Life among the Apaches (Bison Books) [Paperback]

John C. Cremony (Author)

Book Description

Series: Bison Books | Publication Date: January 1, 1983

John C. Cremony's first encounter with the Indians of the Southwest occurred in the early 1850s, when he accompanied John R. Bartlett’s boundary commission surveying the United States-Mexican border. Some ten years later, as an officer of the California Volunteers, he renewed his acquaintance, particularly with the Apaches, whom he came to know as few white Americans before him had. Cremony's account of his experiences, published in 1868, quickly became, and remains today, a basic source on Apache beliefs, tribal life, and fighting tactics. Although its original purpose was to induce more effective military suppression of the Apaches, it has all the fast-paced action and excitement of a novel and the authenticity of an ethnographic and historical document.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Like most frontiersmen of the mid-nineteenth century, John C. Cremony looked on Indians as unredeemable savages. But he knew Apaches first hand and was a keen and highly literate observer. For all its ethnocentrism, his narrative remains unsurpassed for accuracy and vivid detail among contemporary views of the Apaches. In the literature of the American West Life among the Apaches endures as a classic."—Robert M. Utley

(Robert M. Utley )

Product Details

• Paperback: 322 pages
• Publisher: University of Nebraska Press (January 1, 1983)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0803263120
• ISBN-13: 978-0803263123
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,922,051 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

30 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Unknown Treasure of the West and Indian Culture, December 11, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Life among the Apaches (Bison Books) (Paperback)

A refreshingly open and objective look at the Apache culture before the reservations. Cremony wrote the first dictionary of the Apache language and earned their grudging respect. He shows admiration for their amazing courage, endurance, and skills of warfare and survival. But, since this was written a century before the political correctness Victorianism we now are censored by, Cremony is able to share his concerns about their interesting work ethic (it is dishonorable for a man to work besides hunting and stealing) and their cruelty. Cremony makes some polite comments about the extreme attractiveness of some of the Apache women which suggests, at a minimum, an emotional involvement -- which adds a touching romantic side to this well written account.

23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating, real life account of a rugged life., July 11, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: Life among the Apaches (Bison Books) (Paperback)

This book sat on a dresser for years before I read it. Big mistake--it deserved to be read right away. All the wild episodes of the old cowboy and Indian movies are here, except they are real. Cremony demonstrates the prejudices of 19th Century White Americans, of course, but the realities of Apache as well as White behavior come through clearly, and the people who move through the story are more absorbing than many a best seller's characters. In the course of all this adventure, Cremony manages to shed considerable light both on history and human nature. It is truly a shame that this fascinating autobiography will be read by so few people

32 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating and Authentic, January 14, 2002

By 

Yih Dzelonh "yih_dzelonh" (ER) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Life Among the Apaches (Audio Cassette)

Life Among The Apaches is one of the most interesting and fascinating historical nonfiction works that I have ever come across. It's a first-hand account of John C. Cremony's personal adventures with Apache indians in the latter part of the 19th century, in particular the Chiricahua Apaches. I've never come across a better or more explanatory or descriptive account of Apache peoples, culture, or way of life in the 1800's than in Life Among The Apaches.

This book was given to me as a present some years ago, and it has proven to be one of the most authentic Native American historical pieces of literature that has ever been abridged.