Customer Reviews

Indian Lover: Sam Houston & the Cherokees

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This is another great Grafic Novel by Jack Jackson! Texas historian and co-founder of the underground comics publishing house, Rip Off Press, has again published a grafic novel about a Texan historical figure. This time it's about The Lone Star State's first president, Sam Houston. The book deals with Houston's relationship with the Cherokee indian tribe, from his youth to his old age. This is actually a history book disguised as a comic book. If you're into comic books, Texas history and indian tribes, this is a book for you! This is the fifth time Jackson publishes a grafic novel centered on early Texan history. He's also a well-known author of several books on this subject.

I had the pleasure to meet Jack Jackson before his death and to talk with him about Sam Houston and the Cherokees as well as his other opus Comanche Moon. My own family was from the Houston Valley in Tennessee, and my Great Grandmother was Cherokee, so I had my own take on Mr. Houston. Jack was patient enough to listen to my own rambling and give me some guidance on some little known tomes that he used to create his own masterpiece. He also told me his ambition was to write about every tribe in the Americas, from Central America to Alaska, but alas, death cut him short.

That said, the books Mr. Jackson was able to complete are well worth the effort of reading. Mr. Jackson, like Evan S. Connell and Hampton Sides tends to sympathize more with the Native American and Mexican contigent in Indian Lover, but he is also fair in his appraisal of the "White Man", though he is clear that the motivation of the Indian Wars was clearly genocidal.

If you've never read about Sam Houston, this book is a great jumping off point. Mr. Jackson makes it clear why Sam had such a love for the Cherokee and shows us how this love ultimately may have lead to Sam Houston's political downfall.

Historically accurate and eye-opening. Was helpful to get me started on Sam Houston. Now I have to go to 'real' books. I recommend this illustrated book.