The Earth is Weeping: The Epic Story of the Indian Wars for the American West

Description

Winner of the Gilder Lehrman Prize for Military History In a sweeping narrative, Peter Cozzens tells the gripping story of the wars that destroyed native ways of life as the American nation continued its expansion onto tribal lands after the Civil War, setting off a conflict that would last nearly three decades. By using original research and first-hand sources from both sides, Cozzens illuminates the encroachment experienced by the tribes and the tribal conflicts over whether to fight or make peace, and explores the squalid lives of soldiers posted to the frontier and the ethical quandaries faced by generals who often sympathized with their native enemies. Bringing together a cast of fascinating characters, including Custer, Sherman, Grant and a host of other military and political figures, as well as great native leaders such as Crazy Horse, Sitting Bull, Geronimo and Red Cloud, The Earth is Weeping is the fullest account to date of how the West was won ... and lost.

Peter Cozzens is the author or editor of sixteen acclaimed books on the American Civil War and the Indian Wars of the American West, and a member of the Advisory Council of the Lincoln Prize. In 2002 he was awarded the American Foreign Service Association's highest honour, the William R. Rivkin Award, given annually to one Foreign Service Officer for exemplary moral courage, integrity and creative dissent.

Extraordinary... Few writers possess the descriptive talent that the immensity of the American west demands. * The Times * Peter Cozzens's sweeping, expert and appalling account of the murder of America's Indians * Spectator * A detailed recounting of random carnage, bodies burned, treaties broken and treachery let loose across the land. * New York Times * Truly epic and beautifully written * Tribune * Treachery on such an epic scale can bear many retellings, and this account stands out for its impressive detail and scope. * Washington Post * Cozzens does an exceptional job of examining the viewpoints of both sides, making heavy use of previously untapped primary sources... This is a timely and thorough book, presenting the story without hyperbole or histrionics. * New York Journal of Books * Peter Cozzens, one of our finest working historians, has taken on a massive chunk of Native American history and delivered it with power, style, and insight. He is above all a great storyteller. I have never read better, more concise, or more entertaining versions of the Little Bighorn story, Geronimo's wild run to glory, the Ute War, or Captain Jack's rebellion in the northwest. There is much wisdom here, and much good writing. -- S.C. Gwynne, author of EMPIRE OF THE SUMMER MOON Magnificent... This is a beautifully written work of understanding and compassion that will be a treasure for both general readers and specialists. -- Jay Freeman * Booklist (Starred review) * I've been waiting for an up-to-date, objective, and well-researched book on the Indian Wars, and Peter Cozzens' The Earth Is Weeping is all that and more - an elegantly written narrative of one of the great sagas in American history, and better than Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee. -- James Donovan, author of A TERRIBLE GLORY Peter Cozzens reminds us that tragedy, not melodrama, best characterizes the struggles for the American West...The Earth Is Weeping is the most lucid and reliable history of the Indian Wars in recent memory. -- Victor Davis Hanson, author of CARNAGE AND CULTURE In sobering detail, Peter Cozzens has chronicled this dark chapter in our history. -- James M. McPherson, author of BATTLE CRY OF FREEDOM For 25 years the United States Army and the native peoples of the West struggled for their destiny, and the region's, an oft-told story more tragic with each retelling. Peter Cozzens' The Earth is Weeping provides all that, and adds a missing perspective on the lives of ordinary people on both sides. -- William C. Davis, author of THREE ROADS TO THE ALAMO Cozzens is an erudite storyteller, meticulous in his approach to documenting the west. * BBC History Magazine *