Sunday, August 20, 2017

The Apache Wars by Paul Andrew Hutton


Part Of The Synopsis From Back Cover:

The 1861 kidnapping of the boy who would grow up to be Mickey Free-the only man Geronimo ever feared-started the longest war in American history: the brutal struggle between the Apache and the U.S. government for control of the Southwest. When the Apache Wars finally ended in 1890, the western frontier had closed, and the once  powerful Apaches had been imprisoned far to the east or corralled on reservations. 

It has always amazed me how one decision, one action taken by someone who would normally not be important to history, can alter everything. One action, seemingly done in isolation, can have rippling effects that can never be foreseen. This is a masterfully crafted narrative of one such chain of events, one that even the Oracle of Delphi could not have predicted.

Dr. Hutton obviously knows his subject. The research done, and the obvious love he has for a well spun tale, shine through on every page. Through the lives of those involved in the brutal campaign, he draws the reader into that world. It's not pretty nor safe, it's violent and bloody and almost everyone he introduces on the page will suffer. It's not a period in the history of our country most of us like to think about outside the romanticized era of Hollywood Westerns, but it's a story that needs to be told.

I received this book for free from Blogging for Books, for this review

3 comments:

bermudaonion said...

I'm also amazed at how little history we're really taught in school. I've never heard of this before.

Melissa (Books and Things) said...

You had me at well researched and a story that needs to be told. Our school history is sadly lacking in so much and I have a feeling this one would have an emotional impact on me.

TracyK said...

This sounds like a very interesting book. I don't usual read non-fiction, I wish I enjoyed it more. There is so much to learn.