Panther in the Sky [Hardcover]

JAMES ALEXANDER Thom (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 21, 1991

"Thom shows how, in honest, capable hands, fictionalized biography can add verisimilitude to the life and times of this extraordinary America....The dialogue has the ring of reality about it....Thom is able to get into the thoughts and emotions of his characters...."
DEE BROWN
LOS ANGELES TIMES
Rich, colorful and bursting with excitment, this remarkable story turns James Alexander Thom's power and passion for American history to the epic story of Tecumseh's life and give us a heart-thumping novel of one man's magnificent destiny--to unite his people in the struggle to save their land and their way of life from the relentless press of the white settlers.


From the Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

"What particularly distinguishes this splendidly vigorous and imaginative recreation of the life of the great Shawnee chief Tecumseh (1768-1813) is its bid to capture the spirit of Midwestern Indian culture from within," commented PW.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition.

From the Inside Flap

"Thom shows how, in honest, capable hands, fictionalized biography can add verisimilitude to the life and times of this extraordinary America....The dialogue has the ring of reality about it....Thom is able to get into the thoughts and emotions of his characters...."
DEE BROWN
LOS ANGELES TIMES
Rich, colorful and bursting with excitment, this remarkable story turns James Alexander Thom's power and passion for American history to the epic story of Tecumseh's life and give us a heart-thumping novel of one man's magnificent destiny--to unite his people in the struggle to save their land and their way of life from the relentless press of the white settlers.


From the Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover
• Publisher: Random House Value Publishing (October 21, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0517079046
• ISBN-13: 978-0517079041
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.3 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (34 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,881,818 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

James Alexander Thom is the author of Follow the River, Long Knife, From Sea to Shining Sea, Panther in the Sky (for which he won the prestigious Western Writers of America Spur Award for best historical novel), Sign-Talker, The Children of First Man, and The Red Heart.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Thoughtful, exciting, and moving novel, August 31, 2006

By 

Elizabeth Clare "author, To the Ends of the E... (Austin, TX) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Panther in the Sky (Mass Market Paperback)

This novel is about the life and works of Tecumseh, the Shawnee chief who was at the center of Indian resistance to American expansion from the 1790s until the War of 1812.

Like other great Indian leaders before him (Pontiac, Joseph Brandt) and after (Crazy Horse), Tecumseh dreamed of uniting the Indian tribes and throwing back the white encroachment, carving out the space for the Indians to continue to practice their traditional way of life. He had many obstacles to overcome, not all of which were caused by the whites. In general, Indian societies were plagued by short-term thinking and an inability to grasp the big picture of what was really happening to their world. A number of Indian leaders were great tacticians, scoring big victories and then scattering while the whites regrouped and came relentlessly on. Only a few leaders were able to think strategically enough to actually slow the white advance. Tecumseh was one of these military geniuses.

The novel works as history, but it also works as a great story. Thom creates a sense of grief and regret about the loss of the Indians' world, but he doesn't whitewash the Indians. Tecumseh's brother, The Prophet, is depicted as a charlatan, and there are some brutal scenes of the torture that the Indians inflicted on their white captives. This low and cowardly behavior is a source of great despair for Tecumseh, who wants to elevate his people to a higher spiritual plane.

In a few spots in the book, Tecumseh appears too good to be true. I had a hard time believing that his goodness would have caused his arch-enemy, William Henry Harrison, to question the righteousness of his own cause. But overall the character of Tecumseh comes off as admirable but very human as he wrestles with spiritual questions, doubts, and vulnerabilites.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Superb!, May 30, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Panther in the Sky (Mass Market Paperback)

Panther In The Sky is historical fiction at its absolute finest. It details the life and times of the famous Shawnee war chief in a compelling and realistic fashion. The descriptions of the native American way of life, spirituality and bloody battles with the encroaching white man are riviting. This is an epic that I found impossible to put down. This was my first Thom book--I intend to read all of his work. A truly great book.

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The great American novel?, December 10, 2000

By 

Jim Hofbauer (Toledo, OH) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Panther in the Sky (Mass Market Paperback)

I have read extensively on the life of Tecumseh and this is the defintive novel. I feel it is best to read last, or reread once one feels he or she understands the settling of the Northwest. It takes knowledge to respct this novel. This is the book that tells the tale of Tecumseh, but one must understand the tale of Tecumseh before one appreciates this book. Thom is a thoughtful and dedicated writer. Outstanding.