Manners, Customs, and Conditions of the North American Indians, Volume II (Native American) [Paperback]

George Catlin (Author)

Book Description

Series: Native American | Publication Date: June 1, 1973

Volume 2 of the classic account of life among Plains Indians; ceremonies, hunt, warfare, etc. Total in set: 312 plates.

Product Details

• Paperback: 282 pages
• Publisher: Dover Publications; Volume 2 edition (June 1, 1973)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0486221199
• ISBN-13: 978-0486221199
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 5.7 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #726,719 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating!, October 19, 1999

By 

Scott Hathaway (Sturgeon Bay, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Manners, Customs, and Conditions of the North American Indians, Volume II (Native American) (Paperback)

Although the writing style is archaic, to the modern reader, and his art is stiff and two-dimensional, George Catlin manages in these volumes to convey the wonder and limitless beauty of a wild land. He captures the individual personality of many of the warriors, chiefs and women he met. George Catlin saw with an unusual clarity the inevitable end of the way of life of his subjects. And saw it long before most in civilized America. His goal was to record the variety, habits, and lifestyle of a people he realized would soon be gone. In the process he left us with a work of ethnography that is detailed, objective, and not riddled with interpretation. AND--most of it is a great read.

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An important record of Indian life, July 29, 2002

By 

Paper Pen "S. Wilson" (Long Beach, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Manners, Customs, and Conditions of the North American Indians, Volume II (Native American) (Paperback)

There are two ways of looking at this book. For any serious student, anthropologist or researcher interested in the history of the Plains Indians, this is clearly an important book. Catlin offers detailed, first-hand descriptions of Indian culture and customs of the 1830s, preserving in text and pictures a way of life that would soon disappear.

For the more casual reader, "Letters and Notes" still offers much, but you will need to be more selective. Catlin, for example, provides meticulous descriptions of the Indians' clothing, jewelry, weapons, cooking instruments and other artifacts. The reader can get bogged down in these sections, so unless you have a particular interest in any of these things, it's best to skim past them.

Skip ahead to the action. Find the sections where Catlin recounts events that he witnessed or directly participated in. Catlin's account of buffalo hunting, for example, is vivid and exciting. Some other parts are funny, such as the dog feast.

Above all, be sure to read the description of the Mandan religious ceremony. It's grotesque, to be sure, but you'll never forget it.

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Ultimate Source, May 10, 2000

By 

David Noble (Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Manners, Customs, and Conditions of the North American Indians, Volume I (Native American) (Paperback)

Once in a while you come across a book that all other research documents for that subject matter refer to. Catlin, Lewis And Clarke. In North American ethnography, these two are the ultimate reference sources even though they present a viewpoint that not all would agree with. We are extremely fortunate that these texts are so readable also.