Customer Reviews

Sioux Dawn (Plainsmen)

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The late Mr Johnston has written a splendid series about the Old West, peopled with actual characters and several fictional ones, blending into some relentless and exciting adventures. Plenty of real events and people, the research is top notch and the characters compelling and fleshed out. One minor complaint, a bit too much heavy breathing which is not needed for the quality of writing.

Terry Johnston's tale of the events leading up to and including the Fetterman Massacre seeks to explain both the red man and the white man at the same time. The narrative is well-meaning but ponderous and sluggish before eventually hitting its stride and results in a nice piece of work. Too much time is devoted to fictional character Seamus Donegan, a brawler and a drunkard who somehow evolves into an experienced frontier scout and Indian fighter. The author knows how to tell a story but his hero weighs down the flow and pace of his storytelling. Donegan's romancing of Jennifer Wheatley doesn't ring true and too much time is devoted to explaining this fictional dalliance that has nothing to do with the events of the tragedy of December 21, 1866. Colonel Henry Carrington's authority is openly flouted by his junior officers which plays no small part in the battle on the other side of Lodge Trail Ridge. If the Irishman Donegan played a smaller part in Johnston's tales of the old west his books would much more interesting.

The work bears all the earmarks of "good history". As a fictionalized account of the Sioux uprising of the 1866 period it is a quick read and a very pleasant "page-turner". If you are interested in the history of the opening of the west, but don't want to plow through the more dry versions offered by history books, this is the work for you. If the book has any faults, it is that the central character, an Irish immigrant, by the name of Donegan, is presented as larger than life. This is a small criticism as Donegan does not terribly often dominate center stage and the rest of the characters are more "realistic" in their presentation. After reading this work you will probably want to purchase more of Johnston's books. He is a fine writer and does write good history.

This historically accurate novel about the initial stages of the war between the U. S. army and the plains Indians (the Sioux, Cheyennes, and Arapahos) is an exceptionally enjoyable read. Nearly all the characters are names out of the history books (Crazy Horse, Red Cloud, Henry Carrington, William Fetterman, etc.) with one big exception. Seamus Donnegan, ex-army sergeant, is a fictitious and likeable rogue, although possibly a tad too John Wayne-ish. As a student of Native American history, I was left somewhat wanting for a clearer view of the Indian side of the tale, but that aside I'd recommend this book highly. I'm looking forward to the rest of the series.

The sex isn't wild and over the top, but it is a bit graphic. Sort of. I've read much worse (or better depending on your tastes of course). Here's the deal though: I read this with a thought of having my sons also read it (as well as the others in the series). We're headed up into that country on vacation this summer. My boys are 15 and 13. I don't need my 15-year old having his already good imagination put into teenage-hormone-driven overdrive by the sex scenes. TV commercials and programming do that well enough, thank you. As for my, 13-year old. Not yet, not yet, not yet.
It is very good reading though. He's accurate and brings the times and people back to life. To another reviewer's point, yes, it is indeed a good idea to have a good map handy. The sketches in the book are barely adequate. A really good atlas will definitely help and be frequently referenced.
And hey, if you like this kind of work I suggest you check out the series by Allan Eckert. His work picks up when Ohio and the Can-tuc-kee area were wilderness and the Shawnee weren't enthusiastic about losing their country. The Frontiersmen: A Narrative.

A great way to read American history about the plains. Seamus Donegan is the fiction to make the factual readable. Johnston's overuse of similes does get tiring after awhile, but not enough to stop reading. Hubris leads a troop of US Cavalry to their deaths in 1866.

Terry C. Johnston, has done one hell of a job on this series. I highly recommed to anyone reading westerns today. He will keep you on the edge of your sit.

I don't think anyone will be disappointed in this book or series. If you don't care for reading an author getting off on a cursade you won't have to worry about Terry as he won't go there. He makes you feel as if you are part of the battle, or sitting right next to the characters in the book.

This historically accurate novel about the initial stages of the war between the U. S. army and the plains Indians (the Sioux, Cheyennes, and Arapahos) is an enjoyable read. Nearly all the characters are names out of the history books (Crazy Horse, Red Cloud, Henry Carrington, William Fetterman, etc.) with one big exception. Seamus Doonegan, ex-army sergeant, is a fictitious and likeable rogue (although possibly a tad too John Wayne-ish). As a student of Native American history, I was left somewhat wanting for a clearer view of the Indian side of the tale, but that aside I'd recommend this book. I'm looking forward to the rest of the series.

Sure this book has some cliques in it for example

Pompous army officer that you know is just going to get his men killed

Hardened Civillian that used to kill people for a living but now doesn't

A "weak women" freash from the cities of the east who has never been on the frontier before but finds deep within herself the coruage to blah bla blah.

I'm not saying I didn't like. Hey I love westerns I jst realize that no book is perfect. The author does to a preety good job of mixing fiction and history and if you are a western fan I recommend it.

I listened to the audiocassette of this massacre. Massacres come out a little different on audio than they do in a movie, or in a book, or (!) in person? Anyway, they're harder to follow, because the geography is abstract and so are the people. All I know is that Colonel Carrington, Jim Bridger, and Sergeant Seamus Donnegan are the good guys. Fetterman (I forget his rank, but he's a hotshot something) and Captain Brown are the bad guys (and they pay big time!). Man-afraid-of-his-horse, Curly, and Red Cloud are kind of like non-innocent bystanders: they wreak plenty of havoc, but it's not really they're fault, they're just sort of trying to "get over"? I myself had never heard of the Fetterman Massacre (1866), ten years before Custer's turn. Mr. Johnston, may he rest in peace, has educated me. What better way to learn history? But maybe the listener might benefit from having handy an atlas with detailed maps of the fighting area. Maybe some biographical information about the combatants. Anyway, worth listening, but needs some adjuncts. And scary! When you think about being in Fetterman's shoes, but then isn't all war scary? Diximus.