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A Sorrow in Our Heart: The Life of Tecumseh
A biography of the famous Shawnee describes Tecumseh's plan to amalgamate all North American tribes into one people, his role as statesman and military strategist, and his death in the Battle of Thames.
1068 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 1992
63 people are currently reading
2698 people want to read
About the author
Allan W. Eckert
80 books293 followersAllan W. Eckert was an American historian, historical novelist, and naturalist.
Eckert was born in Buffalo, New York, and raised in the Chicago, Illinois area, but had been a long-time resident of Bellefontaine, Ohio, near where he attended college. As a young man, he hitch-hiked around the United States, living off the land and learning about wildlife. He began writing about nature and American history at the age of thirteen, eventually becoming an author of numerous books for children and adults. His children's novel, Incident at Hawk's Hill, was a runner-up for the Newbery Medal in 1972. One of his novels tells how the great auk went extinct.
In addition to his novels, he also wrote several unproduced screenplays and more than 225 Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom television shows for which he received an Emmy Award.
In a 1999 poll conducted by the Ohioana Library Association, jointly with Toni Morrison, Allan W. Eckert was voted "Favorite Ohio Writer of All Time."
Eckert died in his sleep on July 7, 2011, in Corona, California, at the age of 80.
Eckert was born in Buffalo, New York, and raised in the Chicago, Illinois area, but had been a long-time resident of Bellefontaine, Ohio, near where he attended college. As a young man, he hitch-hiked around the United States, living off the land and learning about wildlife. He began writing about nature and American history at the age of thirteen, eventually becoming an author of numerous books for children and adults. His children's novel, Incident at Hawk's Hill, was a runner-up for the Newbery Medal in 1972. One of his novels tells how the great auk went extinct.
In addition to his novels, he also wrote several unproduced screenplays and more than 225 Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom television shows for which he received an Emmy Award.
In a 1999 poll conducted by the Ohioana Library Association, jointly with Toni Morrison, Allan W. Eckert was voted "Favorite Ohio Writer of All Time."
Eckert died in his sleep on July 7, 2011, in Corona, California, at the age of 80.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 79 reviews
March 21, 2014
I'm going to start off saying that I'm a historian and I focus on American Indian Frontier Wars, and with that being said, this is a good book with a few caveats. First of all this is historical FICTION, it is not a biography nor is it strictly factual. It is a good read in that it keeps the reader's attention and encourages the reader to finish the book. And that's high praise for what I'm about to say about "A Sorrow in Our Hearts."
So, how is it factually? When dealing with background minutiae, Eckert has done extensive research in Indian attacks and behaviors, which lends greatly to the "believability." But what about dealing with his main characters? Eckert has a few historical myths that he likes to push off as fact, especially the myth that Blue Jacket was a captured American boy. There has been much scholarship about this issue and it is patently incorrect. I could have excused this in "The Frontiersmen," before much of the scholarship came out, BUT this came out almost 25 years later and he still holds that Blue Jacket is a white man. I have some other issues with the treatment of Tenskwatawa and Tecumseh's perspicacious ability... ummmmmmm, how based in fact is that among a culture with little native documentation? These aspects are lost on anyone not familiar with the subject matter, and the voluminous notes (almost all of which are about the background minutiae) just hide this from laymen.
But, I think the main issue is that this book is passed off as a biography. It's simply not, and that's misleading to the non-historian, which is almost everyone who reads this book. Can I suggest this book? Yes, with the caveat that this is not a factual biography, it is a work of fiction. If you want a Biography on Tecumseh, John Sugden wrote an excellent one. Similarly, Sugden wrote a wonderful biography on Blue Jacket, please read those if you want a biography on these truly great men.
So, how is it factually? When dealing with background minutiae, Eckert has done extensive research in Indian attacks and behaviors, which lends greatly to the "believability." But what about dealing with his main characters? Eckert has a few historical myths that he likes to push off as fact, especially the myth that Blue Jacket was a captured American boy. There has been much scholarship about this issue and it is patently incorrect. I could have excused this in "The Frontiersmen," before much of the scholarship came out, BUT this came out almost 25 years later and he still holds that Blue Jacket is a white man. I have some other issues with the treatment of Tenskwatawa and Tecumseh's perspicacious ability... ummmmmmm, how based in fact is that among a culture with little native documentation? These aspects are lost on anyone not familiar with the subject matter, and the voluminous notes (almost all of which are about the background minutiae) just hide this from laymen.
But, I think the main issue is that this book is passed off as a biography. It's simply not, and that's misleading to the non-historian, which is almost everyone who reads this book. Can I suggest this book? Yes, with the caveat that this is not a factual biography, it is a work of fiction. If you want a Biography on Tecumseh, John Sugden wrote an excellent one. Similarly, Sugden wrote a wonderful biography on Blue Jacket, please read those if you want a biography on these truly great men.
March 14, 2010
Well researched and wonderfully written story of the life of a charismatic, wise, driven native leader, who was cagey, brave, legendary for his battle skills, his coolness under pressure, his ability to turn an apparent rout against the aggressors. He lived from mid - 1700's to 1813 when he was killed in battle. He was Shawnee, but his legacy was his dream and realization, in large part, of the unification of historically warring tribes in a joint effort to repel the white "shamenese" incursions into the Ohio country being the land west and north of the Ohio river. The "Americans" used a tactic of getting a tribal chief who had no title or right to a tract of land either inebriated or entrusted by large gifts and promises of substantial sums of money to deed the land to the whites. Tecumseh saw that if he could unit the tribes they could resist these "legal" acquisitions of their land, and, if necessary, have the combined strength to fight off the whites. His efforts were undermined by jealous, greedy and short-sighted tribal chiefs who continued to bargain with the whites who, so very numerous and well armed, would rely on their ill-gotten "titles" to land to justify settling of the land. In the early years Tecumseh and other natives were able to drive off these settlers, but by 1800 their numbers were so great and the US government so well established and armed that the only hope of excluding them from the Ohio country was for the natives to throw their support behind the British who seemed more inclined to honour the natives land claims. The war of 1812 had some victories, but not so far as the Ohio was concerned.
I found myself awed by Tecumseh's intelligence, command of numerous languages, especially English, his unigue abilities to "prophecy". Sometimes his prophecies were nothing more than a keen intellect, ability to read, and knowledge of when an eclipse was to occur, which served him well on one occassion to convince tribes that he had prophetic powers. However, there were some prophecies which no one could have predicted and about which he was very specific, having sent out notice to all tribes of when a large meteor would streak across the sky (which it did with great effect) and that thirty days later the earth would shake with great feriosity (which it did, over a length of 1000 miles, right through the Missouri to the Niagra area, causing cataclismic damage, and in an area not known for earthquakes).
Another thing which set him apart was his abhorence, from an early age, of the torture of defenseless enemies. When he was fifteen he'd had enough and told his tribal chief that such torture was a sign of weakness, not of bravery and that he would challenge anyone who did it again. This was one of the tenants of his basic philosophy which he was able to convince most tribes of. Also, all his followers were not permitted to consume alcohol.
His story is inspirational, sad, enlightening relative to native life and its understanding of living with the earth, and an insightful perspective on a great man whose true desire was peace, just to be left to live the life he had been raised with and loved, a life of living off the land.
Highly recommended.
I found myself awed by Tecumseh's intelligence, command of numerous languages, especially English, his unigue abilities to "prophecy". Sometimes his prophecies were nothing more than a keen intellect, ability to read, and knowledge of when an eclipse was to occur, which served him well on one occassion to convince tribes that he had prophetic powers. However, there were some prophecies which no one could have predicted and about which he was very specific, having sent out notice to all tribes of when a large meteor would streak across the sky (which it did with great effect) and that thirty days later the earth would shake with great feriosity (which it did, over a length of 1000 miles, right through the Missouri to the Niagra area, causing cataclismic damage, and in an area not known for earthquakes).
Another thing which set him apart was his abhorence, from an early age, of the torture of defenseless enemies. When he was fifteen he'd had enough and told his tribal chief that such torture was a sign of weakness, not of bravery and that he would challenge anyone who did it again. This was one of the tenants of his basic philosophy which he was able to convince most tribes of. Also, all his followers were not permitted to consume alcohol.
His story is inspirational, sad, enlightening relative to native life and its understanding of living with the earth, and an insightful perspective on a great man whose true desire was peace, just to be left to live the life he had been raised with and loved, a life of living off the land.
Highly recommended.
June 22, 2021
Enthralling and dull by turn, "A Sorrow in Our Heart" follows the pre-birth to pretty much the moment of death for the Shawnee warrior Tecumseh. The book really only runs about 678 pages, with the rest being a trove of footnotes, primary sources, bibliography and index (I leafed for a bit through the footnotes after finishing the narrative). It is an impressive work that would likely be best enjoyed by casual historians of the colonial and post-colonial Mid-Atlantic/Midwest.
Tecumseh - the chief who was never actually a chief. His life pretty much spans the time between the first American Revolution and the War of 1812, and his journeys take him all over the country.
Other reviews I've read on here from folk whom I presume to be historians by trade or by training indicate that this book is fictionalized history, and that is probably true for the bulk of it. The preface attempts to describe how Eckert was able to create many of the conversations where no records of those conversations exist, but in my opinion, many creative liberties had to have been taken, or else this would have been a book of mostly places, names, and dates.
For a book about the life of Tecumseh, the first quarter to first third of the book doesn't really feature him at all. There is a LOT of flashbacking and historical scene setting, describing how in the years prior to the American Revolution saw the trickle of white settlers turn into a stream, then into a flood. The increasingly violent encounters between the various tribes and the sometimes-organized, sometimes-not settlers as the encroachment continued, really casts a different light on the white-washed history I was taught. Yet, you get to spend lots of time with Tecumseh's father, Pucksinwah, and his his brother Chiksika, before the story gets turned over to the main subject.
I remarked at various points while reading, "White people are awful," and, "The irony is not lost on me that I'm a white dude sitting in Central Illinois in 2021 rooting for the First People to drive the settlers out of Ohio." Like watching "Titanic," but hoping the boat doesn't sink.
Of personal interest, the book somehow links the various places I've lived and travelled in my life (from Pittsburgh to the Susquehanna Valley, to Chicago, to the Sangamon Valley, then as far west as the Sioux tribes of the Dakotas, where I have family. I think I'll now be able to see an overlay in my mind when I visit these places in the future of what the landscape and populations looked like at the turn of the 19th century.
It was also fascinating to read of well-known and even revered American figures considered so vile by the indigenous people - Washington, Jefferson, William Henry Harrison. Even Daniel Boone has a significant role in the book's earlier stages - seen very much as a foe, but at the same time respected as a formidable frontiersman.
Accounts of the various battles, great victories and crushing defeats for the various tribes throughout the years were the most riveting aspect, whereas the politics of both the tribes and the relations between native and American or native and British bogged things down considerably. The endless flashbacks were also a bit tiresome. A chapter would begin with something tumultuous...then we'd flash back for a few pages of how we got to that point, and replay the tumult all over again. That device works once or twice, but it seemed very time a new segment of the story opened, that's how it would proceed.
The accounts of Tecumseh's family being virtually flawless soothsayers was also a bit far-fetched (his father, his older brother and he, himself, all "know" the day they're going to die), and the level and volume of foreshadowing early on when it came to Tecumseh's youngest-of-triplets brother pretty much gives away how all of Tecumseh's plan to unite all the tribes of the nation will eventually fail.
Still, learning who Fort Wayne is named after and the role that city played, how Cincinnati began being settled, how other forts got their start and/or what happened to those "forts you might have heard of," reading some of the British side of the War of 1812 that had nothing to do with the burning of Washington, D.C. nor Andrew Jacksons victories in the South, also plugged some gaps in my knowledge of American history.
I can't help but feel that Tecumseh is treated here a bit messianically, more folk hero than man, whose faults are both few and small. Still, without knowing more, it does seem like whoever he was, he came the closest to bringing the various tribes together in an attempt to push the white settlers ever Eastward. Further, it makes total sense that either pride or shortsightedness or complacency of the various chiefs kept full cooperation from occurring. It also makes total sense that things like The Louisiana Purchase is fully null and void because the land was never the French's to sell to the Americans.
The one thing this book absolutely does well is makes you deeply feel the frustration of the First People as their destinies were being decided for them by those who had no business doing so.
Tecumseh - the chief who was never actually a chief. His life pretty much spans the time between the first American Revolution and the War of 1812, and his journeys take him all over the country.
Other reviews I've read on here from folk whom I presume to be historians by trade or by training indicate that this book is fictionalized history, and that is probably true for the bulk of it. The preface attempts to describe how Eckert was able to create many of the conversations where no records of those conversations exist, but in my opinion, many creative liberties had to have been taken, or else this would have been a book of mostly places, names, and dates.
For a book about the life of Tecumseh, the first quarter to first third of the book doesn't really feature him at all. There is a LOT of flashbacking and historical scene setting, describing how in the years prior to the American Revolution saw the trickle of white settlers turn into a stream, then into a flood. The increasingly violent encounters between the various tribes and the sometimes-organized, sometimes-not settlers as the encroachment continued, really casts a different light on the white-washed history I was taught. Yet, you get to spend lots of time with Tecumseh's father, Pucksinwah, and his his brother Chiksika, before the story gets turned over to the main subject.
I remarked at various points while reading, "White people are awful," and, "The irony is not lost on me that I'm a white dude sitting in Central Illinois in 2021 rooting for the First People to drive the settlers out of Ohio." Like watching "Titanic," but hoping the boat doesn't sink.
Of personal interest, the book somehow links the various places I've lived and travelled in my life (from Pittsburgh to the Susquehanna Valley, to Chicago, to the Sangamon Valley, then as far west as the Sioux tribes of the Dakotas, where I have family. I think I'll now be able to see an overlay in my mind when I visit these places in the future of what the landscape and populations looked like at the turn of the 19th century.
It was also fascinating to read of well-known and even revered American figures considered so vile by the indigenous people - Washington, Jefferson, William Henry Harrison. Even Daniel Boone has a significant role in the book's earlier stages - seen very much as a foe, but at the same time respected as a formidable frontiersman.
Accounts of the various battles, great victories and crushing defeats for the various tribes throughout the years were the most riveting aspect, whereas the politics of both the tribes and the relations between native and American or native and British bogged things down considerably. The endless flashbacks were also a bit tiresome. A chapter would begin with something tumultuous...then we'd flash back for a few pages of how we got to that point, and replay the tumult all over again. That device works once or twice, but it seemed very time a new segment of the story opened, that's how it would proceed.
The accounts of Tecumseh's family being virtually flawless soothsayers was also a bit far-fetched (his father, his older brother and he, himself, all "know" the day they're going to die), and the level and volume of foreshadowing early on when it came to Tecumseh's youngest-of-triplets brother pretty much gives away how all of Tecumseh's plan to unite all the tribes of the nation will eventually fail.
Still, learning who Fort Wayne is named after and the role that city played, how Cincinnati began being settled, how other forts got their start and/or what happened to those "forts you might have heard of," reading some of the British side of the War of 1812 that had nothing to do with the burning of Washington, D.C. nor Andrew Jacksons victories in the South, also plugged some gaps in my knowledge of American history.
I can't help but feel that Tecumseh is treated here a bit messianically, more folk hero than man, whose faults are both few and small. Still, without knowing more, it does seem like whoever he was, he came the closest to bringing the various tribes together in an attempt to push the white settlers ever Eastward. Further, it makes total sense that either pride or shortsightedness or complacency of the various chiefs kept full cooperation from occurring. It also makes total sense that things like The Louisiana Purchase is fully null and void because the land was never the French's to sell to the Americans.
The one thing this book absolutely does well is makes you deeply feel the frustration of the First People as their destinies were being decided for them by those who had no business doing so.
October 20, 2025
This book is well-researched and well-written. I appreciate that the author tried to be fair in telling both sides while also giving the Native Americans a narrative. The reader gets a sense of what the Native Americans were going through and their feelings about having their lands stolen and their annihilation. It's heart-wrenching to read but it is important that we don't forget.
May 16, 2009
Read the amplification notes if nothing else. Imagine that colonization and its effects were all preserved on a transparent layer that could be lifted to reveal a reality that was everpresent underneath and lost for good. That's the experience I had while reading this. My perception of the Ohio valley and Great Lakes region will never be the same.
February 12, 2013
This is one of those books that have been following me around for years. I've always been wanting to read it but, for various reasons, waited until a month ago to finally start. First off, despite the artists note, I find historical books that include dialogue to be somewhat suspect, especially those that start in the late 18th century. The author tries to explain his use of dialogue and how some historical records virtually scream to be turned into dialogue. I disagree. Ascribing conversations or, even worse, thoughts to various people seems dishonest. Unless Techumseh wrote an autobiography and said, "I felt this..." or "I felt that..." it is all conjecture on the part of Ekert. With this out of the way, I really enjoyed this book. It's long and my copy is a trade paperback so it was somewhat clunky to carry around but, unlike some other long biographies I've read, this one kept my interest and moved at a good pace. Sometimes I was concerned about the big jumps in years and wished more was written about some of the years, I know this could have easily doubled the length of the book. I didn't know anything about Techmseh before this and, while the author seems to be an admirer, it wasn't overbearing. Too bad the stories of the Native Americans always seem to have the same outcome - screwed by the North Americans and killed.
February 26, 2013
This book has been part of my home library for twenty years, and I have now read four of the five books by Allan W. Eckert on my history shelves.
Eckert writes this biography of Tecumseh in his historical narrative form so that it almost reads as if it were a 678-page novel. Or it would, if 678-page novels also included 97 pages of Amplification Notes, 11 pages of Principal Sources, 6 pages of Source Codes, 29 pages of Bibliography, and 18 pages of Index. This gives you an idea of the documented research Eckert did for this narrative.
A drawback for this casual reader of history is my stumbling over the names of Tecumseh's Indian contemporaries.
I recommend this book for mature readers of history for a great deal of graphic violence occurred during the life of this Shawnee warrior and leader of Indians from many tribes.
Eckert writes this biography of Tecumseh in his historical narrative form so that it almost reads as if it were a 678-page novel. Or it would, if 678-page novels also included 97 pages of Amplification Notes, 11 pages of Principal Sources, 6 pages of Source Codes, 29 pages of Bibliography, and 18 pages of Index. This gives you an idea of the documented research Eckert did for this narrative.
A drawback for this casual reader of history is my stumbling over the names of Tecumseh's Indian contemporaries.
I recommend this book for mature readers of history for a great deal of graphic violence occurred during the life of this Shawnee warrior and leader of Indians from many tribes.
January 10, 2014
When I was a kid I read a Scholastic Books reader called THE DEFENDERS, that told the stories of Osceola, Tecumseh, and Cochise. Somehow that book told more of Tecumseh's story in thirty pages than this book does in about 2000 pages.
The thing is, I was willing to hear about how great Tecumseh was. How he was a visionary who dreamed of uniting all the Indian tribes into one nation. How he wanted warriors to give up alcohol and torturing prisoners and raping women. And this book tells those facts. But everything gets drowned in an endless, practically day by day recreation of every single thing Tecumseh ever did or said.
You could carve 100 great Tecumseh biographies out of the vast pile of rubble that is A SORROW IN OUR HEART.
The thing is, I was willing to hear about how great Tecumseh was. How he was a visionary who dreamed of uniting all the Indian tribes into one nation. How he wanted warriors to give up alcohol and torturing prisoners and raping women. And this book tells those facts. But everything gets drowned in an endless, practically day by day recreation of every single thing Tecumseh ever did or said.
You could carve 100 great Tecumseh biographies out of the vast pile of rubble that is A SORROW IN OUR HEART.
July 27, 2015
Brilliant strategist, inspiring speaker, insightful thinker - the Shawnee warrior Tucumseh was probably one of the most influential leaders of any race ever to walk on North American soil.
The mythology around Tecumseh and his astonishing unification of disparate groups of indigenous people for a common cause is legendary. The author, Allan Eckert, has essentially created a textbook as he puts forth his best attempt to weed out the fiction and relate the facts, in painstaking detail, of the life, struggles and death of the powerful leader. The good news is that the book's narrative style, all from the Native American point of view, provides flow and makes it feel more like a novel than a history lesson.
Tecumseh's life spanned a violent period in the development of the North American eastern frontier, from just before the American War of Independence through to the early battles of the War of 1812. Eckert is brutally descriptive of the savagery of both the Native Americans and the whites during this time, neither glorifying nor demonizing either side.
An excellent book for any lover of history, biographies, war stories, or Native American themes.
The mythology around Tecumseh and his astonishing unification of disparate groups of indigenous people for a common cause is legendary. The author, Allan Eckert, has essentially created a textbook as he puts forth his best attempt to weed out the fiction and relate the facts, in painstaking detail, of the life, struggles and death of the powerful leader. The good news is that the book's narrative style, all from the Native American point of view, provides flow and makes it feel more like a novel than a history lesson.
Tecumseh's life spanned a violent period in the development of the North American eastern frontier, from just before the American War of Independence through to the early battles of the War of 1812. Eckert is brutally descriptive of the savagery of both the Native Americans and the whites during this time, neither glorifying nor demonizing either side.
An excellent book for any lover of history, biographies, war stories, or Native American themes.
October 23, 2014
Great, great book. Eckert uses historical facts to weave Tecumseh's life into an extremely accessible narrative. Really informative, and exciting. It took me about 2 months to read, but it never really drags. Not only do you get a good grasp of the life this American Indian icon's life, but of the atmosphere of America at this time...and how we (and the British), ya know, fucked them over big time.
Despite the fact that Eckert has gotten a bit of criticism for dramatizing history too much (especially with this book), there are still 200 pages of really helpful amplification notes. To his credit, in instances where it's been debatable as to what really happened (i.e in the events regarding Tecumseh's death), he takes all of the differing stories and synthesizes the most commonly reported versions into the narrative; the other versions are readily available at the back of the book. I look forward to reading some of his other stuff.
Despite the fact that Eckert has gotten a bit of criticism for dramatizing history too much (especially with this book), there are still 200 pages of really helpful amplification notes. To his credit, in instances where it's been debatable as to what really happened (i.e in the events regarding Tecumseh's death), he takes all of the differing stories and synthesizes the most commonly reported versions into the narrative; the other versions are readily available at the back of the book. I look forward to reading some of his other stuff.
August 14, 2018
The only reason this book doesn’t get five stars is because if the sad story it tells. The early Americans exploited the Shawnee, forced them from their lands, and senselessly killed. By all accounts, Tecumseh was a one of a kind leader. Allan Eckert again paints a marvelous picture of Ohio and the Northwest during the frontier days (this would have made seventh grade Ohio history so much better). Although I knew how the book would end, it would’ve been nice to learn a little bit more about what happened immediately following Tecumseh’s death. The 200 pages of footnotes were also very helpful and interesting.
November 22, 2015
This was interesting, and much like the author's book from the same general era, The Frontiersmen. At more than 1,060 pages, however (including over 250 pages of footnotes and amplification notes), it was far too long. I also tired of the author's technique of beginning each chapter with an event or reflection and then going backward to see how we arrived at that point. Nonetheless, it was interesting to revisit the histories of the people and places whose mark on our region is still evident today.
August 21, 2010
Eckert does historical novels well. Taken from deeds and diaries, letters and leases (okay, lame alliteration there) - all that is written about happened. But he novelizes the history. His whole series of frontier and empire novels are exhaustively cited. Long reads, but well worth the time for a student of history. The best two, if you only want to read two of them are this one and "The Frontiersman."
January 25, 2022
Good although it's fiction. I appreciate the Shawnee and Northeastern tribes of Native Americans. Vivid storytelling, long and grueling battles, and plotting tales of the build-up of Tecumsheh, Shawnee leader. Graphic imagery portrayed as well in gruesome storytelling of killings and torturing. I like Eckert. This is not my first read of his work.
March 27, 2022
Seeing the outdoor drama first (an Ohio tradition played in an outdoor theater near Chillicothe, Ohio) and then reading this book was probably the ideal order to learn about this amazing person Tecumseh.
Another life changing book for me. I've read it twice and just thinking about it here makes me want to pick it up again. Highly recommend !
Another life changing book for me. I've read it twice and just thinking about it here makes me want to pick it up again. Highly recommend !
July 7, 2021
Eckert would benefit from an editor. I listened to the unabridged version and wish I had listened to the abridged one. To say the book was a "thorough" historical biography of Tecumseh is grossly understated. It was full of details, many of them probably made up, but inferred from historical records.
Life on the frontier was pretty brutal. For those who think the Indians were a pushover who had no chance against the whites and are helpless victims of oppression, they have a romantic notion of idyllic nature-loving tree-hugging Care Bears only wanting to live in harmony with the great spirit, this book should disabuse them of the notion. It has multiple overly graphic descriptions of the tortures the Indians inflicted on those encroaching on their territory as well as the tactics whites used to overcome them.
The book covers the period prior to the American Revolution through the War of 1812. It ends abruptly with Tecumseh's death. I think the narrative would have benefited from an editor that pared back details and ramped up the narrative in places. Or maybe if the details had been eliminated, the ramping up would have been unnecessary.
I consider this an important work of early American history and would recommend it to anyone wanting a non-romantic view of things. It's easy to root for the underdog, but there were so many lost opportunities for the Indians to throw the whites back into the sea that were squandered. While I feel bad for oppression of any sort (and am still angry about Gnaddenhutten), the tribalism of the Native Americans is what sealed their doom. Despite the fact that the Americans and English were engaged in open warfare over most of the time the events in the book took place, they were still able to triumph over the natives. The Indians may have been able to defeat the armies on the field of battle, but they couldn't defeat the farmers.
I have a lot of commentary that I'd like to get out, but it is beyond the scope of a book review. This book is required reading for any historian studying this period because it tells the story quite well from the Indian perspective. I'm sure there is a lot missing because we don't have the records, but it is much better than what I hear from SJWs online.
Life on the frontier was pretty brutal. For those who think the Indians were a pushover who had no chance against the whites and are helpless victims of oppression, they have a romantic notion of idyllic nature-loving tree-hugging Care Bears only wanting to live in harmony with the great spirit, this book should disabuse them of the notion. It has multiple overly graphic descriptions of the tortures the Indians inflicted on those encroaching on their territory as well as the tactics whites used to overcome them.
The book covers the period prior to the American Revolution through the War of 1812. It ends abruptly with Tecumseh's death. I think the narrative would have benefited from an editor that pared back details and ramped up the narrative in places. Or maybe if the details had been eliminated, the ramping up would have been unnecessary.
I consider this an important work of early American history and would recommend it to anyone wanting a non-romantic view of things. It's easy to root for the underdog, but there were so many lost opportunities for the Indians to throw the whites back into the sea that were squandered. While I feel bad for oppression of any sort (and am still angry about Gnaddenhutten), the tribalism of the Native Americans is what sealed their doom. Despite the fact that the Americans and English were engaged in open warfare over most of the time the events in the book took place, they were still able to triumph over the natives. The Indians may have been able to defeat the armies on the field of battle, but they couldn't defeat the farmers.
I have a lot of commentary that I'd like to get out, but it is beyond the scope of a book review. This book is required reading for any historian studying this period because it tells the story quite well from the Indian perspective. I'm sure there is a lot missing because we don't have the records, but it is much better than what I hear from SJWs online.
February 27, 2024
I think the "caveats" here about this being a work of fiction--instead of history--are a bit innocent. What do people think history is. What is history but a story that results from the widest possible reading of primary and secondary sources? And where-seriously folks--where has anyone seen a longer and more complete list of primary and secondary sources than here in Eckert's tome (the length of which is somehow mocked without an acknowledgment of what that means). Granted--granted--the form in which Eckert has written his story is contemporary and far more accessible than ANY of his sources, written in the language of the 18th and 19th centuries--sue him! The point he makes is that he has excellent reason to write what he does--a warrant for even the tone of speakers he makes up. What blew me away is that Lyman Draper's MASSIVE collection of papers at University of Wisconsin--400 volumes of 100-350 pages each, notes and correspondence from the original players in Tecumseh's time along with their progeny--is just ONE listed source, of hundreds. Funny thing is, the more SERIOUS Tecumseh biographies use the Galloways as an important source--and the story of Tecumseh nearly marrying Rebecca Galloway is actually narrated, repeated. There's hardly any corroboration for it outside the Galloway record, but Sudgen, Edmunds--lots of them mention it. Eckert--the dude supposedly making things up--actually traces Tecumseh's learning of English and "table manners" to much more likely and triangulated sources--Stephen Ruddell and the McKenzie sisters, who were all captured and adopted by the tribe while Tecumseh was in his early teens. And he doesn't sugarcoat the relation between the sisters and the tribe, even--they dreamt of going home one day, and they did. No romance. Anyway, it's a good test, and Eckert seems to pass it--the probability test--better than the "serious historians" who eschew novelization. It's just style, folks. Dig the details. Have the patience to trace them to Eckert's hundreds of sources.
July 20, 2024
second Allan Eckert book I've read:
I remember the controversy over whether these books were historical fiction or non-fiction, with Eckert vehemently arguing that they were non-fiction. His extensive footnotes filled with original documentary evidence (letters, military accounts) prove how firmly his stories are rooted in truth, but he definitely includes wonderful -and I think, fictional- interpretations of moods and feelings.
I live in Ohio, and I'm fascinated with local history. After reading this book, I traveled down Highway 68 to 42-following the Little Miami River south. I also visited the new Great Council State Park, which could've used more of the information Eckert has researched. For example, a wonderful sculpture of a panther didn't fully explain its significance to Tecumseh -although it's so new, they may add more info. The valley was gorgeous, and several signs pointed to Indian paths and the site of the old Shawnee council house.
Eckert's book is long, and I can't imagine anything he left out! I could've done without the details of brutality, but the book supports all of the bits of information I was aware of about America's deceptions and dishonest interactions with the Native American Indians. The disparate identities of tribes was also something I knew about, but never appreciated until reading this book.
Tecumseh was amazing, but he showed a couple instances of not taking action when he should've followed his gut instincts: his trust in Tenskwatawa, his brother, was so misplaced. He knew he couldn't trust Tenskwata, but Tecumseh always gave him the benefit of the doubt. Also, when Tecumseh knew a particular military plan of British Gen. Porter wouldn't work, he deferred to Porter, merely telling Porter he'd regret what he was doing. Those are not character flaws, but maybe leaders such as Tecumseh should [never?] question themselves or show leniency(?). Although part of Tecumseh's greatness as a human is his introspection and thoughtful analysis of people and situations.
I remember the controversy over whether these books were historical fiction or non-fiction, with Eckert vehemently arguing that they were non-fiction. His extensive footnotes filled with original documentary evidence (letters, military accounts) prove how firmly his stories are rooted in truth, but he definitely includes wonderful -and I think, fictional- interpretations of moods and feelings.
I live in Ohio, and I'm fascinated with local history. After reading this book, I traveled down Highway 68 to 42-following the Little Miami River south. I also visited the new Great Council State Park, which could've used more of the information Eckert has researched. For example, a wonderful sculpture of a panther didn't fully explain its significance to Tecumseh -although it's so new, they may add more info. The valley was gorgeous, and several signs pointed to Indian paths and the site of the old Shawnee council house.
Eckert's book is long, and I can't imagine anything he left out! I could've done without the details of brutality, but the book supports all of the bits of information I was aware of about America's deceptions and dishonest interactions with the Native American Indians. The disparate identities of tribes was also something I knew about, but never appreciated until reading this book.
Tecumseh was amazing, but he showed a couple instances of not taking action when he should've followed his gut instincts: his trust in Tenskwatawa, his brother, was so misplaced. He knew he couldn't trust Tenskwata, but Tecumseh always gave him the benefit of the doubt. Also, when Tecumseh knew a particular military plan of British Gen. Porter wouldn't work, he deferred to Porter, merely telling Porter he'd regret what he was doing. Those are not character flaws, but maybe leaders such as Tecumseh should [never?] question themselves or show leniency(?). Although part of Tecumseh's greatness as a human is his introspection and thoughtful analysis of people and situations.
May 12, 2021
Overall good but sad because despite constant effort Tecumseh and the Indians were betrayed by the American settlers and then the British, even though they had some victories it seemed inevitable that they would lose. This is pretty much a biography of Tecumseh, a Shawnee Indian who tried and at one point successfully united different Indian tribes to fight the Americans who were gradually expanding into the Ohio Valley; the setting for this book is a little before the American Revolution and ended during the war of 1812.
My favorite part of this book is the history even though it's "historical fiction". When I think of the American Revolution I don't think about how Indian tribes and American settlers were fighting at the same time, but this book describes how this was happening and then describes the time in between that and the war of 1812; there was constant warfare.
It also describes the different relationships between American settlers and Indians and then relationships between different Indian tribes. Many American settlers were abducted and taken into Indian tribes and chose to live as Indians, many Indians lived/got married to French traders living in the Ohio Valley.
It's not a criticism but the violence in this book is pretty rough. Many people getting butchered alive, descriptions of torture, etc made it really rough to read this sometimes. It was also very wordy and it's 800 pages, so don't plan on getting through it too quickly....it pretty much took me 3 months to read this.
My favorite part of this book is the history even though it's "historical fiction". When I think of the American Revolution I don't think about how Indian tribes and American settlers were fighting at the same time, but this book describes how this was happening and then describes the time in between that and the war of 1812; there was constant warfare.
It also describes the different relationships between American settlers and Indians and then relationships between different Indian tribes. Many American settlers were abducted and taken into Indian tribes and chose to live as Indians, many Indians lived/got married to French traders living in the Ohio Valley.
It's not a criticism but the violence in this book is pretty rough. Many people getting butchered alive, descriptions of torture, etc made it really rough to read this sometimes. It was also very wordy and it's 800 pages, so don't plan on getting through it too quickly....it pretty much took me 3 months to read this.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 18, 2024
This book is a huge undertaking, but quite possibly one of the most fascinating stories I’ve ever read.
I would have to say that this is one of my favorite books of all time. With that said, I grew up in the area where this all takes place, so knowing all the rivers towns ,forts and battle sites really helped to put it into historical context for me.
Tecumseh was an amazing individual who unfortunately ran up against a race of people that were destined to take their land and annihilate them for earth.
History is always told by the victor, but those victors left behind a trail. In this book, you will find that many of the American heroes were people that were hell-bent on killing babies, children, women and stealing the native lands.
If you’re looking for a different view of what America looked like on the frontier in the late 1700s and early 1800s I encourage you to pick this up and read it. You won’t be disappointed.
I would have to say that this is one of my favorite books of all time. With that said, I grew up in the area where this all takes place, so knowing all the rivers towns ,forts and battle sites really helped to put it into historical context for me.
Tecumseh was an amazing individual who unfortunately ran up against a race of people that were destined to take their land and annihilate them for earth.
History is always told by the victor, but those victors left behind a trail. In this book, you will find that many of the American heroes were people that were hell-bent on killing babies, children, women and stealing the native lands.
If you’re looking for a different view of what America looked like on the frontier in the late 1700s and early 1800s I encourage you to pick this up and read it. You won’t be disappointed.
November 17, 2024
First of all, as others have said, this is not a biography. I’ve never personally witnessed it being sold as a biography, but maybe others have. The amount of research Eckert put into this effort deserves all the adulation it has traditionally received. He’s not simply plucking dialogue out of the air. It’s based on truly knowing his subjects as well as can be expected. This book is historical fiction, but there is so much more than that. There are many instances of fascinating conversations that, while there is obviously no way to know what was said in such conversations, tell us so much about the man, the people he knew, and the context of life in that era. I strongly recommend this book to absolutely anybody. A lot to learn. Don’t worry about the cautions of this not being a “true” biography. This book is entirely worth your effort and time.
June 5, 2020
At 30+ hours it’s a titanic audiobook, yet the story grips you from the start and never lets up. Such a powerful story of bravery, determination, and tragedy. Tecumseh is probably the historical figure I admire the most, and this story really did him justice. That being said, what keeps this from being five stars is the fact that it’s historical fiction marketed as a biography. I’ve already preordered the new Tecumseh biography slated for release later this year because I want to know for certain that events in his life happened in specific ways. Eckert makes assumptions to connect the dots between well known events. This makes for great fiction, but not strictly fact based storytelling.
January 24, 2025
An incredibly dense and comprehensive biography of the Native American leader who attempted to unite the tribes in defense of American encroachment on their lands. I enjoyed how the book was written in a narrative style, almost like a novel, rather than the standard format most historical books are written in. We all know that Native Americans got a raw deal (to put it lightly), but I have yet to read an America history book that so thoroughly covers just how screwed over they really were. I can't help but think about what might've been had Tecumseh succeeded in rallying the tribes into a formidable enough force that it halted US advancement cold.
May 31, 2023
This book is really long with a ton of historical notes. It is definitely a work of fiction, but that makes it all the more readable given its length, and it doesn't take away from the meticulous research. My main takeaway is that Tecumseh tried and tried, he totally emptied the tank for the unification of native peoples in the post Revolution Northwest, and for a better way of life for him and his followers.
June 8, 2021
We all know how fucked over the Native Americans were by the white settlers, but it still hurts my heart to see how hard they fought for what was truly theirs and how badly they were hurt and betrayed at every corner.
June 27, 2021
I read most of Allan Eckert's books and I enjoy historical fiction but this book was a laborious read. Highly detailed and excelllent researched. I had read other books about Tecumseh so I knew the history. I found this book tedious.
May 12, 2025
Outside of the historical fiction dialogue which leaves me feeling uneasy - this is a fantastic read! I didn’t know their older sister ran off with a white dude - they leave that portion out during the Sugarloaf production!
June 28, 2017
I've read this and liked it. I actually would like to read it again.
December 3, 2017
Amazing account on the life of Tecumseh. Probably one of my favorite reads of all time.
October 19, 2018
Closer to 2.5
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