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Tecumseh
Amerika, 1768. Het is de nacht van 9 maart. In het hart van het grondgebied der Shawnees kijken de mensen ademloos omhoog. Secondenlang wordt de hemel verlicht door een grote, geelgroene, vallende ster die een mysterieuze gloed uitstraalt. De oudere generaties van de Shawnees kennen deze ster: dit is het Oog van de Panter, een machtig voorteken dat maar heel af en toeverschijnt om een belangrijke gebeurtenis aan te kondigen. Ter wijl het licht van de ster vervaagt, haalt ergens in een Shawnee hut een baby voor het eerst adem. Hij is geboren op het moment dat de ster langs schoot. Zijn naam is Tecumseh: het Oog van de Panter. Hij zal het grootste opperhoofd worden dat de Shawnees ooit hebben gehad.
Tecumseh laat ons kennismaken met vele moedige Shawnee-mannen en -vrouwen die uit alle macht proberen de machtige tradities van hun volk in stand te houden en door te geven. Via hun belevenissen vertelt dit boek het schokkende, tragische, maar ook adembenemend ontroerende verhaal van een volk dat ten dode is opgeschreven, en van een man met een bijzondere lotsbestemming. Tecumseh's leven, zijn liefdes, zijn familieleden, vrienden en vijandschappen worden in deze roman beeldend tot leven geroepen. Nooit eerder werd zo aangrijpend verslag gedaan van het ontstaan van een legende, en van een van de meest dramatische perioden in de Amerikaanse geschiedenis.
Tecumseh laat ons kennismaken met vele moedige Shawnee-mannen en -vrouwen die uit alle macht proberen de machtige tradities van hun volk in stand te houden en door te geven. Via hun belevenissen vertelt dit boek het schokkende, tragische, maar ook adembenemend ontroerende verhaal van een volk dat ten dode is opgeschreven, en van een man met een bijzondere lotsbestemming. Tecumseh's leven, zijn liefdes, zijn familieleden, vrienden en vijandschappen worden in deze roman beeldend tot leven geroepen. Nooit eerder werd zo aangrijpend verslag gedaan van het ontstaan van een legende, en van een van de meest dramatische perioden in de Amerikaanse geschiedenis.
827 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1984
321 people are currently reading
3982 people want to read
About the author
James Alexander Thom
25 books407 followersJames Alexander Thom (born 1933) is an American author, most famous for his works in the Western genre. Born in Gosport, Indiana, he graduated from Butler University and served in the United States Marine Corps. He is a former professor of journalism at Indiana University, and a contributor to the The Saturday Evening Post. His fifth wife, Dark Rain Thom was a member of the Shawnee United Remnant Band until its dissolution; the Thoms presently live in the "Indiana hill country" near Bloomington.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 182 reviews
April 4, 2023
This book has me in tears and I just don't know what to say. When people ask me why I read, I'll point them to this book.
December 28, 2014
2014 Read of the Year!
Such a complete read, brilliant from start to finish taking you through the range of emotions, even me shouting at the British redcoats, so called allies of the Shawnee.
I couldnt do Panther in the Sky justice by review so i'd ask you to read a friends review below
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Its a MUST read novel, you will love it
Such a complete read, brilliant from start to finish taking you through the range of emotions, even me shouting at the British redcoats, so called allies of the Shawnee.
I couldnt do Panther in the Sky justice by review so i'd ask you to read a friends review below
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Its a MUST read novel, you will love it
September 4, 2013
Weshecat-welok’weshe laweh-pah. Translation: May we be strong by doing what is right. This Shawnee maxim is the major theme of James Alexander Thom’s Panther in the Sky, a historical novel I wholeheartedly recommend.
One reason is you will learn so much about the Algonquian/Shawnee culture as it existed in the Ohio River Valley during the late 1700s and early 1800s. Religious beliefs, ceremonies, social morays, games, agricultural practices, tools and weapons, clothing, house construction, the roles of men and women: all of this is included in Thom’s narration of the life of the remarkable Shawnee warrior chief Tecumseh.
Here is an interesting example that involves Daniel Boone, who had been taken prisoner by the Shawnee war tribe that the child Tecumseh belonged to. Adopted by the tribe’s chief, Boone had been accepted as a member of the village. “Some days Big Turtle [Boone’s Indian name] would sit in the sunshine for hours, wincing while the children took turns at the tedious task of plucking off his whisker stubble, bit by bit getting rid of his facial hair as the Shawnee men did theirs.”
If you read this book, you will understand fully why Native American/frontier Caucasian conflict occurred. Natives believed that their Creator had placed them exclusively on the North American continent where they were expected to live harmoniously with nature. Tribes did not own specific parcels of land. They were free to roam. Any tribe could migrate into any territory not occupied by a different tribe. American frontiersmen believed that Indian land existed for their taking. Their attitude about seizing Indian territory is revealed in this passage, written by Tecumseh’s arch-enemy and future U.S. President, William Henry Harrison:
“Is one of the fairest portions of the globe to remain in a state of nature, the haunt of a few wretched savages, when it seems destined, by the Creator, to give support to a huge population, and to the seat of civilization, of science, and of true religion?”
White men deemed themselves the sole owners of the property they occupied. They possessed deeds of ownership. No other person could occupy any portion of their land, however extensive and unused it might be. During and after the American Revolution Blue Coat soldiers and Kentucky militiamen drove Native Americans out of Kentucky and out of the valleys of the Magnificent River (Ohio River) tributaries. Behind them hurried settlers eager to own property, clear forests, raise families, establish towns, and create states. Most of the land they would come to own had been obtained by military conquest or by treaty, old tribal chiefs forced to relinquish Indian territory and be placed on small reservations to protect their people from being militarily destroyed. Once these treaties were signed, no tribe could occupy any of these lands. Settlers, however, were allowed to venture beyond the boundaries of these lands to settle in what still remained Indian territory. Thereafter, soldiers would intimidate Indian settlements within the ever-shrinking Indian territory, and chiefs of those settlements would also be forced to decide whether to sign a treaty ceding another portion of desired land or fight. This systematic stealing of Indian land is what Tecumseh devoted his entire adult life to eliminate.
A third reason I would recommend that you read this book is to have you appreciate Tecumseh as a human being. A fierce warrior in battle, he was indefatigable in his efforts to protect his people. Yet he was compassionate. He abhorred senseless killing. He strived always to prevent the torturing and slaying of the combatants he took prisoner. He attempted to unite every tribe west of the Appalachian Mountains and east of the Mississippi River to halt, if not reverse, the white man’s inexorable encroachment. You will despise Tecumseh’s enemies -- particularly Harrison -- their racism, their arrogance, their sense of entitlement, their ignorance, and their cruelty. You will appreciate those few white men who did value Tecumseh’s ideals and friendship. You will respect Tecumseh’s family members (with one exception) and his loyal subordinates.
A fourth reason is Thom’s narration of certain, important historical battles, which are an essential part of our understanding of the Native American displacement.
A final reason to read this book is that the author provides you with what all fiction readers desire: depth of character, purposeful dialogue, intense conflict, emotionally evocative personal relationships, and effectively utilized sensory detail. Panther in the Sky is high on my list of historical novel recommendations.
One reason is you will learn so much about the Algonquian/Shawnee culture as it existed in the Ohio River Valley during the late 1700s and early 1800s. Religious beliefs, ceremonies, social morays, games, agricultural practices, tools and weapons, clothing, house construction, the roles of men and women: all of this is included in Thom’s narration of the life of the remarkable Shawnee warrior chief Tecumseh.
Here is an interesting example that involves Daniel Boone, who had been taken prisoner by the Shawnee war tribe that the child Tecumseh belonged to. Adopted by the tribe’s chief, Boone had been accepted as a member of the village. “Some days Big Turtle [Boone’s Indian name] would sit in the sunshine for hours, wincing while the children took turns at the tedious task of plucking off his whisker stubble, bit by bit getting rid of his facial hair as the Shawnee men did theirs.”
If you read this book, you will understand fully why Native American/frontier Caucasian conflict occurred. Natives believed that their Creator had placed them exclusively on the North American continent where they were expected to live harmoniously with nature. Tribes did not own specific parcels of land. They were free to roam. Any tribe could migrate into any territory not occupied by a different tribe. American frontiersmen believed that Indian land existed for their taking. Their attitude about seizing Indian territory is revealed in this passage, written by Tecumseh’s arch-enemy and future U.S. President, William Henry Harrison:
“Is one of the fairest portions of the globe to remain in a state of nature, the haunt of a few wretched savages, when it seems destined, by the Creator, to give support to a huge population, and to the seat of civilization, of science, and of true religion?”
White men deemed themselves the sole owners of the property they occupied. They possessed deeds of ownership. No other person could occupy any portion of their land, however extensive and unused it might be. During and after the American Revolution Blue Coat soldiers and Kentucky militiamen drove Native Americans out of Kentucky and out of the valleys of the Magnificent River (Ohio River) tributaries. Behind them hurried settlers eager to own property, clear forests, raise families, establish towns, and create states. Most of the land they would come to own had been obtained by military conquest or by treaty, old tribal chiefs forced to relinquish Indian territory and be placed on small reservations to protect their people from being militarily destroyed. Once these treaties were signed, no tribe could occupy any of these lands. Settlers, however, were allowed to venture beyond the boundaries of these lands to settle in what still remained Indian territory. Thereafter, soldiers would intimidate Indian settlements within the ever-shrinking Indian territory, and chiefs of those settlements would also be forced to decide whether to sign a treaty ceding another portion of desired land or fight. This systematic stealing of Indian land is what Tecumseh devoted his entire adult life to eliminate.
A third reason I would recommend that you read this book is to have you appreciate Tecumseh as a human being. A fierce warrior in battle, he was indefatigable in his efforts to protect his people. Yet he was compassionate. He abhorred senseless killing. He strived always to prevent the torturing and slaying of the combatants he took prisoner. He attempted to unite every tribe west of the Appalachian Mountains and east of the Mississippi River to halt, if not reverse, the white man’s inexorable encroachment. You will despise Tecumseh’s enemies -- particularly Harrison -- their racism, their arrogance, their sense of entitlement, their ignorance, and their cruelty. You will appreciate those few white men who did value Tecumseh’s ideals and friendship. You will respect Tecumseh’s family members (with one exception) and his loyal subordinates.
A fourth reason is Thom’s narration of certain, important historical battles, which are an essential part of our understanding of the Native American displacement.
A final reason to read this book is that the author provides you with what all fiction readers desire: depth of character, purposeful dialogue, intense conflict, emotionally evocative personal relationships, and effectively utilized sensory detail. Panther in the Sky is high on my list of historical novel recommendations.
August 29, 2008
Chief Tecumseh is my new hero. What an amazing individual. Many of the details of his life are in dispute and largely apocryphal, but there is no question that he was a brave visionary, extremely intelligent and able to inspire loyalty and devotion from all who knew him (white men included).
This book covers the entire life of Tecumseh, from the night of his birth in 1768 to his death in 1813. The author has that rare combination of patience for meticulous historical research coupled with stellar storytelling ability. I learned a great deal about history from this book. As a westerner, I'm less familiar with the history of the native people further east. Tecumseh was so proud and relentless in his efforts to unite many Indian tribes to fight for their lands and halt white encroachment. He truly traveled to the "Four Winds" for many months, trying to gain support and warriors. Unfortunately the chiefs of other tribes were not far-seeing like him, and did not join his alliance.
I also learned a lot about Shawnee culture and traditions. The author has a Shawnee wife, so I'm inclined to believe he has his details correct in this regard.
This book is full of many famous historical characters such as Daniel Boone and Oliver Hazard Perry. I'm really glad that jackass William Henry Harrison got what he deserved, a little belatedly!
This book covers the entire life of Tecumseh, from the night of his birth in 1768 to his death in 1813. The author has that rare combination of patience for meticulous historical research coupled with stellar storytelling ability. I learned a great deal about history from this book. As a westerner, I'm less familiar with the history of the native people further east. Tecumseh was so proud and relentless in his efforts to unite many Indian tribes to fight for their lands and halt white encroachment. He truly traveled to the "Four Winds" for many months, trying to gain support and warriors. Unfortunately the chiefs of other tribes were not far-seeing like him, and did not join his alliance.
I also learned a lot about Shawnee culture and traditions. The author has a Shawnee wife, so I'm inclined to believe he has his details correct in this regard.
This book is full of many famous historical characters such as Daniel Boone and Oliver Hazard Perry. I'm really glad that jackass William Henry Harrison got what he deserved, a little belatedly!
September 12, 2016
This was the first JAT book that I have read and I certainly plan to read more. I seriously considered giving this four stars but hesitated. The writing is excellent, the pacing is methodical and appropriate given the vast number of events that took place during the era, the characters are complete and well drawn; however, there was something about the novel that seemed unreal. Do not get me wrong, JAT has a well-deserved reputation as a fine scholarly writer of historical fiction. He certainly understands the time period. It was easy to understand the myriad of characters and the backdrop of the near continuous violence that stretched from the Cumberland to the shores of Lake Erie. There was just something about the blend of realism and Native American mysticism that was far-fetched. It was hard to follow which "Dreams" were truly foreshadowing and which were false. Why did The Prophet have a true revelation regarding his movement while his other visions proved so disastrously wrong? It was tough to understand. In addition, Shawnee traditional culture, prior to white contact, was drawn as a virtual paradise. Conflict among the tribes was described as petty and driven by unimportant jealousy. That is not true. Intertribal conflict was violent and deep-seated as the tribes fought for lands and resources. It was different from the intrusions of the whites only in a matter of scale. Tecumseh, while having many noble qualities was portrayed as a man without fault. Too noble for bitter struggle he needed to wage, and perhaps less virtuous than he really was.
In the end, this book's virtues far outweigh its problems. The history of Tecumseh, the onslaught of the young American nation on the continent's hinterland and the Shawnee Confederation during the War of 1812 is a rich history for a historical novel. The next book I pan to read by JAT will be Longknife!
In the end, this book's virtues far outweigh its problems. The history of Tecumseh, the onslaught of the young American nation on the continent's hinterland and the Shawnee Confederation during the War of 1812 is a rich history for a historical novel. The next book I pan to read by JAT will be Longknife!
July 23, 2011
Just about all the reviews for this book I've seen on various sites are raves, but I can't say I liked this book much. My reaction to it was similar to my response to two other works of historical fiction I read over the last past months. One was Elizabeth Chadwick's The Greatest Knight about William Marshall, a figure from medieval English history, and the other was The Many Lives & Secret Sorrows of Josephine B. by Sandra Gulland about Josephine Bonaparte, the wife of Napoleon. In short, both are readable despite dull or cheesy writing because of the inherent fascination of their real life protagonists come through almost despite their authors.
I feel the same here. The name Tecumseh sounded vaguely familiar, but I never knew or had forgotten anything about him. As this novelized biography of him relates, he was a visionary chief of the Shawnee who attempted to unite various far-flung Native American tribes to halt the white incursion and invasion of their lands, allying himself with the British in the War of 1812. Thom states in his afterward that his purpose was "to make my reader walk in the Shawnee's moccasins, to help him appreciate what they once had and comprehend the devastation they were suffering."
I am impressed with the evident historical research he put on the page. The novel is dense with such detail, and Thom's wife is herself a Shawnee--his obvious respect and admiration for his subject shines through. But his Shawnee are too idyllic, Tecumseh too heroic, the legendary and supernatural aspects taken too seriously for me to buy, the prose too often overblown and stilted and the pace too often dragging.
There's enough here to intrigue, to make clear Tecumseh was a great leader and what happened to his people a terrible tragedy--but it's the kind of historical novel that makes me wish I had read a book of straight nonfiction history on the subject instead of, rather than in addition to, reading this. Great subject--in my opinion not great execution.
I feel the same here. The name Tecumseh sounded vaguely familiar, but I never knew or had forgotten anything about him. As this novelized biography of him relates, he was a visionary chief of the Shawnee who attempted to unite various far-flung Native American tribes to halt the white incursion and invasion of their lands, allying himself with the British in the War of 1812. Thom states in his afterward that his purpose was "to make my reader walk in the Shawnee's moccasins, to help him appreciate what they once had and comprehend the devastation they were suffering."
I am impressed with the evident historical research he put on the page. The novel is dense with such detail, and Thom's wife is herself a Shawnee--his obvious respect and admiration for his subject shines through. But his Shawnee are too idyllic, Tecumseh too heroic, the legendary and supernatural aspects taken too seriously for me to buy, the prose too often overblown and stilted and the pace too often dragging.
There's enough here to intrigue, to make clear Tecumseh was a great leader and what happened to his people a terrible tragedy--but it's the kind of historical novel that makes me wish I had read a book of straight nonfiction history on the subject instead of, rather than in addition to, reading this. Great subject--in my opinion not great execution.
July 20, 2016
this is another great read, filled with action and war, Mr. Thom has gone to great pains to be as historically accurate as possible with a work of historical fiction. This reads like your watching it on the big screen. I always enjoy a book that tells the story from the american Indian point of view. The author has your heart breaking at most of the atrocities that the United States and the European White Men committed against the first Americans, the American Indian. This quote from the authors notes, sums it up perfectly: {My research showed me that the attitude of the red man toward his homeland was never obvious to Anglo-Americans, even when explained by Tecumseh and many other eloquent chiefs. It still isn't, as I learned one evening by a campfire. Two talkers, a compassionate, liberal-minded white man and a Shawnee veteran of Vietnam, had been conversing earnestly for hours about matters close to their hearts. Now my fellow white man shook his head and blurted something. I had almost known he would say: "But my God! how can you go and fight a war for a country that's treated your people the way it has?" The Shawnee smiled and wagged his head slowly. He put his finger against the man's knee, chuckled, and said, "You palefaces still can't understand that this is our country, can you." } [The Panther in the Sky = Authors note pg #655.
This book embodies the spirit of the warrior Chief Tecumseh. *********Due to doctors orders will have to finish at a later date***********
This book embodies the spirit of the warrior Chief Tecumseh. *********Due to doctors orders will have to finish at a later date***********
November 24, 2020
This is a long story, but by the time I reached the end, I was mourning a man who died more than two centuries ago, and reasoned that maybe a meaningful life deserves more than 670 pages.
My elementary and high school education barely touched on Native American history at all, and even then, it was delivered from a Western civilization’s standpoint.
Thom does extensive research and brings a refreshing point of view to an important piece of Native American history. That he writes this as historical fiction only adds to it, breathing life back into those who deserve to be remembered.
The events took place primarily in what is now the state of Ohio. I’ll think about my home differently now.
My elementary and high school education barely touched on Native American history at all, and even then, it was delivered from a Western civilization’s standpoint.
Thom does extensive research and brings a refreshing point of view to an important piece of Native American history. That he writes this as historical fiction only adds to it, breathing life back into those who deserve to be remembered.
The events took place primarily in what is now the state of Ohio. I’ll think about my home differently now.
April 16, 2022
Incredible. Heartbreaking. Gorgeous. I learned so much.
November 23, 2014
This is a long book written in the late eighties and to my mind - a perfect mixture of historical fact and fiction. The author - James Alexander Thom is obviously passionately fascinated by Shawnee culture and has meticulously researched the way they lived their customs, beliefs and the mysticism inherent throughout his book. I found the detailed description of how they lived and who they were as people fascinating. Although we all know how Native Americans were treated and the tragic destruction that followed the emergence of the "white man" into their lands, in this book there is an undercurrent of optimism which almost persuades the reader they might just win the battle for their lands and lives. The story is not an easy read and needs a lot of concentration as there is so much packed into it. For me - I found the characters, the way they thought and acted, in short, their way of life; the most appealing of all in this book. It is very dense and detailed with the main characters deeply and wonderfully drawn. Tecumseh is the main character but I was also very drawn to the members of his immediate family, especially his mother. We hear a lot about the terrible cruelty of all Native American Indians but they were also human beings who were appallingly treated They were proud people living simple lives which was taken away from them. If you are interested in the history of Native Americans this book is well worth a read.
October 31, 2024
This book took me far longer to read than it should have, partly because of circumstances in my life, and partly because I was unable to read too much at a time as the subject matter was difficult and depressing. The protagonist, Chief Tecumseh, lived at a time when the white men were pushing the indigenous people in the US further and further west, and war and starvation were constants in the lives of his people, the Shawnee. I knew that nothing good was going to happen to the characters. I have always been curious about this legendary chief who tried to unite the many tribes to stand up to the white men together. The author does a great job of telling Tecumseh's life story from beginning to end, to the best of his ability given the lack of information about him. I have read several books by James Alexander Thom, and this might be the most serious and dense yet. Now it's time for some lighter reading material.
April 29, 2021
Heartbreaking. If ever you wanted a tragic hero this is it. I live a few miles from old prophetstown and I’ve always wondered about it. I feel I understand it much better now, even though he didn’t aim to get all the facts strictly historical. It’s strange to be rooting against the Americans ... but man, we did great injustice in our conquest of this land.
July 26, 2025
Wauw.
Ik kom niet uit mijn woorden, gewoonweg wauw. Zwart gat incoming..
Ik kom niet uit mijn woorden, gewoonweg wauw. Zwart gat incoming..
May 20, 2025
The writing is not bad, but it was a bear to read and I tired of it before the end. Too much detail, obviously by the reviews, many reviewers like that. The story of Tecumseh is a great story of courage under insurmountable odds and you definitely learn about the Indians story in the Midwest. I had truly looked forward to reading this book and almost feel that I should have liked it.
September 22, 2019
This is a monolithic, strong-hearted, magnificent ...and terribly disheartening and sad book.
The writing is excellent, and the story so well told and compelling that it becomes transparent, and I found myself living Tecumseh's life through Thom's eyes. As I happened to be reading the second half while traveling through the wild magnificence of western British Columbia and the northwestern United States, where Nature still overwhelms people, the reverence for the natural world and the rightful human place in that Nature (as a steward, not a user/abuser/profiteer) felt restorative and natural.
All along, however, I knew that the story wasn't going to end well: the hero I had come to love and admire (spoiler alert:) was going to die. (You already knew that.) The sad, disheartening part of the book is the United States' legacy of cruelty. We whities didn't come out of this book looking good. We are still a cruel, boorish, hypocritical lot, and we stole our country from peoples who really knew how to respect it. The book made it so clear that the only thing we know how to do is kill and extract in order to profit, and we're the best people at that who've ever existed.
But I was wrong about the way the book ended: it did end well. My hero knew ahead of time that he was going to do, and he died nobly. Death, yes, of course; that comes to us all. But as ably told by Thom, it was after all 655 pages a good death, and a great, great read.
The writing is excellent, and the story so well told and compelling that it becomes transparent, and I found myself living Tecumseh's life through Thom's eyes. As I happened to be reading the second half while traveling through the wild magnificence of western British Columbia and the northwestern United States, where Nature still overwhelms people, the reverence for the natural world and the rightful human place in that Nature (as a steward, not a user/abuser/profiteer) felt restorative and natural.
All along, however, I knew that the story wasn't going to end well: the hero I had come to love and admire (spoiler alert:) was going to die. (You already knew that.) The sad, disheartening part of the book is the United States' legacy of cruelty. We whities didn't come out of this book looking good. We are still a cruel, boorish, hypocritical lot, and we stole our country from peoples who really knew how to respect it. The book made it so clear that the only thing we know how to do is kill and extract in order to profit, and we're the best people at that who've ever existed.
But I was wrong about the way the book ended: it did end well. My hero knew ahead of time that he was going to do, and he died nobly. Death, yes, of course; that comes to us all. But as ably told by Thom, it was after all 655 pages a good death, and a great, great read.
January 4, 2020
While Tecumseh is a familiar name to Americans, I don't think I am alone in knowing virtually nothing about him or his life prior to reading this fictionalized but well-researched account of his life. Leading with his birth in 1768 and detailing his life as a highly respected Shawnee warrior and leader, the narrative concludes with his eventual death during the War of 1812. It is a heartbreaking story, and will make any reader yearn to go back and change history. My library copy packed 684 pages into a book only about an inch thick, and I didn't find the writing style especially engrossing, so I often felt that I was making very little progress. While I'm glad I read it, and it has absolutely made me wish to read more about the life of this celebrated man, I'm not sure I'll pick up another book by this author.
August 3, 2024
Goed verhaal en leuk dat het geschreven is vanuit het perspectief van de Shawnees. Het is alleen wel errrrrg lang: +/- 825 pagina's.
Na ongeveer pagina 400 begon ik hier en daar een paragraaf of zelfs een hele pagina over te slaan en dat bleek niet af te doen aan het verhaal. Het boek had 300 pagina's ingekort moeten zijn. Dan had ik het 4 sterren gegeven.
Na ongeveer pagina 400 begon ik hier en daar een paragraaf of zelfs een hele pagina over te slaan en dat bleek niet af te doen aan het verhaal. Het boek had 300 pagina's ingekort moeten zijn. Dan had ik het 4 sterren gegeven.
July 15, 2017
This writer is so good!
May 28, 2019
An excellent, epic historical novel.
October 19, 2019
**This review is also available on Amazon and at edwardrickford.com**
In honor of Indigenous People’s Day, I feel I should write about James Alexander Thom’s Panther in the Sky. As far as I can remember, this was one of the first books I ever read that was told primarily from the perspective of indigenous characters and remains, to this day, one of the best books I have ever read. Prior to read this book, I knew next to nothing about Tecumseh. His name was vaguely familiar to me, my father had tons of books about Tecumseh all about the house, but I don’t remember learning much about him in my history classes. I suspect I am not alone in this regard and that’s a shame because Tecumseh is a fascinating historical figure and James Alexander Thom does a great job bringing him to life in Panther in the Sky.
It is worth noting that Tecumseh was an enemy of the United States government. It would be wrong, however, to equate him with the likes of Emperor Hirohito or Kaiser Wilhelm. Whereas Emperor Hirohito was an enemy of the US for launching a sneak attack on Pearl Harbor and Kaiser Wilhelm was an enemy of the US for brutalizing our allies, Tecumseh was an enemy of the United States government because he sought to protect his homeland from US incursion. America is an exceptional country in many regards but we are not an exceptional country in how we gained territory—like pretty much every other country in the world, we invaded neighboring nations, killed the military leaders who opposed us, and then defended the land from anyone who tried to take it from. Might is right has been the governing philosophy of nations for millenia, it really only stopped being the international norm this past century, and such thinking played a key role in the westward expansion of the United States during the 19th century.
The Shawnee nation, like many of the other indigenous nations, could not compete with the United States military. Tecumseh understood this well, as did many of his contemporaries. Nonetheless, Tecumseh was not the surrendering type and came up with a rather simple solution to this vexing problem: he would make the Shawnee nation more powerful by allying with other indigenous nations. But whereas others might have been content to ally with one or two other nations, Tecumseh had something much bigger in mind and sought to create a confederacy that would draw in every indigenous nation that stood to lose territory to the United States. It is hard to overstate just how revolutionary an idea this was. Many of the nations that Tecumseh sought to draw into his confederacy had been at war for generations, centuries in some cases. While the concept of pan-Indianism is fairly entrenched in the modern political ethos, it had few proponents in the early 1800s and Tecumseh was very much for unique for putting credence in a pan-indigenous identity.
In some respects, he might have been better off had been less unique in his thinking. Prominent spokespersons found his thinking alien and rejected his overtures of friendship--the best example of this may be when Tecumseh travels south to recruit allies and basically gets told to get lost by a very eloquent tribal leader. Nonetheless, Tecumseh was still able to cobble together a fairly strong military coalition by 1811 and ended up attracting some unwanted attention from the US military. He did not, however, believe in rushing into war and insisted upon waiting for the opportune time to strike, much to the chagrin of some bellicose followers. The insistence upon waiting, however, ended up being a smart gamble. War broke out between the British and the US in 1812 and Tecumseh capitalized on the chaos by attacking key military strongholds, often times with the support of the British. In doing so, he wrested control of Fort Detroit from American forces, despite being outnumbered by the defending force, and embarrassed the US military so thoroughly that General Hull, former commander of Fort Detroit and veteran of the Revolutionary War, was forced to go before a court martial to explain his humiliating defeat.
Unfortunately for Tecumseh, Hull’s successor ended up being much more competent. William Henry Harrison may not command much name recognition today—try to name an American general in the War of 1812 other than Andrew Jackson—but he was an undeniably talented general. Those talents availed him greatly in his battles against Tecumseh and he eventually triumphed over him in the Battle of the Thames. As readers of the afterward know, Harrison’s military triumphs eventually paved the way for his Presidential run and for a few precious hours, he held the most powerful position in all of American history. Why such a short period of time? Well, as Thom notes, Harrison was never the type to use one sentence when two would do and ended up contracting pneumonia during his marathon inauguration speech.
Considering the rich history that made up Tecumseh’s life, it’s a wonder more historical novels have not been written about him. Alas, the failure of other writers to mine this rich vein is James Alexander Thom’s benefit as Panther in the Sky will probably be the authoritative novel on his life for many years to come. Thom’s novel is rather exhaustive, it follows Tecumseh’s life from his birth to his death, but it was never a slog to read as Thom does such a great job of fleshing out the characters. Tecumseh’s friendship with Brock, Tecumseh’s various shenanigans as a child, Tecumseh’s conflict with his brother are still vivid in my memory, despite not having picked up the book in almost half a decade. I think it is important to note, however, that Tecumseh is not the only narrator in the story. Many sections are told from the perspective of other characters, though the vast majority are told from Tecumseh’s perspective, but I can’t think of any POV I found boring. Considering how long the book is and how many different characters are included in the book, this is quite the accomplishment. This is not the first James Alexander Thom book I have read, my first was Follow the River, but Panther in the Sky is a great introduction to do his work and fits in well with the larger body of his work. Those who have already read novels like The Long Knives will find some of the events or mentions familiar, but there is no reason this should be a deterrent to reading Panther in the Sky. If anything, it’s more of a reason to read the book as fans will get the chance to experience events through a different perspective. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in Amerindian history, American history, or biographical novels.
In honor of Indigenous People’s Day, I feel I should write about James Alexander Thom’s Panther in the Sky. As far as I can remember, this was one of the first books I ever read that was told primarily from the perspective of indigenous characters and remains, to this day, one of the best books I have ever read. Prior to read this book, I knew next to nothing about Tecumseh. His name was vaguely familiar to me, my father had tons of books about Tecumseh all about the house, but I don’t remember learning much about him in my history classes. I suspect I am not alone in this regard and that’s a shame because Tecumseh is a fascinating historical figure and James Alexander Thom does a great job bringing him to life in Panther in the Sky.
It is worth noting that Tecumseh was an enemy of the United States government. It would be wrong, however, to equate him with the likes of Emperor Hirohito or Kaiser Wilhelm. Whereas Emperor Hirohito was an enemy of the US for launching a sneak attack on Pearl Harbor and Kaiser Wilhelm was an enemy of the US for brutalizing our allies, Tecumseh was an enemy of the United States government because he sought to protect his homeland from US incursion. America is an exceptional country in many regards but we are not an exceptional country in how we gained territory—like pretty much every other country in the world, we invaded neighboring nations, killed the military leaders who opposed us, and then defended the land from anyone who tried to take it from. Might is right has been the governing philosophy of nations for millenia, it really only stopped being the international norm this past century, and such thinking played a key role in the westward expansion of the United States during the 19th century.
The Shawnee nation, like many of the other indigenous nations, could not compete with the United States military. Tecumseh understood this well, as did many of his contemporaries. Nonetheless, Tecumseh was not the surrendering type and came up with a rather simple solution to this vexing problem: he would make the Shawnee nation more powerful by allying with other indigenous nations. But whereas others might have been content to ally with one or two other nations, Tecumseh had something much bigger in mind and sought to create a confederacy that would draw in every indigenous nation that stood to lose territory to the United States. It is hard to overstate just how revolutionary an idea this was. Many of the nations that Tecumseh sought to draw into his confederacy had been at war for generations, centuries in some cases. While the concept of pan-Indianism is fairly entrenched in the modern political ethos, it had few proponents in the early 1800s and Tecumseh was very much for unique for putting credence in a pan-indigenous identity.
In some respects, he might have been better off had been less unique in his thinking. Prominent spokespersons found his thinking alien and rejected his overtures of friendship--the best example of this may be when Tecumseh travels south to recruit allies and basically gets told to get lost by a very eloquent tribal leader. Nonetheless, Tecumseh was still able to cobble together a fairly strong military coalition by 1811 and ended up attracting some unwanted attention from the US military. He did not, however, believe in rushing into war and insisted upon waiting for the opportune time to strike, much to the chagrin of some bellicose followers. The insistence upon waiting, however, ended up being a smart gamble. War broke out between the British and the US in 1812 and Tecumseh capitalized on the chaos by attacking key military strongholds, often times with the support of the British. In doing so, he wrested control of Fort Detroit from American forces, despite being outnumbered by the defending force, and embarrassed the US military so thoroughly that General Hull, former commander of Fort Detroit and veteran of the Revolutionary War, was forced to go before a court martial to explain his humiliating defeat.
Unfortunately for Tecumseh, Hull’s successor ended up being much more competent. William Henry Harrison may not command much name recognition today—try to name an American general in the War of 1812 other than Andrew Jackson—but he was an undeniably talented general. Those talents availed him greatly in his battles against Tecumseh and he eventually triumphed over him in the Battle of the Thames. As readers of the afterward know, Harrison’s military triumphs eventually paved the way for his Presidential run and for a few precious hours, he held the most powerful position in all of American history. Why such a short period of time? Well, as Thom notes, Harrison was never the type to use one sentence when two would do and ended up contracting pneumonia during his marathon inauguration speech.
Considering the rich history that made up Tecumseh’s life, it’s a wonder more historical novels have not been written about him. Alas, the failure of other writers to mine this rich vein is James Alexander Thom’s benefit as Panther in the Sky will probably be the authoritative novel on his life for many years to come. Thom’s novel is rather exhaustive, it follows Tecumseh’s life from his birth to his death, but it was never a slog to read as Thom does such a great job of fleshing out the characters. Tecumseh’s friendship with Brock, Tecumseh’s various shenanigans as a child, Tecumseh’s conflict with his brother are still vivid in my memory, despite not having picked up the book in almost half a decade. I think it is important to note, however, that Tecumseh is not the only narrator in the story. Many sections are told from the perspective of other characters, though the vast majority are told from Tecumseh’s perspective, but I can’t think of any POV I found boring. Considering how long the book is and how many different characters are included in the book, this is quite the accomplishment. This is not the first James Alexander Thom book I have read, my first was Follow the River, but Panther in the Sky is a great introduction to do his work and fits in well with the larger body of his work. Those who have already read novels like The Long Knives will find some of the events or mentions familiar, but there is no reason this should be a deterrent to reading Panther in the Sky. If anything, it’s more of a reason to read the book as fans will get the chance to experience events through a different perspective. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in Amerindian history, American history, or biographical novels.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 29, 2016
This is a very detailed story of the life of Tecumseh. It is a well told and gripping introduction to this part of the history of the European invasion of North America. It is, of course, tragic and I couldn't help crying through the last couple of chapters. Tecumseh and his people were the direct victims of greed, violence, and lack of even basic concern for human beings who are "different" (i.e. not white people of European descent). "Genocide" is not too strong a term to use.
Thom obviously researched the history very carefully and the story is told from a viewpoint sympathetic to the native Americans, with great appreciation for their cultures (especially Tecumseh's Shawnee society).
I look forward to learning more about Tecumseh, the war of 1812, and how this influenced the creation and history of Canada. I already have the book, "Tecumseh and Brock" by James Laxer, and that's where I will go next, and then to find the best biography of Tecumseh that I can.
Thom obviously researched the history very carefully and the story is told from a viewpoint sympathetic to the native Americans, with great appreciation for their cultures (especially Tecumseh's Shawnee society).
I look forward to learning more about Tecumseh, the war of 1812, and how this influenced the creation and history of Canada. I already have the book, "Tecumseh and Brock" by James Laxer, and that's where I will go next, and then to find the best biography of Tecumseh that I can.
Read
April 18, 2012Thom does historical fiction like no one I know of in today's world. He understands this time period (later 1700's to early 1800's) very, very well. His novel brings that world alive and his characters are very real. He uses real historical people in his novels and creates scenarios that MAY have happened based on the true historical account of the events that person(s) encountered at that time in history. I've never read a bad novel by Thom. You are safe with his books. I've read several and more on my shelf to read when I'm done with the one I'm on now. He portrays and unbiased look at the problems between the whites and the Indians during the days of expension. Some books, such as this title, are written from the Indian point of view. Other titles are written from the white point of view. But, no one does it any better. Highly recommend this book and this author.
September 15, 2015
I asked my local librarian for a recommendation a few years ago. I was looking for a historical fiction set in the early American West, including native Americans. He did not steer me wrong. I loved this story so well, and have been reading anything I can get ahold of about Tecumseh ever since. Though he is surely romanticized a bit here, I love the story surrounding this wise and strong philosophic man.
June 7, 2011
This is one of my favorite books of all time!! I love the fact that it presents a more realistic picture of how Native Americans were treated, bullied, lied to and feared. It also shows that Native Americans were human and had their own personal challenges, like we all do. I highly recommend this book!
December 31, 2013
If any book could be described as EPIC and truly earn the title, this is it. It covers Tecumseh's life from birth til death, in a well written and totally engaging way. A must read for anyone interested in Tecumseh or this era of American history.
November 28, 2008
Great sweeping historical novel.
January 6, 2013
Great man. Great book.
May 11, 2024
On the night Tecumseh was born his older sister and his father and some neighboring clans witnessed a green-white shooting star cross the sky, one that looked like the eye of a panther that crosses a hunter's path at night, and being the son of a Shawnee war chief it was portented to be a sign of greatness and he was thus named Tecumseh, which means "Panther in the Sky."
One of the defining characters in early American history, Tecumseh plays a central role in understanding that fragile period of time from the American Revolution through the War of 1812 and the white expansion into Indian lands of the Indiana and Ohio frontiers. It is tempting to just relate cool facts about Tecumseh here but I'll try to keep my comments to the book itself.
"Panther in the Sky" earned the 1989 Spur Award for Best Novel of the West and is a long historical fiction - a 700 page paperback that took me about a week at my current pace - and told from Tecumseh's POV as he grows up in a position of legendary authority. The Shawnee can't help but see Tecumseh as a long-promised chosen-one-type prince who actually earns his reputation in knowledge, skill, and battle, but we see he also pushes back against his tribe's demons and foresees the destruction of his people, working to align multiple groups of rivals to counter the Long Knives, the name given to American soldiers clearing the frontier of British Indian allies like the Shawnee.
Historical fiction can be tough, and Native American fiction can be doubly-tough, meaning not always fun to read, trending towards being bleak, preachy, eyerolly and textbooky. A lot of pages here are spent on ideas and narratives I've seen before, so in instances "Panther in the Sky" walks some well-tread ground. While Thom takes us through Shawnee life and events in this time period, what stands out is Tecumseh's relations with his immediate family - his mother, his father, his foster father, his older sister and brother, his younger siblings, his son. They are relatable and interesting characters.
James Thom is a gifted storyteller. This epic narrative includes recounting of events that don't read like a nonfiction textbook, from Tecumseh's birth near Piqua to the Shawnee escape from Chillicothe, from the capture-adoption-escape of Daniel Boone to fights against Gen. George Rogers Clark during the Revolution, hounding St. Clair's army before crushing it in the largest victory Indians ever won against an American Army, Tecumseh's dealings with his eventual archnemesis Gen. William Henry Harrison, the battles of Point Pleasant, Fallen Timbers, Tippacanoe, the Siege of Detroit, Fort Meigs, and finally the Battle of the Thames.
And for my friends who might be interested in local history, Indiana and Ohio, Thom is actually a Butler grad and Bloomington, Indiana guy who married into the Shawnee and you'll recognize a lot of his descriptive treatment of the area, history and locations.
Verdict: An essential read for anyone interested in Tecumseh. For the rest, I'm a bit torn between saying this was a good or very good book - Thom's easy prose works in its favor but he's also got a clearly extra-favorable opinion of Tecumseh, and it is perhaps not enough to make it a fun read for anyone not really interested in the character. It has some torture and adult content that pushes it into rated-R territory. Not for younger readers, unfortunately.
Jeff's Rating: 3 / 5 (Good)
movie rating if made into a movie: R
One of the defining characters in early American history, Tecumseh plays a central role in understanding that fragile period of time from the American Revolution through the War of 1812 and the white expansion into Indian lands of the Indiana and Ohio frontiers. It is tempting to just relate cool facts about Tecumseh here but I'll try to keep my comments to the book itself.
"Panther in the Sky" earned the 1989 Spur Award for Best Novel of the West and is a long historical fiction - a 700 page paperback that took me about a week at my current pace - and told from Tecumseh's POV as he grows up in a position of legendary authority. The Shawnee can't help but see Tecumseh as a long-promised chosen-one-type prince who actually earns his reputation in knowledge, skill, and battle, but we see he also pushes back against his tribe's demons and foresees the destruction of his people, working to align multiple groups of rivals to counter the Long Knives, the name given to American soldiers clearing the frontier of British Indian allies like the Shawnee.
Historical fiction can be tough, and Native American fiction can be doubly-tough, meaning not always fun to read, trending towards being bleak, preachy, eyerolly and textbooky. A lot of pages here are spent on ideas and narratives I've seen before, so in instances "Panther in the Sky" walks some well-tread ground. While Thom takes us through Shawnee life and events in this time period, what stands out is Tecumseh's relations with his immediate family - his mother, his father, his foster father, his older sister and brother, his younger siblings, his son. They are relatable and interesting characters.
James Thom is a gifted storyteller. This epic narrative includes recounting of events that don't read like a nonfiction textbook, from Tecumseh's birth near Piqua to the Shawnee escape from Chillicothe, from the capture-adoption-escape of Daniel Boone to fights against Gen. George Rogers Clark during the Revolution, hounding St. Clair's army before crushing it in the largest victory Indians ever won against an American Army, Tecumseh's dealings with his eventual archnemesis Gen. William Henry Harrison, the battles of Point Pleasant, Fallen Timbers, Tippacanoe, the Siege of Detroit, Fort Meigs, and finally the Battle of the Thames.
And for my friends who might be interested in local history, Indiana and Ohio, Thom is actually a Butler grad and Bloomington, Indiana guy who married into the Shawnee and you'll recognize a lot of his descriptive treatment of the area, history and locations.
Verdict: An essential read for anyone interested in Tecumseh. For the rest, I'm a bit torn between saying this was a good or very good book - Thom's easy prose works in its favor but he's also got a clearly extra-favorable opinion of Tecumseh, and it is perhaps not enough to make it a fun read for anyone not really interested in the character. It has some torture and adult content that pushes it into rated-R territory. Not for younger readers, unfortunately.
Jeff's Rating: 3 / 5 (Good)
movie rating if made into a movie: R
June 24, 2023
*Possible light spoilers, nothing too bad. If you have even a light knowledge of history from this time.
I give 5 stars if I loved it and/or it lives in my head.
This was marvelously imagined and written. While I don't think I will be flipping pages to find beloved passages in Panther in the Sky, I appreciate how wonderfully the characters were crafted and the beautiful prose and Tecumseh will now live in my memory because of this book.
There are so many things to get into in this book, but I'll avoid anything too deep so that I don't spoil it for anyone.
First, I'll throw out these words: pride, arrogance, and hypocrisy. Too many times in this, pride and arrogance got in the way. Might things not have gone to the extreme that it did if that hadn't got in the way? The Shawnee wanted their land back, and they didn't want the whites, the "Long Knives", moving in and changing the environment. Basically. A lot of them really came to hate white people and they generally found them disgusting. There was a lot of racism going back and forth. So, we go to hypocrisy. The Shawnee despised the Long Knives for some things that they did themselves. I inferred that the Shawnee wouldn't consider it hypocritical because, unlike the Long Knives, the Shawnee had the right. The book also reads that several of the main characters thought they were superior, even too good for white people. That being said, Tecumseh did develop friendships with some white people anyway. He was also against abusing prisoners. He stopped a lot of nasty stuff from happening. There was a deep goodness in him.
Now, alcohol. I found myself wondering if men were always a bit sloshed when they fought in wars. Further than that, though - wow, this book highlights the alcohol problem Native Americans se developed really well. Seems to be low to no tolerance and rarely any self-control. It's a bit baffling.
Tecumseh often reflects that his enemy thinks that they're just as much in the right as he does. And that's the thing - in this day and age, it's an ugly thing, but back then might made right. If you could take it, it was yours. Tecumseh understood that. He wanted to chase the Long Knives off back to the sea slime they came from or kill them, he wasn't picky, he just wanted them off Shawnee land. So, when the Shawnee would lose and the US set land boundaries in their treaties, the US would go on to break those treaties and take more land. I'm not going to say it's fair or right. That was the system. They took and it lit a fire of fury in the Native American heart when they did. Truly horrible things were done on both sides, there were no angels in this book. Tecumseh thinks on "the bitter worm of vengeance" he has inside him. From my viewpoint, vengeance made everything worse.
Why did it have to be this way? This is historical fiction, so we can only guess at what these real life figures of the past were motivated by. I wonder, though.
I give 5 stars if I loved it and/or it lives in my head.
This was marvelously imagined and written. While I don't think I will be flipping pages to find beloved passages in Panther in the Sky, I appreciate how wonderfully the characters were crafted and the beautiful prose and Tecumseh will now live in my memory because of this book.
There are so many things to get into in this book, but I'll avoid anything too deep so that I don't spoil it for anyone.
First, I'll throw out these words: pride, arrogance, and hypocrisy. Too many times in this, pride and arrogance got in the way. Might things not have gone to the extreme that it did if that hadn't got in the way? The Shawnee wanted their land back, and they didn't want the whites, the "Long Knives", moving in and changing the environment. Basically. A lot of them really came to hate white people and they generally found them disgusting. There was a lot of racism going back and forth. So, we go to hypocrisy. The Shawnee despised the Long Knives for some things that they did themselves. I inferred that the Shawnee wouldn't consider it hypocritical because, unlike the Long Knives, the Shawnee had the right. The book also reads that several of the main characters thought they were superior, even too good for white people. That being said, Tecumseh did develop friendships with some white people anyway. He was also against abusing prisoners. He stopped a lot of nasty stuff from happening. There was a deep goodness in him.
Now, alcohol. I found myself wondering if men were always a bit sloshed when they fought in wars. Further than that, though - wow, this book highlights the alcohol problem Native Americans se developed really well. Seems to be low to no tolerance and rarely any self-control. It's a bit baffling.
Tecumseh often reflects that his enemy thinks that they're just as much in the right as he does. And that's the thing - in this day and age, it's an ugly thing, but back then might made right. If you could take it, it was yours. Tecumseh understood that. He wanted to chase the Long Knives off back to the sea slime they came from or kill them, he wasn't picky, he just wanted them off Shawnee land. So, when the Shawnee would lose and the US set land boundaries in their treaties, the US would go on to break those treaties and take more land. I'm not going to say it's fair or right. That was the system. They took and it lit a fire of fury in the Native American heart when they did. Truly horrible things were done on both sides, there were no angels in this book. Tecumseh thinks on "the bitter worm of vengeance" he has inside him. From my viewpoint, vengeance made everything worse.
Why did it have to be this way? This is historical fiction, so we can only guess at what these real life figures of the past were motivated by. I wonder, though.
July 18, 2020
*3.5 stars
At a time during a global pandemic and protests against racial injustice in the U.S., this may have been the most opportune moment to read a sweeping novel about the Shawnee Chief Tecumseh. Born under an auspicious sign (a streak of green light through the night sky), Tecumseh was named to honor this natural occurrence, and was regarded by his parents, family, and tribe as a man who would accomplish great things on behalf of all the indigenous people who lived on the N. American continent before the white settlers came. He was a man of honor, a remarkable leader, and a source of strength for the red people throughout his life.
With “Panther in the Sky,” James Alexander Thom provides an important perspective regarding not only Tecumseh’s personal story, but also the enormous struggle for survival that the Indian tribes faced during the 1700 and 1800s. Who determines land ‘ownership’? What are the prices paid for ‘expansion’ and ‘progress’? Who suffers most when promises are broken, and traditions are lost? These are the underlying threads within this book, and Thom addresses them in a way that makes readers understand that the answers are never easy or cut-and-dried. In the end, the truest statement is that everyone — past, present, and future — is affected by how we as mankind regard these topics.
It was obvious that Thom had done extensive research on Tecumseh, his family, his people, the significant white individuals who interacted with Tecumseh, and the overall history of the time. However, he often allowed details to get the best of him, making the story probably 150 pages longer than it needed to be. Phrasing, at times, was also clunky (too many passages in passive voice, and sentences starting with ‘So’), which then slowed the read considerably. If you can embrace a skim through some of these sections and want a genuine feel for the man and the time in which he lived, then “Panther in the Sky” is a good choice for Native American historical fiction.
At a time during a global pandemic and protests against racial injustice in the U.S., this may have been the most opportune moment to read a sweeping novel about the Shawnee Chief Tecumseh. Born under an auspicious sign (a streak of green light through the night sky), Tecumseh was named to honor this natural occurrence, and was regarded by his parents, family, and tribe as a man who would accomplish great things on behalf of all the indigenous people who lived on the N. American continent before the white settlers came. He was a man of honor, a remarkable leader, and a source of strength for the red people throughout his life.
With “Panther in the Sky,” James Alexander Thom provides an important perspective regarding not only Tecumseh’s personal story, but also the enormous struggle for survival that the Indian tribes faced during the 1700 and 1800s. Who determines land ‘ownership’? What are the prices paid for ‘expansion’ and ‘progress’? Who suffers most when promises are broken, and traditions are lost? These are the underlying threads within this book, and Thom addresses them in a way that makes readers understand that the answers are never easy or cut-and-dried. In the end, the truest statement is that everyone — past, present, and future — is affected by how we as mankind regard these topics.
It was obvious that Thom had done extensive research on Tecumseh, his family, his people, the significant white individuals who interacted with Tecumseh, and the overall history of the time. However, he often allowed details to get the best of him, making the story probably 150 pages longer than it needed to be. Phrasing, at times, was also clunky (too many passages in passive voice, and sentences starting with ‘So’), which then slowed the read considerably. If you can embrace a skim through some of these sections and want a genuine feel for the man and the time in which he lived, then “Panther in the Sky” is a good choice for Native American historical fiction.
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