wallis and "Chope" Phillips did their book signing at Philmont Scout Ranch, BSA's mecca for Scouting. I thought I would be bored by the sections related to Waite and his twin brother Wiatt and their adventures prior to the time Waite became the benefactor of the property we call Philmont. Instead I found myself interested in the details and events of their lives, of Wiatt's death, and the personal insights into the Phillips family. Anyone with any interest in the west, in Scouting, in the history of the development of the oil fields, or in the giving of a man who truly felt "The only things we keep forever are those we give away" would be glad they read this book.

To the thousands who visit Philmont every year, for training, for a wilderness experience, or to serve on staff, this book should give you the information and attitude you need to truly appreciate the experience.

And you'll realize you should be kind to any old "cowboy" you meet in the backcountry -- it could be Chope.

To Whom It May Concern:

Your book must be great, but since it happens to be about my DIRECT grandparents, could you please send a courtesy copy to me. I tried ordering thru you and never rec'd the book. I have had excerpts read to me by other members of family that found the book & I must say I'm shocked. I feel I deserve the right to have a courtesy copy. Any and all of the part of S. P. Brassfield, Abner Brassfield and Abner Jr. you sure hit home. Thank you for your time, I will be anxious to hear from you.

I consider a "must have" for your own personal library

Art Burton's book tells the story of the Oklahoma's outlaws and the lawmen, who tracked them down. His emphasis is on blacks and native americans from the "Terrirorial Days" before Oklahoma's statehood in 1907. It's a "who's who" of Oklahoma's history and is very readable. There are many photograph's and Burton documents his research fully. A true historically accurate account of the Oklahoma's past. I would highly recommend this book!

Mike Koch, author of "The Kimes Gang."

"Black,Red and Deadly" was very well written with much unknown or once lost African American history.The author seems to transport his readers into the OLD WEST with exciting characters never seen in this light before.These characters and amagined scenes will hold you until THE END!

Overall this was a pretty good book. Though it seemed a little disjointed at times, it was interesting reading about some Oklahoma history that usually isn't addressed.

The book discusses some of the most notorious black and Indian outlaws (and lawmen) of the Indian (and then Oklahoma) territory. I must admit that I had not heard of most of the names. I was surprised to read of how many black men had served as deputy United States Marshals in this region before statehood.

The author seems to have done extensive research on the subjet, and quotes regularly from newspaper articles and other writings from the late 1800's and early 1900's.

Very well researched and yet very entertaining. Hard to put down once you get into it.Lots of time period sayings, song verses,skits, and jokes.Not hard reading at all. Usually these books bore you with too much of what wasn't important. Not this book. It will definitely hold your interest.

There were a lot of liberties taken for the sake of telling a story in this one. The author could have gone deeper into the men and their effort. I would definitely recommend other books, for a historical view, first. Not a bad book just not that great either. I would recommend "Finding the Lost Battalion: Beyond the Rumors, Myths and Legends of America's Famous Ww1 Epic" for more depth.

Alan Gaff has produced a first-rate depiction of war from a fighting man's perspective. Unlike many military histories I've read, this one doesn't subscribe to the "Big Man" theory of history that emphasize generals and strategy. Instead, this book tells the stories of the regular, blue collar guys in battle. It has a gritty realism, lushly illustrated with songs and anecdotes that reveal the underlying humanity of a truly human endeavor--the practice of war.

Readers who enjoy stories of military units and army encounters will appreciate Alan D. Gaff's BLOOD IN THE ARGONNE: THE 'LOST BATILLION' OF WORLD WAR 1. For the first time the story of the 77th Division is told from the perspective of soldiers in the ranks, following the unit which penetrated German lines in the Argonne Forest of northeastern France only to find themselves surrounded by German forces and alone. How to keep seven hundred men alive without food for over four days? The story of their ordeal comes to life as Gaff explores soldier backgrounds, struggles and achievements.

I first became interested in the "Lost Battalion" when I learned there was a local connection. As part of my volunteer work for my local county historical society, I have been privileged to listen to taped interviews with two of the men who surivied being pinned down for 5 days in the Argonne Forest. Their names were Peter P. Koshiol (pg. 152) and Albert A. Euteneuer (pg. 306). Although they were both long dead, their words remained just as fresh as the day they were spoken. But one thing was clear. Although their experiences have gone down in history as a great example of American courage under fire, the blood and fire of those five days in the Argonne Forest scarred them both for the rest of their lives. This is a point that Alan Gaff hammers home again and again in the book he has written about what they went through. His book follows the "Liberty Boys" from the moment they were all drafted, their training and their shipment "overseas," and their final experiences in coming up against the Kaiser's military machine. Mr. Gaff pulls no punches in describing the brutal reality of hand to hand combat during the First World War. AS the Generals and Colonels whiled away their time in fortified bunkers behind the lines, thousands of "grunts" were killed fighting for their country. On October 2, 1918 a ragtag crew of American soldiers were pinned down and surrounded behind enemy lines without food or water, and what comes out of this book is not only the story of the Officers, who most accounts have focused on, but also the strory of the common soldiers who watched their best friends eviscerated before their eyes. This is combat reporting at it's best. It is also the most accurate report we are likely to get. This book, which I recommend highly, is certain to remain the definative account of World War I's heroic Lost Battalion. For this Mr. Gaff deserves a round of applause.

I was highly impressed by the exhaustive research conducted by Sweeney for this biography of Cochise, who was surely one of the most impressive Indian chiefs ever. Sweeney's extensive use of obscure documents and recollections, as well as general knowledge of nearby events and geography, give this biography an authority that you don't often see in the historical bio field. Therefore Cochise clearly emerges from the world of rumors and romanticism, and is shown as a true man with real concerns and actions. So instead of the ruthless, bloodthirsty savage of popular legend, we see that Cochise was a highly intelligent leader of men and was nearly a military genius. He managed to fight a nearly even war with White settlers for a much longer time than any other Native American leader. This would not have been possible if Cochise were not a clear-thinking man of great intelligence, and Sweeney gives exhaustive proof that this was the case.

Sweeney's historical and geographic backgrounds, as well as extensive testimonials from the characters around Cochise, truly make the story come alive. Of special interest are many of Sweeney's footnotes, in which he gives a brief life story of just about every single person mentioned in the story (wherever possible). Sweeney is also ready to admit when information is missing, which is very refreshing for a biography. And in an even-handed fashion, Sweeney is not afraid to criticize Cochise at points, such as when he flouted his agreement to stay on the Chiricahua reservation to allow his warriors to continue raiding in Mexico.

Anyone who reads this book will come to greatly respect Cochise as a man, even if some of his actions were brutal. Unfortunately, this story ends like all other works of Native American history, with the eventual destruction of the people's independence. But while he was in his prime, you can't help but root for Cochise.

While I have read quite a bit about the American Indians of the Northern Plains, this is only the second book I've read on Cochise and the Apaches and I found it a little disappointing. Edwin Sweeney has apparently done exhaustive research, but while I learned a lot about where the Chirichua Apaches camped and traveled, the battles Cochise might have taken part in and those he definitely did, and when he made peace and war with the Mexicans and when he made peace and war with the Americans, I learned very little about Cochise the man.

While he was obviously a very strong and able leader there are hints that he ruled partly out of fear, that he had a terrible temper, and that he was known to strike members of his band and his wives from time to time. If this is so, it would make him an unusual leader amongst American Indians. I can understand that Sweeney may not have wanted to engage in speculation, but more eye witness accounts from captives or Indians who knew Cochise would have made this more interesting. Even the years he spent on the reservation are covered rather sparsely, though I'm sure there must have been more information about what he did, the company he kept, etc.

While informative to a certain extent, this reads like a laundry list of engagements and treaties and would have been better titled as a history of the Chiricahua Apache than a biography of Cochise.

There are many readers who have posted reviews here which gush with praise for this book, and others like it. Authors like Sweeney, Dan L. Thrapp ( the ultimate Apache Wannaba ) and David Roberts have churned out STORY BOOKS which are not at all accurate in terms of what they have to say about the Apache or how they fit into the scheme of frontier history.
This book on Cochise is worthless. You will learn nothing really revealing about this Indian, and will be offered long-known details laced with FANCIFUL AND WHIMSICAL interpretations - interpretations which mean nothing accurate in terms of history or in terms of a correct view of this chief. Let me explain:

The major approach of Sweeney ( and the other two authors I've mentioned here )to everything and anything conected with the Apache Indians is to lead the reader to believe in several utterly incorrect propositions which completely distort a truthful understanding of these Indians. Here are the propositions:

1. The Apache lived in the mountains of the Southwest for ages and they valiantly defended these ancestral homelands or home ranges against European invaders.

2. The Apache were fierce and mighty warriors "without equal" and their leaders were supermen - Napoleons of the Desserts - who could out-think, out-fight, and out-maneuver their stupid and weak European enemies.

2a. The Apache were ultra-courageous, fearless, and undaunted in the face of much more numerous enemies.

3. The Apache were only unable to continue their resistance because they were so few in number. If they had had more warriors, they would have prolonged the struggle indefinitely.

I will now explain the complete fraud behind these three propositions - propositions which form the base for what can only be described as a "Propaganda / Party Line" held by authors like Sweeney, who are IN LOVE with these Apache of the late frontier era, and gleefully willing to distort historic fact in order to promote a view of their beloved Indians that is entirely invalid and equal to mere fantasy, not history. Please read on and LEARN -

False "Fact #1 = The ancestral homeland of the Apaches was the mountains of the desserts of the Southwest.

True FACT = When first contacted by Europeans ( French explorers ) the Apache Indians lived on the central/southern PLAINS. They inhabited the plains from the Dismal River of what is now Nebraska, and were spread south all the way into Mexico, and west to the Rockies and the edge of the mountains in what became eastern New Mexico.
The Apache culture was a combination of aggriculture ( cultivating maize, pumpkins, beans, and squash ) and hunting of bison and other plains wildlife as a means of securing food stuffs. These activities were supplemented with a warlike aspect that caused the Apache to prey upon more peaceful Indian tribes of the southern plains, and upon the Spanish colonizers when they finally appeared and began settling northern Mexico and areas of what ultimately became Texas and New Mexico.

In the late 1600's, the Comanches began moving southward from what is now Montana and began clashing with the extensive Apache tribal groups. By 1706, the Comanche had smashed the Apache settlements from the Dismal River south to the mid-Texas plains and also west across the northwestern plains of what became New Mexico.
The Comanche literally slaughtered the Apaches en mass, killing them wherever they found them. They exterminated several large tribal groups while decimating others to such an extent that they were mere fragments of what they had originally been in terms of numbers. By 1725, ALL Apache tribal groups were either anihilated or severely destroyed and forced to flee from the game-rich southern plains forever.
The fragments of the original tribal groups were pushed up into the mountains of western New Mexico, Eastern Arizona, and northwestern Mexico.
The Spanish colonizers, who had been plagued by Apache attacks, became aware of what had happend due to the relentless Comanche assaults, and in some instances joined forces with the Comanches to further decimate the Apaches ( Lipans, Jicarillas, etc. ) who made up the largest and most troublesome BAND FRAGMENTS in the mid-1700's. Also, the Spanish hired Comanche tribal groups to enter Mexican Provinces and kill Apaches who were raiding there. In one year's time, the Provincial Treasury of just one Province alone, paid the Comanche over 18,000 Pesos ( 6 Pesos for each Apache scalp the Comanche delivered ).
The Comanche, who were utterly victorious over the Apache, began hunting them in the Provinces of Chihuahua, Sonora, and Durango. The Apaches were safe only when holed up in the highest, most remote mountains in all Mexican provinces and also in what became New Mexico and Arizona.
This all took place BEFORE Indians like Cochise, Mangas Coloradas, Juh, Victorio, Delgadito, etc. were leaders.

!!!! It also explains what the Apaches were doing in the mountains of the Southwest !!!!

You see, the Apache NEVER wanted to live in these parched, game-scarce mountains. They had no choice in the matter. After the Comanches' total conquest of the southern plains, the Apaches became one of the poorest tribes of AmerIndians. Their numbers were severely cut down to the point where they actually no longer constituted real "tribes" or "tribal groups" at all, but instead were mere BANDS - surviving fragments of long-vanished Tribal groups.
Furthermore, the Apache had no choice but to space the births of their children out by four years ( one child born per family every four years ). This was not due to some mystical concept, it was simple practicality. There was not sufficient food available in their new hide outs to keep a population healthy and well-fed except if children were born years apart. This is a very significant point - please remember it, because it will become highly significant when I tell you how utterly FALSE the image of Cochise ( and all other Apache leaders ) is as promoted by Sweeney, Thrapp, and Roberts.
**** Also note: Geronimo relates in his autobiography how, when he was a child, his family would cultivate corn, beans, and pumpkins in certain areas of their dessert homes. Geronimo lived at a time long after the Apache had fled the southern plains, but during his childhood there was apparently enough of a memory left among the adults which allowed for aggricultural activities to be embarked upon at least some of the time when they were settled in one place for an extended period.

! So, here is the first "nail in the coffin" for books like this one: The Apaches did not have any ancestral homeland in the mountains of the southwest. They were forced to live there. They lacked food, and became one of the poorest AmerIndians on the continent thanks to having to locate themselves in these mountains. Their numbers were small due to being slaughtered by the Comanches, not due to careful planning so as to "fit into" the delicate enviroment of the dessert.

Now for FALSE FACTS #2 & 2a: The Apaches were fierce, courageous, and mighty warriors without equal. And their leaders were supermen of the southwestern desserts who could out-fight, out-think, and out-maneuver their European enemies.

TRUE FACTS: The Apache preyed upon the peaceful Indian tribes of the central and Southern Plains while they were in control of vast stretches of territory from the Dismal River in what became Nebraska, south and southwest across all the game-rich plains. However, they were exterminated or decimated and completely routed by the Comanche, who were responsible for the remainder of Apache population fragments fleeing to the most inaccessible mountains of the dessert southwest. Later, the even more fierce Kiowa appeared, allied themselves with the Comanche, and also slaughtered Apaches wherever they found them.
*** Note: Victorio and the Mimbres Apaches ( a Band Fragment, not a true tribal group ) had a record of being kept constantly on the move by Comanche, Kiowa, Texas Rangers, US Army, and Mexican Regulars until finally run to ground and exterminated.
The Kiowa raided through all northeastern Mexican Provinces, and were often mistaken for Comanches as they attacked, Spanish ( and later Mexican settlements and holdings ), Anglos in Texas, and reached as far as the borders of Guatemala and Yucatan. The Comanches, and later the Kiowas, were the principle enemies of the Apaches. After these two tribes had relentlessly hit the Apache bands, the problems the Apaches caused the Spanish were nothing compared to what they had been before the appearance of the Comanche. The Apache bands became mere pests, and the Spanish considered them as nothing more than stealth predators and ambushing bushwackers. They were never considered as highly courageous warriors by the Spanish to begin with, and after the appearance of the Comanches, the Apaches were seen as cowards who either attacked from concealment, or out in the open if they outnumbered their intended victims significantly.
Juh and the Nedni Apaches stayed holed up in the mountains of Mexico because to venture out onto the plains to the east of their location would be to place them in open conflict with Comanche and Kiowa. This they avoided at all costs. Cochise and Mangas Coloradas - two chiefs who the likes of Sweeney, Thrapp, and Roberts seek to glorify by describing as "mighty warriors with high intelligence, far-sightedness for their people's wellfare, and superb military strategy" were merely wolfish cowards conducting hit-and-run raids against much larger, far less mobile European forces AND COMPLETELY AVOIDING ANY AND ALL CONTACT WITH COMANCHE AND KIOWA FORCES TO THE EAST.
Consider for a moment that these two chiefs ( with their bands combined ) never so much as dared to venture out onto the southern plains to reclaim the game-rich areas of western New Mexico, which would have meant much more food and much easier living for their people. And thus, would have meant a rapid increase in their populations! Instead, they skulked in the mountain fastness of their so-called "strongholds" ( actually hide-outs ).
The Apache of Cochise's time were cowardly, poor, skulkers keeping to their mountain hide-outs and preying upon small Mexican settlements and holdings on the American side of the border if and when they could manage to outnumber their victims. They were considered as utterly inferior by the Comanche and Kiowa. The Texas Rangers and Black "Buffalo Soldiers" of the US Army, fould them easy to fight, but hard to corner. The US Army and Mexican Army found them troublesome because they were like needles in a haystack to locate due to being so few in number and hiding in such remote and rugged areas.
!!! This does not indicate "courageous and mighty warriors under the leadership of militarily brilliant chiefs who were superb fighters and strategists !!!
Realistically, Cochise, Mangas Coloradas, Victorio, Juh, and ALL other Apaches written about by the likes of Sweeney, Thrapp, and Roberts, were just as the Spanish had pegged their elders decades earlier - mere stealth predators and ambushing bushwackers who would cut and run when confronted, and who would attack from concealment and then quickly disappear.

Lastly, FALSE FACT #3: The Apaches had to cease their struggle against European invaders due to lack of numbers. If they had had more warriors, they would have prolonged their struggle indefinitely.

TRUE FACT: The Apaches managed to last as long as they did BECAUSE THEY WERE FEW IN NUMBER, not in spite of it ! For a certain amount of time, small forces are higly mobile and able to avoid larger forces in military conflicts. If the Apache populations actually comprised true Tribal Groups rather than fragmented bands, they would have been defeated or exterminated en mass long before the last of them surrendered or made treaties ( as in the case of Cochise ) because they would be far less mobile, and so would have been cornered, engaged, and eliminated.

I hope you are beginning to see through the fraud concerning these Indians which is promoted in Story Books like this one ( and all others by Sweeney, Thrapp, and Roberts ). In order to get a realistic, truthful perspective on the Apache ( or any other AmerIndians ) you have to carefully explore many other sources of information besides the simple details connected to Apache conflicts with US Army forces during the late frontier era. You cannot trust modern-day STORY TELLERS who churn out trash literature in order to indulge in their bizarre and irrational love affair with long-vanished Indians. Authors like this one want one thing, and that is to get you to buy into their fantasies about these Indians! They don't care about historic facts or how century-spanning trends explain significant things about the Apache. They simply want to construct a totally FALSE front image of these Indians - a fantasy image as false as if they claimed the Apache landed on earth from some other planet!

If you're sincerely interested in learning about the Apaches and in figuring out the likes of Cochise or any of their other well-known leaders, you simply cannot afford to pass by the following titles I am going to recommend. Read them and get set straight - and avoid Fantasy-as-Fact nonsense promoted by Sweeney, Thrapp, and Roberts.

Comanches (Pimlico Wild West)

The Kiowas (Civilization of the American Indian Series)

The Indians of Texas: From Prehistoric to Modern Times (Texas History Paperbacks)

Life Among the Apaches (Bison Book)

Nine Years Among the Indians, 1870-1879: The Story of the Captivity and Life of a Texan Among the Indians

This author makes no bones about his feelings. He says Cochise was a true chief of his people, a noble warrior. He says of Geronomo that he was not a chief, just a vengeful leader of small band. Cochise was a political and military leader who cared for his entire people for many years, fighting to keep them independent and finally dying alone, free in the Dragoon maountains of Arizona. The Apache lived in a savage, inhospitable desert, a no mans land, no food, no water, but these amazing people lived up in these mountains and for more then a hundred years were a nemesis to indians and Anglos and Mexicans alike. Cochise led his men in battle against the americans only a few times. Mostly he negotiated with the soldiers at Fort Bowie(today you must walk a wonderful short trail to see this post). Sweeney has written this and a book on Mangas of the New Mexico Apache tribes.

This book os so thorough so well written and so unflawed in its great depth of study of the experiences of Apache in Arizona and Mexico and slowly theyw ere driven from thier way of life.

This is a must read, superior to any biography of similar Native American characters.

Ed Sweeney has written a marvelous biography of an Apache war leader of much greater stature and importance than the more popular Geronimo. It is based on a detailed examination of American and, especially, obscure Mexican documents having to do with the Chiricahuas and Cochise. As a result, Sweeney rescues the chief from the romantic mythology of Elliott Arnold and Michael Ansara. He turns out to be a fierce and uncompromising leader of a barbaric and savage people. His was not an era of gentle, politically correct, and liberal humane attitudes. Some of the accounts are chilling of the brutalities committed by whites, Mexicans, and Apaches toward each other. Sweeney examines in great detail the incident at Apache Pass that spurred Cochise's war against the whites. He notes that such a conflict was likely inevitable between two such very different cultures. Sweeney also writes about the relationship between Cochise and Tom Jeffords, which turns out to be somewhat different than the common myth. But it is also clear that the relationship was indeed a strong one and important to the final peace effort by General O.O. Howard. After reading this biography, you may want to read Sweeney's recent publication of the journal of Captain Jos. Alton Sladen, "Making Peace with Cochise". My only regret with Sweeney's biography is that he did not include more detail on the lifestyles of the Chiricahua Apaches. But the book is an important resource to everyone interested in the 19th century history of south Arizona.

This will spoil your ideals of the wild west gun slinger-but if you want the facts this is your book!

This book is fascinating because it separates truth from fiction. All documented gunfights of the old west are included here (as of the book's writing), & all gunfights that are undocumented are excluded. It's as simple as that. I don't buy the author's premise that if it was a real gunfight, it must have been documented at the time (wouldn't most killers have wanted to keep their killings a secret if at all possible, & wouldn't it be reasonable to assume that a good number of gunfights occurred in deserted, out of the way places where there likely would be no witnesses?). Other than that, this book is an old west fan's bible! It's that good!

Bill O'Neal's work is not a simple re-hash of old facts. Instead it is a refreshing and factual look at the men who made the frontier into the myth that survives today. The most interesting aspect of the book is that it shows, over and over, how truth often far outshines fiction in its detail and graphic nature. It is apparent in one read that O'Neal has an intimate knowledge of his subject. This book is destined to become a cornerstone of reference libraries for any and all western history aficionados.

This book is entertaining and well-organized; unfortunately, it's not very accurate. Some of the author's mistakes are due to credulity (it's possible, but not likely, that Butch Cassidy survived his final gunfight in South America; O'Neal reports it as fact); some to partisanship (he's an unabashed Clantonite in the matter of the OK Corral, and thus again reports speculation as fact); and some to ignorance (he doesn't seem to be aware that Florentine Cruz and "Indian Charlie" were probably the same person). The history of the American West is treacherous territory, and nobody can avoid a few mistakes, but Mr. O'Neal seems to make more than his share. I can't recommend this book.

What a great book for Western gunfighter nerds! O'Neal did his research and presents it in a highly accessible manner. I've had this book for over a decade and I still return to it with a gleam in my eye once or twice a year.

I was actually disapointed in this book. Given the authors background I was hoping for a book that went into some detail into his methods, beliefs and techniques of crisis negotiation. What I got was a very light but enjoyable read that covered his career in the FBI (including his battles with the beaucracy which I felt did not add to the story) and four incidents of crisis negotiating, which had some good basic tips. Waco got a mention - but only to say he will leave it to the next book - rather frustrating.

My recommendation is, if you want a book on techniques, buy one of the others on the market (for example Van Zandt's fellow ex-agent Fred Lanceley's "On Scene Guide for Crisis Negotiators", or even Frank Bolz 'Hostage Cop"), but if you want a good read and an interesting story then this would be a good book to get.

I recommend this book to any one who enjoys a true-to-life FBI drama.
Each chapter told a different edge-of-your seat story about this author's fascinating life as a negotiator/profiler for the FBI.
Exceptional book and a great read!

I really enjoyed this book and it had many interesting thoughts and details for someone looking to get into the FBI, like myself. However, I felt it layed a little too heavily on his family issues and Christian background. Not that I'm opposed to either, but I had assumed, by the synopsis of the book that the author would go into more detail about high profile cases he had worked on but did the exact opposite. He talked about cases that were probably least known to anyone reading the book. Still, it was a good read but don't pick it up if you expect to read about cases like the Oklahoma City bombing or the Unabomber.

I enjoyed this book. I have great respect for the author's insight and experiences. His views into hostage psychology were enlightening for me and should be an eye opener for those interested in hostage negotiations. I found this book to be a very fast read and very interesting and while I found parts to be somewhat glib, it is recommended for those interested in the workings of the FBI and those with an interest in what the FBI does and the human feelings experienced in the performance of their difficult duties as FBI Agents.

"Facing Down Evil" is a legitimate, keenly observed look at the FBI and Hostage Negotiations by one of it's key players. Van Zandt brings a unique perspective of the Bureau to the page. He is real in his emotion and attitude and doesn't play the glory card so many others do in their memoirs. You actually feel as if you walk a mile in his shoes and it is a tough, yet gratifying path. Van Zandt succesfully intertwines stories of his personal life with his carreer and in doing so draws his audience in and keeps them wanting more untill the last page is turned.

Written by an egyptologist, this book is well-researched and yet at the same time easy to read and provides information lots of information in one book that I have only been able to glean from many different texts. It includes info on how the goddesses were viewed over time in relation to the culture and to the male gods. I thoroughly enjoyed it.The Great Goddesses of Egypt

Basically, an adequate book for beginners, but nothing original or new. Ms. Lesko takes other scholars' ideas, most notably Dr. Jan Assman and waters them down for popular consumption. This is acceptable for an amateur egyptologist like Ms. Lesko to do as long as the original work is cited. Fortunately, she uses good judgement in choosing scholarly works that are exceptional. Serious students of Egyptology, however, should go right to the source and forego this book.

This book chronicles the goddesses who inspired Ancient Egypt's greatness, for they were important to the poor and the elite alike. The author focuses on Nut, Neith, Nekhbet, Wadjet, Hathor, Mut, and Isis. Some of the goddesses had their origins in the Predynastic whereas others were later political creations. A few of these goddesses, Lesko argues, can be traced through an association with various animals to African clan divinities. These great goddesses were believed to protect and nuture Kemet (the land of Egypt) and its pharaoh. The book has many black and white illustrations accompanying the text. It is a great reference and resource for consultation by students and scholars.

At last, a scholarly work that makes accessible information that proves what those of us who have been steeped in ancient Egyptian lore have known all along. Using the latest scholarly material, and her own brilliant insights, Barbara Lesko aptly demonstrates that the ancient goddesses of Egypt were NOT considered merely consorts of more supreme male dieties, but were highly evolved and viewed as significant creative forces in their own right. Dr. Lesko examines extant evidence of the ancient cults of Isis, Hathor, Neith, Mut and others to present a coherent, comprehensive and chronological picture of how various feminine deities were incorporated into the daily lives of the ancient Egyptians and their neighbors, spanning the nearly 6,000 years of recorded history. For perhaps the first time, this material is presented in a format accessible to non-historians and to non-academicians.

In addition, Dr. Lesko shows us that, in the end, the powerful attributes of the goddesses assimilated into one super-goddess, i.e., Isis. The cult of Isis grew to be very powerful, and became so resonant with the common people that its adherents covered much of the known ancient world. Remanants of Isian worship have been found in such far-reaching locations as Pompei, Santorini, Crete, Malta, Turkey, Southern France and even as far north as England and Scotland -- a testiment to the enduring popularity of the divine feminine creative force in the lives of these ancient peoples. In addition, Dr. Lesko postulates that the remnants of the cult of Isis may also have merged with the Christian Marian cults, where the super-goddess was often venerated in the form of Black Madonnas and Christian cathedrals dedicated to the mother of Christ. Interestingly, Dr. Lesko also points out that the cult of Isis still has many adherents around the world today.

This book is a ground-breaking scholarly contribution to a field that has been dominated soley by the patriarchal perspective. Dr. Lesko skillfully avoids the pitfalls of much of the goddess-focused literature by sticking to documented fact and avoiding politically-inspired cliches. Her book is clearly and concisely written. One does not have to be an expert Egyptologist to follow it. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested the study of ancient Egypt, ancient religions, and the veneration of the archetypal Mother goddess.

This is a great reference and in depth exploration into the many goddesses of a land I love....Egypt. It is not a picture book of any sort, it's power is in it's informational material.I found this book on my quest for knowledge of Hathor. This book gave me more then enough...and opened my eyes to interest in other deities of Egypt. I highly recommend it!