Most Helpful Customer Reviews
75 of 86 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good Research -- Antidote to Romantic Illusions, January 18, 2008
This review is from: A Fate Worse Than Death: Indian Captivities in the West, 1830-1885 (Hardcover)
Let me recommend this quite readable and appropriately titled book to anyone who desires to become acquainted with some real, documented, quantified, substantive research about the history of trans-Mississippi Indian captivities, while simultaneously getting a much-needed injection of hardcore historical reality to counter the plethora of romantic, sentimental, and "politically correct" nonsense that burdens the shelves of contemporary bookstores.
With hardly any exceptions (aside from the extraordinary case of Cynthia Ann Parker, and perhaps a handful of others), it appears that being captured by Indians (especially if you were a female who had either approached or attained the age of puberty, and you were not otherwise too old or ugly!) amounted to a truly grim ordeal -- literally "a fate worse than death". And, most captives, who were apparently abused day and night (beaten, raped, starved, and tortured) and treated like dirty slaves, were more than eager to return to "civilization" when they had an opportunity. It all makes you suspect that the all too common notions of being taken captive and learning to cherish the wild and free life among the "noble savages" are, for the most part, romantic illusions, and that characters (such as the Caucasian woman who lived with the Souix as an adopted member of the tribe in "Dances With Wolves" -- by the way, a movie I really enjoyed) bear little resemblance to the harsh reality.
Beyond all that, the research presented in this book by the Michnos brings to light the sheer scope and scale of the Indian captivity problem that once prevailed out West. Apparently, many hundreds, and even thousands, of settlers either directly experienced or lived in fear of such an eventuality.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
61 of 72 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
I'm not surprised..., February 7, 2008
This review is from: A Fate Worse Than Death: Indian Captivities in the West, 1830-1885 (Hardcover)
I'm not surprised that A Fate Worse Than Death by Gregory and Susan Michno has fallen between the cracks in terms of being publicized. We live in such a "PC" world that any book that contradicts the "noble savage" theory, even if based on fact, is largely ignored. Don't get me wrong, I have nothing but admiration for native Americans. I have studied Custer and the LBH Battle most of my adult life and have a significant library on the subject. As a culture living in the wilderness under sometimes harsh circumstances and as fighters the American indian is unsurpassed.
A Fate Worse Than Death examines real cases of captivity of whites by indians. It is unvarnished and may even shock. The brutality of frontier life is displayed for anyone who wants to look.
Gregory Michno's The Mystery of E Troop is unsurpassed. I suspect A Fate Worse Than Death will be equally regarded.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
63 of 76 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Opens a Window on a Lost Frontier, September 17, 2007
This review is from: A Fate Worse Than Death: Indian Captivities in the West, 1830-1885 (Hardcover)
The things which made us "American" were not legacies of Anglo-Saxon folk moots or the Gothic forests of Northern Europe according to the great historian, Frederick Jackson Turner. To understand America and its unique character, you had to first understand "the meeting place between savagery and civilization," the frontier.
Gregory and Susan Michno's excellent book, A FATE WORSE THAN DEATH: INDIAN CAPTIVITIES IN THE WEST, 1830-1885, resurrects the literature of that long forgotten frontier. And, it restores the dark edge generations of politically correct teachers and bland social scientists have obscured.
No abstract theories here. These are thoroughly researched accounts from real men, women and children who were captured by Indians. This is the flesh, blood and terror of the frontier experience. Get a copy while you still can.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
|
