Tecumseh!: A Play

by Allan W. Eckert

Playscript in two acts of the life of the famous Shawnee warrior, Tecumseh, depicting his nearly successful efforts to draw all the tribes into a union to oppose and oust encroaching whites, and his betrayal by this brother, which thwarted the plan; and finally his death in the Battle of the Thames during the War of 1812.

Genres: History, Comics, Native American, Drama, Plays

192 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1974

About the author

Allan 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.

Reviews

[Theo Logos · Rating 3 out of 5]

My previous experience with Timothy Truman, reading his outstanding historical graphic novel Wilderness: The True Story of Simon Girty, Renegade, was exceptional. So I approached this, a similar history adapted to graphic novel form, with high expectations. Unfortunately, I was let down.

Truman did his work well. The illustrations are bold, attractive, and dramatically colored. The story flows, and is well told. The problem with this book is the source material from Allan W. Eckert.

Eckert always skates right on the line between history and dramatic fictionalization, and with his Tecumseh! I believe he crossed well over that line. He simplified history into a story of heroes and villains. Tecumseh is the hero, so his failure must be explained by the villainous weakness of his brother, Tenskwatawa. All agency is stripped from Tenskwatawa in this telling. Tecumseh appoints him Prophet and gives him his prophecies. He is nothing but Tecumseh’s puppet at his best, and thoughtlessly destroys Tecumseh’s work at his worst. Also within the hero/villain trope here is Simon Kenton — the “good white man” in the story, another example of complex history being dumbed down into children’s stories.

Tecumseh! isn’t terrible. As a graphic novel it’s well done. It’s just bad history, and should only be read as the historical fiction that it essentially is. For a nuanced, historical, and adult telling of Tecumseh and his brother Tenskwatawa, read Peter Cozzens’s excellent history Tecumseh and the Prophet: The Shawnee Brothers Who Defied A Nation.

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an adaptation of Allan W. Eckert's book and play of the same name. Tim Truman of Scout, Grimjack, and other kick ass works, does the art and the writing. The paper and coloring were way ahead of what Marvel and DC were doing at the time. It's a gorgeous book.

[Little Timmy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic graphic novel telling of the life of the great Indian leader Tecumseh. Timothy Truman in the perfect artist for this book. Incredible art and a great historical story makes this an awesome book. Highly recommended

[Cathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I first saw then read the play

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

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