North American Indians (Penguin Classics) [Paperback]

George Catlin (Author), Peter Matthiessen (Introduction)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 24, 2004 | Series: Penguin Classics

From 1831 to 1837, George Catlin traveled extensively among the native peoples of North America—from the Muskogee and Miccosukee Creeks of the Southeast to the Lakota, Mandan, and Pawnee of the West, and from the Winnebagos and Menominees of the North to the Comanches of eastern Texas. Studying their habits, customs, and modes of life, he made copious notes and numerous sketches of ceremonies, buffalo hunts, symbols, and totems. Catlin’s unprecedented fieldwork culminated in more than five hundred oil paintings and his now-legendary journals, which, as Peter Matthiessen writes in his introduction, “taken together... constitute the first, last, and only ‘complete’ record of the Plains Indians ever made at the height of their splendid culture, so soon destroyed by traders’ liquor and disease, rapine and bayonets.”

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

A digital reproduction of the first edition in two volumes, unabridged, originally published in 1903. CD-ROM based reference material created from a 1903 two-volume set. Fully printable and text searchable. Windows and Macintosh compatible. System Requirements: Pentium processor-based personal computer Windows 95 or Windows NT Windows 3.1 16 MB of RAM available to Acrobat Reader 10 MB of available hard-disk space Macintosh and Power Macintosh Minimum Macintosh with a 68020 or greater processor, or Power Macintosh 12 MB of available hard-disk space Adobe Acrobat Reader

3.5 MB of RAM (5 MB for Power Macintosh) available to Acrobat Reader Apple System Software version 7.0 or later recommended. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

George Catlin (1796-1873) abandoned his law practice to live among the Plains Indians of North America, acquiring their languages and studying their habits, customs, and mode of life. His huge collection of pictures, artifacts, and findings were exhibited around the United States and Europe to great acclaim.

Peter Matthiessen was the cofounder of the Paris Review and is the author of numerous works of nonfiction, including In the Spirit of Crazy Horse, Indian Country, and The Snow Leopard, winner of the National Book Award.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Paperback: 560 pages
• Publisher: Penguin Classics (February 24, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0142437506
• ISBN-13: 978-0142437506
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #981,482 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A book of facts and not guess work, April 23, 2000

By 

[e-mail] (North Wales) - See all my reviews

This review is from: North American Indians (Classic, Nature, Penguin) (Mass Market Paperback)

George Catlin is certainly a man to admire, as is this book.Catlin lived amongst the Native Americans for many years and writes carefully of his experiences.This is an interesting read and provides another dimension to the subject of American Indians.The book is fascinating in as much as Catlin portrays himself as a wordly man and a friend of the Indians ( And he certainly was)but despite that you can still find evidence of his ignorance within the text.Nevertheless he was a fascinating man who had a fascinating life,his artwork allthough basic in my mind, is well worth a look.My only critiscm of this book is that quite some time is spent describing the scenery whereas I would have prefered even more writing on the Indians themselves,that is my personal viewpoint, others may find that intruiging.The book is full of facts and personal experiences and that in itself adds to the validity of this book as musthave for your collection

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good reads!, January 18, 2002

By 

James (Three Forks, Montana USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: North American Indians: Volume 1 (v. 1) (Hardcover)

This takes place some 30 years after Lewis and Clark... Excellent documentary of the North American culture just before the BIG change. Its evident Catlin realizes this change and through his travels, he meticulously describes the native civilizations from an eyewitness account. In the final chapter, he makes a bold hypothesis concerning the origins of a particular tribe: the Madans. Fascinating!

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars North American Indians, May 31, 2008

By 

James C. Chambers "Sandi Chambers" (Arab, AL USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: North American Indians (Penguin Classics) (Paperback)

I have always been extremely interested in North American Indians and own many books on the subject. I rate this one at the very top! George Catlin traveled among the tribes before their way of life was ruined by civilization. This book contains some of his journals, illustrations, and drawings. I wish there were Volume II!