The Cherokee People: The Story of the Cherokees from Earliest Origins to Contemporary Times (Paperback)

~ (Author)
Key Phrases: national heptagon, old wild tobacco, seven deerskins, Big Cove, Great War Chief, North Carolina (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

This lengthy account of a tribe that has long captured America's imagination covers Cherokee ways and history from their earliest appearance in the Southeast through the forced removal of most of the nation to Indian Territory to life today in North Carolina and Oklahoma communities. The author's well-known line drawings and paintings highlight the text. His chatty, often anecdotal presentation, compounded by casual footnotes and a few obvious inaccuracies, make this book suitable only for the general reader. Eastern Cherokee history is covered more clearly by John Finger in both his The Eastern Band of Cherokees, 1819 - 1900 (Univ. of Tennessee, 1984) and his Cher okee Americans: The Eastern Band of Cherokees in the Twentieth Century (LJ 7/91 ). -- Mary B. Davis, Huntington Free Lib., Bronx, N . Y .
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Review

"Covers Cherokee ways and history from their earliest appearance in the Southeast through the forced removal of most of the nation to Indian Territory life today in North Carolina and Oklahoma communities. The author's well-known line drawings and paintings highlight the text." --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: Treasure Chest Books; 1st Marlowe Ed edition (August 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1569247625
• ISBN-13: 978-1569247624
• Product Dimensions: 11.8 x 9 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #455,536 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

33 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Extremely well written, documented and illustrated, June 3, 1999

By A Customer

Rev. Mails, a retired Lutheran minister, has produced a classic reference on the Cherokee people. He quotes other historians, including Englishmen who lived with the Cherokees during the 1700 and early 1800's, who believed the Cherokees are descended from the Hebrews (reinforcing Mormon beliefs that Cherokee ancestors came from Jerusalem and were Jews). The chapter on religion is very complete. The drawings, by Rev. Mails himself, are wonderful, as is his attention to detail. The bibliography is extensive.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars big & pretty--pretty inaccurate, August 31, 2005

By	Boogieman (OK) - See all my reviews

Nice coffee table book, but a great deal of Mails' stuff is either made-up or borrowed from squirrely popular romanticizations of Cherokee folks. For a general if ideologically out-dated history, see Grace Steele Woodward, for culture see Mooney, Theda Perdue for work specifically on women, and for straight-up historical scholarship, try William McLoughlin's stuff.

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Cherokee History at its best!!, March 4, 2002

By	Charles E. Taylor (Candler, N.C.) - See all my reviews

Excellent text! Very detailed in explaining the origin, customs, social structure, and ancient ceremonial lore of the Cherokee people. Contains concise information regarding who the Cherokee were prior to European contact, as well as post contact.
Would recommend this text for use in teaching Cherokee Culture and History. A valuable tool for exploring and researching the history of a noble people- The Cherokee.