Customer Reviews

Cornplanter Chronicles

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Harold Beck is a wonderfully influential writer. His books, Ripe for the Picking and Cornplanter Chronicles are great reads. I recommend them to all who are interested in great non-fiction about NorthEasterners. His magazine, Mountain Laurel Review, is also a wonderful read...very entertaining while still being historically accurate.

Cornplanter has been a local legend in western Pennsylvania for years. Mr. Beck, with his tale of the legendary Seneca Chieftain, makes him come alive on the pages of the book. This is a book I could not put down once I started. It is an unusual treatment and an interesting way to re-learn the history we have all either forgotten or never learned.

This book is presented beautifully. It is a hardback and a real keeper. It is a story I will read and re-read in the years to come. It is in an honored place on my bookshelf.

Cornplanter Chronicles: A Tale Of The Legendary Seneca Chieftain by Harold Thomas Beck (Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of the "Mountain Laurel Review) is the true and fascinating saga of the Seneca, a Native American nation and its war chief, Cornplanter (1733-1832), who served the responsibility of his station from the age of 18. The Seneca were a member of the Iroquois League of Six Nations, and the only tribe who were never defeated by American armies, or forced to accept the white settlers' peace terms. Cornplanter's tribe fought in many wars and battles, ranging from the French and Indian War through the War of 1812. All of their struggles in war, peace, and the simple daily effort to survive and remain true to oneself, are accurately reflected in this amazing biography of one Native American leader. Cornplanter Chronicles is an invaluable, informative, highly recommended and greatly appreciated contribution to Native American Studies.

I have not yet read this book, but it would be wrong to say that Cornplanter was one of the "greatest enemies of our nation." It is much more complicated than that. Although he fought with the British during the revolutionary war, after the war he was a peacful moderate, a negotiator, a.k.a a sellout. He was a friend to the US Government. Why do you think he was awarded the Cornplanter grant? An enemy would have taken up arms, not discouraged his own people and other Indian tribes from doing so. Yes, the Seneca have a reservation today whereas many Indian tribes are not so lucky, but we cannot really know the outcome had they truly fought against the whites rather than ceded 99% of their land for almost nothing in return with Cornplanters help. Would they have ended up with nothing? Would they have ended up with more land? Would they have been able to drive the white men off of this continent? Many other indian tribes made the same types of peaceful deals and still lost all of their land in the end. Although for a while Cornplanter lauded white inventions and helped introduce education, plows, and sawmills to his people, in the end of his life he once again became suspicious of the whites as they continued to enroach on Seneca land. At this time he rejected their tools and their ways and burned his awards and medals from George Washington. Since the death of Cornplanter whites have continuted to break promises to Senecas and take away more of their land by building dams, roads, railways, powerlines, not paying leases, and threatening to take away their tax-free status. What would Cornplanter have to say about that? I look forward to reading this book, but to others I would say be wary of one-sided portaryals. This is an incredibly complex situation. Other Seneca figures such as Red Jacket were much more resistant and hateful towards whites, but even he can be seen as a moderate compared to more militant Indian chiefs throughout history who accused both Cornplanter and Red Jacket of being cowards.

I take serious issue with the two morons who rated this book as one star.

Cornplanter Chronicles is one of the finest historical pieces I have ever read. It is the fictionalized account of one of the greatest war chiefs of all time and being a Cornplanter desendent, I appreciate the history and the attention to detail the writer took in his creation.

This is a book for all ages and it is indictitive of the great talent of this relatively unknown writer.

It has been a long time since I have sat down to read a book and finished it in almost one sitting. Once I started reading this novel, I just could not put it down.

Mr. Beck is a sensational writer and I cannot wait to purchase more of his work. His portrayal of the backwoods area of Northwestern PA is right on target. "The Cornplanter Chronicles" could almost really have happened.

I can't help it. I am a fan of Harold Thomas Beck.

First I read "The First Terrorist Act" and loved it. Then it was "Tyrannus Bush?". Now I find Cornplanter and I have never heard of the man until this book. I find out he is a real man who really did fight the United States to a standstill and negotiate peace on his terms. Wow!

This is an excellent book. I am going to give it as Christmas presents to my nieces and nephews. It is American History told through the eyes of perhaps the greatest war chief of all times. It holds your attention and you end up knowing more about our history than you did before you picked up the book. I loved it.

This is a great story unknown until now. Of course the author needed to fictionalize it but it is based on historical fact and makes it fun to read. I loved it.

This is a great piece of literature that not only tells the story of perhaps the greatest Native American Chief of all time, but of the birth of our nation and the demise of the Iroquois League. Not since the Leather Stocking Tales has a work keyed in on the Iroquois of Eastern United States. The author did a great job on this one. And who is this Amos bird anyway. He needs to get a life.

Great book, Mr. Beck! Keep up the good work! I'm buying your other two works right now!