University of Nebraska Books

I enjoyed the book, "Give Me Eighty Men" by Shannon Smith for her different outlook and new information. After visiting Fort Phil Kearny last summer, I thought I understood a great deal about Fetterman and the fort. In addition, I have over 800 volumes on the history of the American West & I suppose I grasp the events and significance of that era. (Does it sound like I'm an arrogant Fetterman?) Shannon Smith offers various new informative points. Before I read this book, I believed that Fetterman was arrogant and I was unaware of his bravery in the Civil War and his strong performance as a soldier. Right or wrong, I don't know if we will ever find the truth of these past happenings, but Shannon creates an original viewpoint that I have found interesting.

I believe that anyone intrigued by Fort Phil Kearny, Fetterman, and Carrington should read this book due to it dissimilar viewpoint which will encourage you to think about this subject in a varied manner. Shannon made me look at Fetterman and Carrington in a different way and even if Shannon is incorrect, it is still a great book.

I am acquainted with Shannon Smith. We talked about her thesis regarding the Fetterman event a few years ago. I read her summary essay in Montana and was impressed. Still, in a conversation with Smith a year ago, her thesis had lost out to the prevailing assumption: William Fetterman was rash and imperious. Eighty soldiers died as a result. Once a thesis gets into print and repeated by others it enters into the reality of everyday life as an irrefutable fact. Social Psychologist Serge Moscovici has discussed these "facts" as representations. See his SOCIAL REPRESENTATIONS.

Smith explores the experience and character of each of the men and women who were prominently involved in the Fort Phil Kearney events in 1866. The book is thoroughly illustrated. There are faces for the people. There is no evidence to support the habitual characterization of Fetterman. That reputation may be more fitting for Lt. Grummand. One may even conclude from Smith's portrait that Fetterman was doing his best to rescue Grummand's command. Smith does not shift responsibility from one individual to another.

On the contrary, her analysis is of gender relations and political/military organization. Two women, Col. Carrington's first and second wives, were dramatically influential in defense of his reputation. They were respected as representatives of civilization. Their narratives were widely circulated and accepted as the essential understanding. Meanwhile Col. Carrington faced an "oblivious central command" and "conjecture based on assumptions." This was the period of post Civil War chaos for soldiers and bureaucrats. Generals and administrators were constantly concerned with scarce resources and tactical positions within their organizations. In addition President Johnson was being impeached.

Fort Phil Kearney lacked essential supplies. Much was requested and promised but not contracted. An immediate problem derived from the military preference to build on a hill as a display of authority. In this case it was a "slightly elevated plateau." Water was immediately at hand but not the many cords of wood for construction, cooking and heating. Wood was as essential as water. The defense of the wood cutters was not tenable. In contrast, the trader William Bent understood what the military only occasionally grasped. There must be water and wood immediately at hand. In this regard Bent's Fort in south east Colorado is instructive.

(Really 3.5 stars) I'm surprised no one has reviewed this book yet so I thought I'd put down some early comments. I say early because I am half way through the book (but deep enough to offer an opinion). One of the author's premises is that Fetterman is not the imbecile that history has made him out to be. From what I've read so far, she might be right or partly right. It's one of those historical details we will never truly know. The other premise is that much of the history of the short life of Fort Phil Kearny was heavily influenced by women, particularly Margaret Carrington and Frances Grummond (who later became the second Mrs. Carrington). Both women wrote books about their time at Fort Phil Kearny (no doubt with some assistance from Henry Carrington). Now I'd like to point out two errors and make one point.

1- On the top of page 29 she attributes a quote to Red Cloud that he invariably gets credited with saying at a meeting at Fort Phil Kearny. Problem is that the quote comes from Margaret Carrington's book and she didn't claim he said it. Not only that, Remi Nadeau, in a book written in 1967(!) called "Fort Laramie and the Sioux," proved that Red Cloud wasn't even present at this meeting. Even Robert Utley (in an article I found a year or two ago on the Internet) acknowledged that he was mistaken in believing that this incident ever occurred. And the foonote source she gives (a speech by Carrington called The Indian Question) doesn't even contain the quote. Again the quote is in Mrs. Carrrington's book (Absaraka) and not attributed to Red Cloud (though he keeps getting credit for it).

2- The author's method of telling the story is not chronological. From chapter to chapter and within chapters she goes forward and backward in time. The problem is that we are generally linear thinking people and when we hear a story told out of sequence we just might start to recall it in that sequence until B comes before A. Want proof? On page 81 the author tells of an incident that occurred on November 11. Then on page 85 she tells that there was a picnic on September 6 that the Bisbees did not attend and most definitely makes the point that their absence had to do with what happened on November 11. Yes, they didn't attend a social gathering for something that happened two months in the future.

3- The author tells that Henry and Margaret Carrington did not get along too well with Captain James Powell. They thought he lacked social graces, was profane and illiterate. Further down the page we learn that Powell scoffed (mocked) religion. Well, the Carringtons were card carrying bible readers. I have to wonder just how much this fact played in their opinion of him. Just a thought.

Lastly, while I know about the Fetterman battle, still I am not that well-versed in all that went on at Fort Phil Kearny during this time period, especially the crazy governmental orders and expectations. So, despite my criticisms I am learning a lot of new things, too.

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Having finished the book I will add a few more comments. As I stated earlier, Fetterman just might not be the arrogant soldier he is so often accused of being. On the other hand, the possibility exists he made a statement about a small number of soldiers being able to defeat a much larger group of Indians, a statement that came back to damage his memory after he was killed. He could have said it shortly after arriving and later changed his mind but since Carrington needed a scapegoat, whatever Fetterman said was magnified. (This is my opinion and not mentioned in the book.) In any event, the army blamed Carrington and Carrington blamed Fetterman. In the end, it was the army's fault for not supplying enough men, ammunition, horses, etc. to Carrington. Then again, as the author points out, Carrington tended to send mixed messages to the higher ups about his predicament. This is typical when one doesn't want to sound too needy or inefficient to his/her superiors. I enjoyed the last three chapters best.

I ordered 100 copies of this. I got 10 in two different shipments over a span of 1 month and had to cancel the remaining orders and look for a different vendor.

The product was new as described but i'm not happy with the merchant.

Dr. Irene Vernon's "Killing Us Quietly: Native Americans and Hiv/AIDS" is a long-overdue, and critically needed work. Vernon provides a depth of details and information pertaining to an issue that is little researched in the academic community. The interviews, research, and discussion make this an invaluable work!

Vernon has written the first book to address the issues of AIDS and HIV in the Native American population. She has included interviews with both rural and urban Native Americans. She addresses the virus in women, children, IVU's and two-spirits. A commendable job covering a rarely discussed issue.

The author recounts her experiences in a form of interviews given in the 1990's, some fifty years after the events. She also expresses anger over those who deny that the Holocaust ever happened, and lists some of her loved ones who perished in this tragedy that supposedly never happened.

Alina Bacall-Zwirn understands the fact that much of the so-called Polish police, in the service of the Germans, actually consisted of ethnic Germans. She comments: "That was the Volksdeutsche, working for Gestapo. That was the Polish police." (p. 40).

She lived in the Warsaw ghetto, and was shipped to Treblinka. She managed to jump from the train, and was aided by a Pole who brought her food (p. 35). She then made it back to Warsaw.

Later, she met with Poles who were being shipped to Germany for forced labor, and Poles who were incarcerated in concentration camps as a result of the failed Warsaw Uprising.

This was a difficult book for me to read. It is in the first person style. I can hear their voices. I did an interview three years ago. It is on tape. Yet i can not listen to it.. Such a difficult time in our youth, in our lives. I recommend this book. This one voice speaks for so many.

it made quite an impact on me. emotionally draining. how Alina kept her sanity is remarkable. Stark did not try to editorialize. instead as painful as it was, he let her tell it in her own way, regardless of syntax. i have never read anything like it...in only three hours i experienced an unforgettable voice.

Readers should be aware that only volume 2 is available, focusing mostly on apache campaigns and post-indian war. Those interested in prior campaigns (civil war, sioux war of 1876-77) will therefore be frustrated...

I ordered this book thinking it was 1 book, but when it came it apparently is in 2 volumes and Amazon only sent Volume 2, even on the replacement order. So be aware of that until they get things fixed. Miles though in Volume 2 does write mostly a description of American cities, industry and people. Except for a few chapters on the Apache trouble it is more like a census. I hope someday to read Volume 1 and am disappointed things did not work out.

General Nelson A. Miles wrote a detailed, history- filled accounts of the Red River Wars and other Indian battles. Illustrations by F. Remington were a big surprise to me, as it was of a direct relative, William F. Schmalsle, Indian Scout, Guide, and Courier. The rescue of the German Sisters is a heartfelt experience. The reader will feel like one is living in the Old West, with all the joys, adventures, and tribulations that the characters experienced. The references in the back offer one further insight into the past. As Miles was involved in other battles besides those with the Indians, the history buff will find a lot of references in the back of the book which will result in many hours of pleasurable research and reading. The General Miles history trail may lead you to a long lost relative, as I found out, with numerous sources of information. So try reading the General Miles books from your library and if you like, order them from Amazon and take them home, or take them camping in the woods and plains, visit the historical places mentioned.

A simply told tale of the complex life of a complex woman -- I did not find it dry or academic at all. I cannot judge the quality of the research, as I am not familiar with Winnemucca's life, but the biography appears both frank and well-rounded. I enjoyed the way in which the author wove contemporary sources and Paiute folklore into her story. It's not an especially sophisticated book (for good or for ill) but it is not without complexity. Nineteenth century U.S. cultural and political constraints are clearly illustrated, along with Sarah's personal life and the tribulations facing the Paiutes & other Native Americans of that era. I think it would be of interest to anyone interested in 19th century women, Native Americans, or the frontier.

a piece of historical treasure, how often do you see a book written by an indian woman from the 1800's? it is a must own for anyone remotely interested in indians, or american history.

Zanjani's writing is academic and somewhat dry. The historical research has not advanced much since Gae Whitney Canfield's "Sarah Winnemucca of the Northern Paiutes" but Zanjani does incorporate new theoretical approaches to interpreting Sarah's own memoir and place in history. The bibliography then, is useful for scholars, but the the prose is further bogged down with unresolved (and unresolvable) intellectual issues best left to academics. Try Canfield's well researched and easily readable prose instead.

This is a gripping story of one woman's attempt to cope with a world that suddenly and ominously changed around her. She and her family were living in Kabul when a coup de etat by a group of Afghan Communists plunged the country into civil war. The immediate consequnce for her was the disappearance of her husband. Along with that the social world she had known was dramatically changed. New and strange demands were placed upon her in her university job. Ordinary social and commercial concourse in the city broke down as military checkpoints interrupted traffic. Reliable information on what was happening became impossible to come by. Rumors abounded. Her children brought home communist propaganda. As Mrs. Gauhari searched for her husband friends and colleagues in official places told contrary and implausible stories about his whereabouts; some of her relatives withdrew support; mysterious visitors for unknown reasons offered empty promises of help. The book could be read as a woman's experience in a male-dominated world. But it is much more: this is what it is like to be plunged without warning into civil war. The presumptions of ordinary life give way to the confusion, suspicion, and terror resulting from the suddend explosion of violence among neighbors and associates. In that sense this is one woman's account of life in the midst of a ferocious civil war, an experience that many peoples around the world have had in the last decade: in Rwanda and Burundi, for instance, where repeated massacres have taken hundreds of thousands of lives; in Yugoslavia where Serb, Croat, Bosnian Muslims, and Albanians have sought to cleanse each other from their respective enclaves; in Sri Lanka where Tamil separatists and Ceylonese nationalists have murdered each other for a generation; in Chechnya where a war of secession has destroyed the country.

I have read this book last year and now I read it for the second time. I ejoyed it more this time. It is a wonderful book based on events after Communism take over of Afghanistan and it brings sense to our present day events. In the Forword section of the book, Nancy Dupree indicates that ..." years of discord have stretched taut the fabric of this society (Afghanistan) and left many lingering effects. National traits once respected, honored hallmarks of Afghan character, are in jeopardy. Tolerence for others. Forthrightness. Aversion to fanatics. Respect for women. Loyalty to colleagues and classmates. Dislike for ostentation. Commiment to academic freedom. All has been compromised.
Thankfully, the spirit of courageues determination, amply evident in the pages that follow, is still strong. There seems no reason to doubt, therefore, the reconstruction can be astnishingly rapid."

"Searching for Saleem" is one of a very few books I've found about Afghani women. It takes up where "Three Women of Herat" by Veronica Doubleday leaves off. The writing is very good although not great, but it's not really the quality of the writing that makes this book so important--it's the account of life in Afghanistan. I find it amazing that there are so few books about Afghanistan! And most are for children.

After the September 11, 2001 bombings in the United States by radical Muslim terrorists, I wanted to know more about the people of Afghanistan. Morrocco was my only experience traveling in a Muslim state, and I found that Afghanistan is radically different. This book provides a rare look into the experience of one Afghani woman who seems atypical of many of the women in the country but has the facility with English and the education to provide all of us with a glimpse into a country that's playing a significant part in our lives and that seems to be a place where few Americans have lived or traveled.

Although there are a number of well researched accounts of Indian Cheifs and tribes, there are as many if not more books and articals written on them that have their base on hear-say and downright wrong information. I have spent a number of years reading about Tenskwatawa, the Shawnee Prophet, and Tecumseh, his more famous brother and have been futher confussed from one source to the other. Which was more true? Until this book 'The Shawnee Prophet' by R. David Edmunds came along, I was about to give up; thinking there couldn't possibly be a correct account. Mr Edmunds bothers to futher authenticate his findings with numerous pages of refferences(about a fourth of the book's volume). The reading format was heavy at first but soon, because of the welcomed amount of information, it quickly became relavent and facinating to read. By all means do read this book. More books like this need to be written. We need to know the truth about our history.

This biography of Tenskwatawa is the only work devoted to the role and importance of the influencial Shawnee Prophet who has long been eclipsed in both popular and scholarly works by his far more famous brother, Tecumseh.

Born in 1775 in Ohio, Tenskwatawa was one of three triplets born into the family of the Shawnee war chief Puckeshinwa. After surviving a less than ideal childhood and losing an eye in the process, Tenskwatawa soon found himself an outcast among his own tribe. Following the Treaty of Greenville in 1795, he and his people are forced to give up their claims to most of the Ohio Country and many, including himself, fall victim to alcoholism and despair. But after experiencing a vision he believes is sent by the Master of Life, Tenskwatawa is reborn as the Shawnee Prophet and begins to preach a return to the old ways and to reject the ways of the whites whom he says have corrupted and destroyed the Indians. His religious revival brings together many thousands of loyal followers from many tribes across the Old Northwest and becomes the core of the pan-Indian confederacy engineered by his older brother Tecumseh who intends to push the Americans back east of the Appalachain Mountains and reclaim their ancestoral homelands. Tragicly, these dreams are crushed by William Henry Harrison's victory over Tenskwata's forces at the Battle of Tippecanoe in 1811. Though Tecumseh and Tenskwatawa would continue to fight alongside the British in the War of 1812, the Prophet's reputation is devastated forever, as is the dream of uniting the tribes and driving the whites from their lands.

This is a fascinating book that covers much information not only about the Prophet, but his people and their history, as well as shedding much light on one of the primary causes of the War of 1812 and the Indians' role in that conflict.

The author uses many sources and many factual accounts of the events of the early 19th century in the area of the Old Northwest, present day Ohio Valley region. He shows that Tenskwatawa, also known as the Shawnee Prophet, was a proud man who would do anything to maintain his followers. It gives us a great insight into the difficult relations between the Americans and the Native Americans. The reading is fairly easy and the events described were very interesting. It was a very in-depth look into the life of the Shawnee Prophet, his followers and how they dealt with the world of change swirling around them and the culture clash that existed between the Native Americans and the white settlers moving in.

If you are interested in learning more about Native American culture, especially the Shawnee, then I would strongly recommend this book.

As an American participant in the association with the Australians and New Zealanders, and being a named individual in this book, I can attest to the accuracy and authentic descriptions of the events described by Steinbrook. The professional relationships established by this unique association of nationalities fostered friendships and respect that has endured for over 30 years despite the fact that many have not seen each other in that time. It was a magnificent undertaking by Steinbrook to record his observations during the most vivid and rewarding period of my military career and to mark for history a true example of on-the-scene bonding of individuals, most of whom were not career soldiers, dedicated to accomplishing a very difficult task.

Gordon Steinbrook uses old letters written home to recall the day to day events of his year in Vietnam. Steinbrook has one of the truly unique experiences of the war, serving with both US and Australian forces primarily as a forward observer and fire direction officer in artillery. Although his account does not include much 'combat', it does, none the less, give one a true picture of the way it was for many of us. .."long periods of extreme boredom punctuated by short intervals of extreme 'urgency'". I can personally testify to the accuracy of this work.

This is a compact little book, with a moderate amount of photos and diagrams regarding American Indian artifacts. In addiition to giving instructions on how these artifacts were made and how modern reproductions may be made, the authors also explain their use and traditions involved with Indian crafts. One thing that I particularly liked was the emphasis on day to day life of the tribes, and how that was changed by the advent of the white man. A fun and informative chapter near the end of the book tells you how to say some common names and phrases in several languages used by the Delaware, Pawnee, and Dakota tribes, among others. There is also a brief section on sign language and mention of smoke signals. I thought this book was a good introduction for teachers, scout leaders, and other interested individuals to the Native American lifestyle, and was written in a sympathetic and quite readable style.

I loved this book! I am doing a project on Native Americans and it helped a lot. The craft instructions were a little hard to understand as it was not really geared toward kids, but the projects were very authentic (not to mention fun!) and I wholly recommend this book.

This is a period of South American history I have especially been interested in. I lived in Bolivia for a year and it was interesting to see how that war (and the loss of the seacoast) still impacts that nation.

I thought the book overall was good although I thought it was long on military manuevers and short in places on what was happening politically. While the military maps were good, it would have been good to have some maps showing the borders at the start of the war and at the end of the war. Some historic photographs would have greatly added to the book. Also some discussion on the aftermath of the war in the various countires (the civil war that followed in Peru or the decades of unrest and economic problems in Bolivia because of the loss of the seacoast.

There is no question that Professor Sater is the foremost authority on the War of the Pacific in the English language and probably in any language. For many years now, he has meticulously and profoundly researched into archives, published works, memoirs, folkloric sources, songs and poetry without leaving a stone unturned. This is his third book and presumably the final work on the subject: the culmination of decades work and study of his favorite subject. His facts are unquestionable even though some of his description of the battles may, at times, conflict with eyewitness narratives or popular sources. His description of the shortcomings in logistics and sanitary services go deeper than any other description of the war. Neither does the author shy away from the horrors of war which many Chilean and Peruvian historians tend to minimize.

Having recognized his effort in the investigations and his fine ability to put the facts together in good and easily understood order, there are plenty of opportunities to disagree with some of his conclusions. Many Chilean historians will find fault with his harsh judgment of Admiral Williams and Captain Simpson, and it must be admitted that he carries them a bit too far. Taking sides with Chilean Historian Francisco Encina, the author treats General Baquedano with equal ferocity. He believes that the General caused unnecessary loss of life at Tacna and later at Chorillos. He accepts the fact that battles of the XIX Century were unusually bloody. Frontal attacks, even if done in echelons, were brutal such as Picket's charge at Gettysburg and Pancho Villa's Army at Zelaya. In reference to Gettysburg there is a striking similarity with movements at Tacna, of course in a much more limited scale, but Baquedano's wise use of his reserves, unlike Lee, gave the attackers the victory. The alternative plan at Chorrillos or San Juan was too complicated, it extended the lines of march, it deprived the army from naval fire support and it did not pursue the ultimate goal of an army: to destroy the opposing force.

In summary, an excellent book: well researched and well organized that constitutes the best one volume account of this tragic war.