Dances with Wolves [Hardcover]

Michael Blake (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1988

Ordered to hold an abandoned army post, John Dunbar found himself alone, beyond the edge of civilization. Thievery and survival soon forced him into the Indian camp, where he began a dangerous adventure that changed his life forever. Relive the adventure and beauty of the incredible movie, DANCES WITH WOLVES.


From the Paperback edition.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

Ordered to hold an abandoned army post, John Dunbar found himself alone, beyond the edge of civilization. Thievery and survival soon forced him into the Indian camp, where he began a dangerous adventure that changed his life forever. Relive the adventure and beauty of the incredible movie, DANCES WITH WOLVES.


From the Paperback edition. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

About the Author

Originally from North Carolina, Michael Blake began his writing career during his service in the armed forces. Following separation, he pursued his writing as a student journalist at the University of New Mexico and, in the seventies, attended film school in Berkeley California where he began writing screenplays. He later relocated to Los Angeles to be closer to the film industry. He now lives with his wife and children on a ranch in southern Arizona,

Michael Blake's other novels include Airman Mortensen, Marching To Valhalla and the sequel to Dances With Wolves, The Holy Road and the first volume of his autobiography, Like A Running Dog. Blake is currently working on another epic novel names Slade.

Michael Blake received several awards for Dances With Wolves, including an Academy Award for his screen adaptation of the novel. --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 313 pages
• Publisher: Perfection Learning (August 1988)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0780700740
• ISBN-13: 978-0780700741
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (57 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,029,629 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A simple tale that became a great movie, July 5, 2005

By 

William Sugarman "nprfan1" (Great Neck, NY USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Dances with Wolves (Paperback)

It's a bit hard to believe that Kevin Costner turned such a simply written book into such a wonderfully sophisticated film. But that's exactly what happened.

Michael Blake's book reads as though it was written for a junior high and high school audience. That doesn't stop it from being a well-done tale of life on the prairie in 19th-century America, although why Costner made his Indians Sioux instead of Commanche as written by Blake is beyond me.

Aside from that difference, Costner obviously followed Blake's novel almost to the letter; I felt as if I was seeing the movie all over again. But Blake's writing style is something of a disappointment. After seeing the movie I was expecting a much more detailed story of John Dunbar's transformation into Dances With Wolves - something on the order of James Clavell's "Shogun". If you picked this book up looking for information on how Native Americans lived back in their glory days I suggest you look elsewhere. But if you're looking for a well done Western this is the book for you.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My Favorite Book!, December 2, 2003

By 

Nataliya Lyubimova (Rochester, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dances with Wolves (Mass Market Paperback)

"Dances With Wolves",by Michael Blake, reveals an exciting story about the war for territory between the Native Americans and Settlers. If you enjoy stories about the West this book is an excellent choice. It depicts the frontier from the viewpoint of Native Amerians. Moreover the reader is invited to experience the constant pressure that was placed on the Native Americans by the Settlers. The main character, Lieutenant John Dunbar, who was originally sympathetic to the early Settlers, joins a Native American tribe. This shift is what makes this story so unusual and unique, because the antagonists in the book become the protagonists. In the beginning of the story the author depicts Indians as the antagonists, when the warriors from Pawnee tribe kill Timmons, Lieutenant Dunbar's escort. The reader gets an impression that all of the Native Americans are evil and cruel savages. However further into the book, Indians become the protagonists when the Comanche make peace with Dunbar, and they are described as victims of colonization.

The love story between Dunbar and "Stands With A Fist",a unique Comanche white woman, makes the book even more interesting. This book is a great example of American literature and I would recommend it to everyone.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fast Moving, deeper than the movie, very visual, July 11, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Dances with Wolves (Paperback)

Should be on your summer list. Even though the movie did a great job of picking up the breadth of this huge story, the book is better at getting all the details. Plus, it has plenty of heart, fast action, romance, adventure, to keep anyone interested.