Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Praiseworthy debut by Jack Shakely, April 4, 2008
Jack Shakely, in his debut novel "The Confederate War Bonnet," sets a very, very high standard for writers of historical fiction--and that is a very, very good thing!
As a professional historian I tend to cringe when I hear the words "historical fiction," as so many fiction writers are wont to alter the factual historical record in order to make it conform to their story, rather than face the challenge of making their story conform to history (Joseph Heller and W.E.B. Griffin notoriously come to mind in this regard). Shakely instead ingeniously combines meticulous research with surprisingly good story telling to shape a entertaining tale of a little-known but fascinating aspect of American history: the Civil War as fought in the Indian Territory (the future state of Oklahoma.)
Shakely writes surprisingly well for a first time author; he is, by all accounts, a very articulate individual in person, but that talent doesn't always translate into the written word. However, Shakely is, as the moment requires, witty, compassionate, or dramatic. His characters seem real and accessible--and that, along with his exacting homework, is Shakely's greatest strength in this novel. Nowhere do any of the players feel contrived, or simply produced fill a role in a specific scene. By the time a reader is a quarter of the way into this novel, he or she will genuinely care about the characters, because they will already have become very real.
The protagonist, Jack Gaston, Harvard educated, half Indian, half white, is called back to the Indian Territory to take up a position of leadership in the Creek Nation. When he does so, he learns that the American Civil War has become a Native American Civil War as well, with tribes turning against each other, and sometimes fighting within themselves. The picture Shakely paints of this sad fraternal struggle is memorable, though not always pleasant; one of Shakely's strengths is his honesty about the actions of the Indian nations during the war.
I must confess that the character of Jack Gaston reminded me in some ways of the character Davey Elk (played by Perry Lopez) in the movie "McLintock!"--one of favorite characters in one of my favorite films--as he is intelligent, talented, and witty.
The role Native Americans played in the Civil War has long been obscure and overlooked. "The Confederate War Bonnet" goes a long way toward redressing that balance. It's unfortunate that a major publishing house has not picked up this novel and given it the prominence it deserves. I hope it becomes successful enough to encourage Shakely to produce a work (or works) of nonfiction telling the history of the Indian Nations in the Civil War--I believe he would do them proud.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Harvard, Banjos, Dime Novels, and War -- A Refreshing Look at 19th Century America, April 19, 2008
The Confederate War Bonnet by Jack Shakely was a thoroughly enjoyable historical novel on many levels, not the least of which was that it taught me I still have a lot to learn about American history.
I knew, of course, that the central character of the novel was a half-breed Creek Indian who was to serve as a Confederate officer in the Civil War. Still, that did not prepare me to meet the intellectual and reflective Jack Gaston walking across Harvard campus with a book of Shakespearean sonnets in the opening chapter. I learned much about my pre-conceived notions regarding Indians in the mid-19th century, and I empathized with the astonishment of the Harvard dean who hadn't realized that he had an honest-to-goodness Indian in his school. (Our embarrassment for this gentle and bumbling professor turns to warmth when he proves his friendship to Jack later in the novel.)
Within a few chapters, Jack Gaston is traveling across the country (by train) in the company of his giant, banjo-playing Creek friend Jim Tom Nokose. Along the way they visit Jack's grandmother, wealthy widow of a prominent St. Louis doctor, enjoy dinner at the home of a Union Colonel, and serenade bluecoat soldiers on a riverboat with an impromptu banjo performance.
When Jack finally reaches home, I learned that the Creek Nation is nothing like I expected. They own the only printing press in Indian Territory and Jack's father published the only newspaper there before his death. The Creeks are mostly Christian at this point, and they not only celebrate their uniquely Creek Green Corn Ceremony, but Christmas as well. Jack is one of many well-educated men among the Civilized Tribes of Indian Territory, but their traditional ways are also alive enough for Jim Tom to take two wives - devoted cousins and the only surviving members of their family - rather than "break up the set."
I learned as well that the Confederate army had many Indian officers, and some, like General Stand Watie, were fiercely devoted to the cause and just as hard-headed as the white officers. The Confederates appear to be spiraling down into a slow and lingering defeat, despite the assistance of Indian allies and mercenary soldiers such as the flamboyantly attired Major Stephen Toland and his Bright Light Boys. Jack, however, comes to see that no matter the victor in the American Civil War, the Indian nations are bound to be the losers. Captain Jack Gaston is willing to do his duty - especially to lead the war away from his home - but comes to realize that when two great beasts wrestle, the grass always loses. His home is the grass. His goal in the end is to preserve his people and their land, rather than see it become yet another casualty of the war.
I highly recommend The Confederate War Bonnet to readers of historical fiction and to anyone interested in the Civil War or American history. Filled with rich characters and warm humor, it is a novel that will enhance your appreciation of this melting pot we call America and your understanding of how we came to be the nation we are now.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Finally, enjoyable history lessons, March 11, 2008
It's seldom that you find a book that not only engages you with the characters and plot, but gives you information that you never dreamed existed. The Confederate War Bonnet is so true to its time and place that you feel that you're there. And the raw emotions ring true. A really good read.
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