Customer Reviews

Blue Jacket: War Chief of the Shawnees

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

This is one of the best books I have read that is factual. Anyone that reads this book will get a real education without propaganda on the life and ways of the early Native American and how they were treated. Only one book better by the same author that I have read 5 times is The Frontiersman. If you get Blue Jacket, The Frontiersman is a must have too.

I ran across this book while researching the story of Mary Neely's capture by the Shawnee, and I found it fascinating that a white settler would actually seek to be captured, embrace the Indian way of life, and eventually become the Chief of the Shawnee Nation. Allan Eckert writes this book without lecturing, but you get a real sense of the injustice that was done to these tribes and the multitude of agreements that were signed that were not worth the paper they were printed on. The book is written simply and straight-forward enough to use at middle school or high school level, but it contains enough factual information to be of use to adults as well. Eckert writes the story in an entertaining fashion also, which makes it easy to keep reading. I only wish it had been longer.

i read this book and then afterwards found to my dismay that with a little research it is easy to see that eckert's "facts" are based on an unreliable and widely discredited source. blue jacket was not a white boy captured by the shawnees who then became a war chief but was in fact originally shawnee. for an accurate story of blue jacket's life read a book by john sugden.

Bought this book as a gift. The whole transaction was quick n' easy, the book arrived on time and in good condition. All in all, I think this was a good value.

One reviewer gave this book a one star rating, citing it as fictional. Dr. Eckert wrote Blue Jacket in 1969. The book contains relevant historical subject matter, including the controversial idea that Blue Jacket was a white man. Thirty-one years later DNA testing proved otherwise. Does that mean this book should be discarded? Absolutely not. Dr. Eckert based the story of Blue Jacket and Shawnee life descriptions on historical records--characters, locations and events actually happened. Best of all, he put it all in novel form, which makes history learning so much more palatable. An easy, short and interesting read--you will learn alot about Blue Jacket and Shawnee customs in general.

This was a great read. For those interested in a well researched novel of the frontier days, this is for you.

Excellent novel for all age groups about American Indians of the Ohio region and a boy who was thought to be a kidnapped white settler who later became a chief. A similar tale about another kidnapped boy is Dark River Passage, which I also highly recommend. Dark River Passage

Wonderful book, shorter than most of this author's works that would be great for children too because of its length (er...lack of length) and the interesting subject matter. Written in a manner that holds one interest from beginning to end.

I found this book very interesting and informative. It's about an Indian chief who was really a white man adopted into an Indian tribe. I grew up in a town named after him and knew some of his decendants. Never knew before that he was white.

This book is not factual. The author fabricated the story of Blue Jacket being a white man. This is a well known fact among Native American historians. If you would like to read an accurate book about the principal war chief of the Shawnee pick up Blue Jacket: Warrior of the Shawnee by John Sugden.
To be clear, Blue Jacket WAS NOT A WHITE MAN!!