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The Apache Wars: The Hunt for Geronimo, the Apache Kid, and the Captive Boy Who Started the Longest War in American History
In the tradition of Empire of the Summer Moon, a stunningly vivid historical account of the manhunt for Geronimo and the 25-year Apache struggle for their homeland. They called him Mickey Free. His kidnapping started the longest war in American history, and both sides--the Apaches and the white invaders—blamed him for it. A mixed-blood warrior who moved uneasily between the worlds of the Apaches and the American soldiers, he was never trusted by either but desperately needed by both. He was the only man Geronimo ever feared. He played a pivotal role in this long war for the desert Southwest from its beginning in 1861 until its end in 1890 with his pursuit of the renegade scout, Apache Kid. In this sprawling, monumental work, Paul Hutton unfolds over two decades of the last war for the West through the eyes of the men and women who lived it. This is Mickey Free's story, but also the story of his the great Apache leaders Mangas Coloradas, Cochise, and Victorio; the soldiers Kit Carson, O. O. Howard, George Crook, and Nelson Miles; the scouts and frontiersmen Al Sieber, Tom Horn, Tom Jeffords, and Texas John Slaughter; the great White Mountain scout Alchesay and the Apache female warrior Lozen; the fierce Apache warrior Geronimo; and the Apache Kid. These lives shaped the violent history of the deserts and mountains of the Southwestern borderlands--a bleak and unforgiving world where a people would make a final, bloody stand against an American war machine bent on their destruction.
499 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 3, 2016
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November 5, 2020
This is probably one of the best histories I have read in quite some time. It is well written, well researched, thorough, and actually interesting and entertaining. A few years ago I realized that my knowledge of the history of our western expansion and of native American history was less than adequate. I set about to correct that inadequacy with the purchase and reading of a few then recently published books dealing with these subjects. When "Apache Wars" came out I immediately bought a copy in an effort to continue my study of this area of our national history. While this is an excellent book sadly the history is quite ugly. This seems to be the case with all the histories of the interactions between whites and native Americans. Even looking at the situation as objectively as possible, however, there doesn't seem to be an outcome that would ever result in a conclusion much different than what occurred. The Indians, in this case the Apache tribe, were a very primitive and violent culture that not only resisted change or evolution but were determined to adhere to their "Old Ways". Their old ways were to victimize other weaker tribal groups and anyone else that had anything they might want. In short they survived by stealing and when necessary killing the owners of the property they desired. If the killing wasn't bad enough they seemed to enjoy torturing their victims to death. They were capable of significant acts of brutality even toward small children. Their "Old Ways" were obviously not going to be tolerated once the Whites arrived in their territory. Unfortunately, the Indians lacked the understanding of how insurmountable the number and resources of their new neighbors were. Had they known the futility of their desires I doubt it would have made a difference as death in battle was preferable to death as a "slave" which is how they characterized the way whites lived.
In this book the author details the history of the conflict between the whites and the Apaches. It starts with the kidnapping of a young white boy aged about 10 or 12. The kidnapping understandably raises the local white population and the cavalry to anger and arms. Cochise, the local Apache chief is wrongly accused of involvement and his arrest is attempted. This leads to a shoot-out and the capture of some of Cochise's relatives while he escapes. A siege is then launched by the Apaches against the whites who are trapped at a stage coach station called Apache Pass. This boy is never rescued but grows to manhood in the Apache culture and he later becomes known as Mickey Free. He becomes a famous Scout and interpreter for the various Army and Indian agents that employ him throughout the last half of the 19th century. This book can easily be seen as a partial biography of Mickey Free as he is prominent throughout the book. But after you read the book you can't help but conclude that while Mickey's kidnapping did start the conflict between the whites and the Apache the kidnapping was really irrelevant. If it hadn’t been this incident it would have been something else. Conflict was inevitable. As long as the Apache lived by their "Old Ways" and came increasingly in contact with whites there was bound to be trouble and violence on a massive scale. As long as the Apache refused to evolve they were a doomed culture and frankly I am surprised that any of them survived at all. The whites of the time were not exactly a bunch of bleeding heart liberals and the nature and violent scope of the depredations inflicted on them by Apache raids were more than enough to incite these people to seek revenge on a similarly massive scale. Attempts to domesticate the tribal groups met with limited and partial success while other groups continued to raid and kill. It was only after suffering continuous losses in this war of Indian attrition that the end finally came. What I find interesting to consider is how such an ugly and violent period of our history in which there are really very few real heroes became so glamorized in our popular fiction and film. I highly recommend this book for anyone with an interest in this period of our history.
In this book the author details the history of the conflict between the whites and the Apaches. It starts with the kidnapping of a young white boy aged about 10 or 12. The kidnapping understandably raises the local white population and the cavalry to anger and arms. Cochise, the local Apache chief is wrongly accused of involvement and his arrest is attempted. This leads to a shoot-out and the capture of some of Cochise's relatives while he escapes. A siege is then launched by the Apaches against the whites who are trapped at a stage coach station called Apache Pass. This boy is never rescued but grows to manhood in the Apache culture and he later becomes known as Mickey Free. He becomes a famous Scout and interpreter for the various Army and Indian agents that employ him throughout the last half of the 19th century. This book can easily be seen as a partial biography of Mickey Free as he is prominent throughout the book. But after you read the book you can't help but conclude that while Mickey's kidnapping did start the conflict between the whites and the Apache the kidnapping was really irrelevant. If it hadn’t been this incident it would have been something else. Conflict was inevitable. As long as the Apache lived by their "Old Ways" and came increasingly in contact with whites there was bound to be trouble and violence on a massive scale. As long as the Apache refused to evolve they were a doomed culture and frankly I am surprised that any of them survived at all. The whites of the time were not exactly a bunch of bleeding heart liberals and the nature and violent scope of the depredations inflicted on them by Apache raids were more than enough to incite these people to seek revenge on a similarly massive scale. Attempts to domesticate the tribal groups met with limited and partial success while other groups continued to raid and kill. It was only after suffering continuous losses in this war of Indian attrition that the end finally came. What I find interesting to consider is how such an ugly and violent period of our history in which there are really very few real heroes became so glamorized in our popular fiction and film. I highly recommend this book for anyone with an interest in this period of our history.
March 29, 2019
After re-watching the 1993 movie “Geronimo” I had an urgent desire to read something on the Apaches. I scoured my library and found I had an unread copy of Paul Andrew Hutton’s book; “The Apache Wars”. With a sub-title of; “The Hunt for Geronimo, the Apache Kid, and the Captive Boy Who Started the Longest War in American History” I figured I couldn’t go wrong and indeed this was a marvellous and thrilling story of the Apaches in the American West.
The author tells a great story of how the kidnapping of one boy, ‘Mickey Free’ in 1861 led to a war between the various Apaches tribes and the ‘white-eyes’ settling their land, a war that didn’t end until 1886 and the removal of numerous Apache bands to Florida.
This is a story of brutality, massacres, murder, dishonesty and theft, committed on both sides with random abandon to the consequences for the many innocents caught up in this conflict. I felt that the author provided a non-biased account of the events and left it up to the reader to decide who was most in the wrong.
The author starts his book with providing some details on the area known as Apacheria, the people who lived in this area and a short history of those who settled this land. Two maps at the front of the book gives you an idea of the tribal regions within this area that covers the United States and Mexican border, and the main towns and topographical features within the region.
He takes the time to discuss some features of the Native Americans known as Apaches, for example;
"War was for revenge and revenge only. It was a warrior's duty; mercy was not viewed as a virtue. Torture had long been a common practice among the Apaches, but they practiced it on the Spanish with a vengeance. A chief of the Aravaipa Apaches once bragged of how he had buried a captive alive up to his neck and then watched the ants devour his head. Prisoners were often staked out on ant-hills with their mouth propped open to allow ravenous insects easy entry … 'Every expression of pain or agony is hailed with delight,' noted a frontier soldier, 'and the one whose inventive genius can devise the most excruciating kind of death is deemed worthy of honor.' It was not good to be taken captive by the Apaches."
To counter that horror he also provides accounts like the story of when General Oliver Howard took a delegation of Apache Indian chiefs to Washington to meet "The Great White Father":
"One of the most touching moments of the entire journey occurred in Washington when the Indians visited the College of Deaf Mutes. Miguel immediately established a rapport with the deaf boys and, with sign language, enthralled them with tales of the animals and forests far to the west where he lived. They responded with stories of their own, and for a brief moment common humanity overcame the yawning gulf of race and culture."
Another story that I found quite interesting was this account about the Indian scout Al Sieber and a prospector by the name of Ed Schieffelin who wanted to explore the country south along the San Pedro River"
"Schieffelin had prospected in California, Nevada, Idaho and Oregon and knew his business, but Sieber warned him off. 'That's Apache country,' Al told Schieffelin. 'You go out there and all you'll find will be your tombstone.' Schieffelin ignored Sieber and in the spring of 1878 discovered a rich vein of silver in the Dragoon Mountain foothills east of San Pedro. Within a decade silver valued at more than $30 million had been extracted from eleven mines near the boomtown that Schieffelin named Tombstone."
On numerous occasions the author provides details of the conflict that raged between the American military, civilians living in the area, the Indian Agency and other government agencies in how to deal with the Native Americans. He details how some Indian agents cheated their wards and drove many Indians off their reservations and onto the warpath:
"It was soon discovered that Hart had also shortchanged the Indians on rations with rigged scales for beef, brought stolen Mexican cattle from out-laws and then sold the good cattle to the miners in Globe while he added the sickly culls to the agency herd, colluded with corrupt contractors, kept ghost employees on his payroll, inflated census counts to acquire extra rations to sell on the open market, and conspired with Commissioner Hayt to change the western reservation boundary to protect their secret mining claims."
Or this by another Indian agent:
"A test of the San Carlos stock scales that were used to weigh beef issued to the Indians uncovered that they were indeed rigged, so that each week Tiffany had paid the contractor for 1,500 pounds more beef than was actually delivered. Crook also learned that it was common practice to keep the cattle from water for several days before they were brought to San Carlos and then to water them in the Gila River just before they were weighed.
'In that hot, dry climate, they came on the scales looking like miniature Zeppelins,' declared Lieutenant Britton Davis. 'The Government was paying a pretty stiff price for half a barrel of Gila River water delivered with each beef. There was not enough fat on the animals to fry a jackrabbit'."
The repercussions for these under-hand dealings by those placed to look after the welfare of the Apaches usually fell on innocent ranchers and settlers as the Apaches took revenge on any who fell into their path as they broke out of the reservations to return to their ancestral lands.
However, many Apaches bent to the ‘White Eyes’ will and took up the hatchet against their kin and enlisted as Indian Scouts with the US Army. They played a pivotal role in many of the engagements during this long campaign. For example, the White Mountain Apache chief and scout for the US Army under General Crook, Sergeant William Alchesay, who was later awarded a Medal of Honor: “for gallant conduct during campaigns and engagements with Apaches, in the Arizona Territory during the winter of 1872 to 1873, while serving as an Indian Scout.”
This was a great book, full of page turning stories and accounts of the various engagements fought between the US cavalry under Generals Crook and Nelson Miles and Apache chiefs and war leaders like Mangas Colorado, Cochise, Naiche, Nana, Geronimo, Lozen, Victorio and many others. Plus we read of the many ordinary and not so ordinary people who also made this history, Al Seiber, the Apache Kid, Britton Davis, Charles Gatewood amongst others. I really loved reading about the trials and tribulations of the Chiricahua people and other tribes that made up the Apache homelands. If you love stories of the American West or just great historical drama then I am pretty sure you will enjoy this book.
Geronimo the movie:
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0107004/...
Sergeant William Alchesay:
https://valor.militarytimes.com/hero/...
https://frontierpartisans.com/5059/se...
https://www.wmicentral.com/chief-alch...
The author tells a great story of how the kidnapping of one boy, ‘Mickey Free’ in 1861 led to a war between the various Apaches tribes and the ‘white-eyes’ settling their land, a war that didn’t end until 1886 and the removal of numerous Apache bands to Florida.
This is a story of brutality, massacres, murder, dishonesty and theft, committed on both sides with random abandon to the consequences for the many innocents caught up in this conflict. I felt that the author provided a non-biased account of the events and left it up to the reader to decide who was most in the wrong.
The author starts his book with providing some details on the area known as Apacheria, the people who lived in this area and a short history of those who settled this land. Two maps at the front of the book gives you an idea of the tribal regions within this area that covers the United States and Mexican border, and the main towns and topographical features within the region.
He takes the time to discuss some features of the Native Americans known as Apaches, for example;
"War was for revenge and revenge only. It was a warrior's duty; mercy was not viewed as a virtue. Torture had long been a common practice among the Apaches, but they practiced it on the Spanish with a vengeance. A chief of the Aravaipa Apaches once bragged of how he had buried a captive alive up to his neck and then watched the ants devour his head. Prisoners were often staked out on ant-hills with their mouth propped open to allow ravenous insects easy entry … 'Every expression of pain or agony is hailed with delight,' noted a frontier soldier, 'and the one whose inventive genius can devise the most excruciating kind of death is deemed worthy of honor.' It was not good to be taken captive by the Apaches."
To counter that horror he also provides accounts like the story of when General Oliver Howard took a delegation of Apache Indian chiefs to Washington to meet "The Great White Father":
"One of the most touching moments of the entire journey occurred in Washington when the Indians visited the College of Deaf Mutes. Miguel immediately established a rapport with the deaf boys and, with sign language, enthralled them with tales of the animals and forests far to the west where he lived. They responded with stories of their own, and for a brief moment common humanity overcame the yawning gulf of race and culture."
Another story that I found quite interesting was this account about the Indian scout Al Sieber and a prospector by the name of Ed Schieffelin who wanted to explore the country south along the San Pedro River"
"Schieffelin had prospected in California, Nevada, Idaho and Oregon and knew his business, but Sieber warned him off. 'That's Apache country,' Al told Schieffelin. 'You go out there and all you'll find will be your tombstone.' Schieffelin ignored Sieber and in the spring of 1878 discovered a rich vein of silver in the Dragoon Mountain foothills east of San Pedro. Within a decade silver valued at more than $30 million had been extracted from eleven mines near the boomtown that Schieffelin named Tombstone."
On numerous occasions the author provides details of the conflict that raged between the American military, civilians living in the area, the Indian Agency and other government agencies in how to deal with the Native Americans. He details how some Indian agents cheated their wards and drove many Indians off their reservations and onto the warpath:
"It was soon discovered that Hart had also shortchanged the Indians on rations with rigged scales for beef, brought stolen Mexican cattle from out-laws and then sold the good cattle to the miners in Globe while he added the sickly culls to the agency herd, colluded with corrupt contractors, kept ghost employees on his payroll, inflated census counts to acquire extra rations to sell on the open market, and conspired with Commissioner Hayt to change the western reservation boundary to protect their secret mining claims."
Or this by another Indian agent:
"A test of the San Carlos stock scales that were used to weigh beef issued to the Indians uncovered that they were indeed rigged, so that each week Tiffany had paid the contractor for 1,500 pounds more beef than was actually delivered. Crook also learned that it was common practice to keep the cattle from water for several days before they were brought to San Carlos and then to water them in the Gila River just before they were weighed.
'In that hot, dry climate, they came on the scales looking like miniature Zeppelins,' declared Lieutenant Britton Davis. 'The Government was paying a pretty stiff price for half a barrel of Gila River water delivered with each beef. There was not enough fat on the animals to fry a jackrabbit'."
The repercussions for these under-hand dealings by those placed to look after the welfare of the Apaches usually fell on innocent ranchers and settlers as the Apaches took revenge on any who fell into their path as they broke out of the reservations to return to their ancestral lands.
However, many Apaches bent to the ‘White Eyes’ will and took up the hatchet against their kin and enlisted as Indian Scouts with the US Army. They played a pivotal role in many of the engagements during this long campaign. For example, the White Mountain Apache chief and scout for the US Army under General Crook, Sergeant William Alchesay, who was later awarded a Medal of Honor: “for gallant conduct during campaigns and engagements with Apaches, in the Arizona Territory during the winter of 1872 to 1873, while serving as an Indian Scout.”
This was a great book, full of page turning stories and accounts of the various engagements fought between the US cavalry under Generals Crook and Nelson Miles and Apache chiefs and war leaders like Mangas Colorado, Cochise, Naiche, Nana, Geronimo, Lozen, Victorio and many others. Plus we read of the many ordinary and not so ordinary people who also made this history, Al Seiber, the Apache Kid, Britton Davis, Charles Gatewood amongst others. I really loved reading about the trials and tribulations of the Chiricahua people and other tribes that made up the Apache homelands. If you love stories of the American West or just great historical drama then I am pretty sure you will enjoy this book.
Geronimo the movie:
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0107004/...
Sergeant William Alchesay:
https://valor.militarytimes.com/hero/...
https://frontierpartisans.com/5059/se...
https://www.wmicentral.com/chief-alch...
January 1, 2019
Will review later.
April 30, 2022
“You say that because you learned from books, you can build all these big houses and talk with each other any distance, and do many wonderful things. Now, let me tell you what we think. You begin when you are little to work hard, and work until you are men in order to begin fresh work. After you get to be men, then you say, the labor of life commences; then you build the houses, and ships, and towns and everything. Then, after you have got them all, you die and leave them behind. Now, we call that slavery. You are slaves from the time you begin to talk until you die; but we are free as air. Our wants are few and easily supplied. The river, the wood and plain yield all that we require, and we will not be slaves.” - Mescalero Apache Chief Cadete’s speech to U.S. Army Captain John Cremony in 1865
The Apache Wars is one of the best history books I’ve ever read. Despite its length, I didn’t find one slow part in the whole thing. From the very first page, you’re swept up in the drama. There’s no slow, meandering descriptions of the landscape and character backgrounds. What you do get are dozens and dozens of stories, all woven into the overarching narrative of the 30 year U.S. campaign against the various Apache tribes of New Mexico, Arizona and northern Mexico.
While reading all these stories, I learned quite a bit about Apache culture and the differences between Apache tribes. What is the Apaches afterlife? What do coyotes and owls and snakes signify to Apaches? What about subsistence and domestic life? What is “bear sickness”? All these questions and more are answered, sprinkled throughout the book.
But this isn’t a story for the faint of heart. As any “war” entails, there are bucketloads of blood, treachery, lies and battles.
“The next morning Captain Graydon led a scouting party back to Galinas Springs. He was naturally anxious to get away from Major Morrison, but he also knew that Chief Manuelito would be easy to find. Graydon intercepted Manuelito’s band and made peace signs, and as the Mescaleros approached, he ordered his men to be ready to fire. Manuelito walked up to Graydon, saying he was on his way to Santa Fe to meet with Brigadier General Carleton, and asked for some tobacco. Graydon responded by sending a shotgun blast into his head at point-blank range. All the soldiers opened fire. Eleven warriors and an old woman were killed.”
The treachery of making peace signs and then attacking goes without saying. One would think this was an exceptional or crazy event that happened, but it amounts to just one paragraph…one single event in a long line of atrocities, much of them far worse, in a series of battles where innocent casualties exceeded combatant casualties… which seems to be the case in most wars.
The strength of the book is how incredibly well researched it is. There’s a good 60 or 70 pages of notes and sources, including a lot of Apache sources. It’s also well illustrated, with about 45 pictures included, which is always nice.
The cast of characters in this bloody saga are often extraordinary people. Given the amount of characters that are introduced, it may seem overwhelming at first. But by the time I got mid-way through the book, I was familiar with all the key players. One of my biggest takeaways from this book is the knowledge that Geronimo, while the most famous, was not the main leader of the Apache resistance. He was only deemed the de-facto leader after all the previous Chiefs and leaders were either dead, in jail or on a reservation under armed guard.
I really enjoyed learning about key figures in Apache and American history. The stand-outs being the wise Mangas Coloradas, the gallant Cochise, the brave Victorio, the warrior woman Lozen, the tragic life of Juh and of course the vicious warrior Geronimo. Among the white characters of note, General Crook, Tom Jeffords, Al Sieber and Mickey Free are all memorable, flawed but exceptional people, part of the violent world of Apacheria in the mid to late 19th century.
Much props to Paul Andrew Hutton for working on this powerhouse book! It’s one I’ll be coming back to in a few years time for a re-read.
The Apache Wars is one of the best history books I’ve ever read. Despite its length, I didn’t find one slow part in the whole thing. From the very first page, you’re swept up in the drama. There’s no slow, meandering descriptions of the landscape and character backgrounds. What you do get are dozens and dozens of stories, all woven into the overarching narrative of the 30 year U.S. campaign against the various Apache tribes of New Mexico, Arizona and northern Mexico.
While reading all these stories, I learned quite a bit about Apache culture and the differences between Apache tribes. What is the Apaches afterlife? What do coyotes and owls and snakes signify to Apaches? What about subsistence and domestic life? What is “bear sickness”? All these questions and more are answered, sprinkled throughout the book.
But this isn’t a story for the faint of heart. As any “war” entails, there are bucketloads of blood, treachery, lies and battles.
“The next morning Captain Graydon led a scouting party back to Galinas Springs. He was naturally anxious to get away from Major Morrison, but he also knew that Chief Manuelito would be easy to find. Graydon intercepted Manuelito’s band and made peace signs, and as the Mescaleros approached, he ordered his men to be ready to fire. Manuelito walked up to Graydon, saying he was on his way to Santa Fe to meet with Brigadier General Carleton, and asked for some tobacco. Graydon responded by sending a shotgun blast into his head at point-blank range. All the soldiers opened fire. Eleven warriors and an old woman were killed.”
The treachery of making peace signs and then attacking goes without saying. One would think this was an exceptional or crazy event that happened, but it amounts to just one paragraph…one single event in a long line of atrocities, much of them far worse, in a series of battles where innocent casualties exceeded combatant casualties… which seems to be the case in most wars.
The strength of the book is how incredibly well researched it is. There’s a good 60 or 70 pages of notes and sources, including a lot of Apache sources. It’s also well illustrated, with about 45 pictures included, which is always nice.
The cast of characters in this bloody saga are often extraordinary people. Given the amount of characters that are introduced, it may seem overwhelming at first. But by the time I got mid-way through the book, I was familiar with all the key players. One of my biggest takeaways from this book is the knowledge that Geronimo, while the most famous, was not the main leader of the Apache resistance. He was only deemed the de-facto leader after all the previous Chiefs and leaders were either dead, in jail or on a reservation under armed guard.
I really enjoyed learning about key figures in Apache and American history. The stand-outs being the wise Mangas Coloradas, the gallant Cochise, the brave Victorio, the warrior woman Lozen, the tragic life of Juh and of course the vicious warrior Geronimo. Among the white characters of note, General Crook, Tom Jeffords, Al Sieber and Mickey Free are all memorable, flawed but exceptional people, part of the violent world of Apacheria in the mid to late 19th century.
Much props to Paul Andrew Hutton for working on this powerhouse book! It’s one I’ll be coming back to in a few years time for a re-read.
April 21, 2016
Paul Hutton has produced a major work on the Apache Wars. He details the background and customs of the tribe and describes the terrain over which this book plays out. A wealth of detail conveys the story of the conflict between Mexico, the US, and the Apache nation.
The Apache were a nomadic warier culture. There substance came from raids on the people around them. The author states that at their peak the numbered only eight to ten thousand. Even with this small number they burned their mark onto a hundred years of the history of Northern Mexico and the Southwestern United States.
He starts his story with the kidnaping of an Irish-Mexican child named Felix Tellez in January of 1861. The child was raised by the Apache and came to be called Mickey Free. This kidnapping was the proximate cause of the Chiricahua Wars. This was the first of an almost continues series of conflicts between the Apache Nation and the United States and Mexico. The story of Mickey Free would weave in and out of these conflicts. As a grown man he sided against the tribe and was a scout and a bounty hunter.
This is a dense book filled with a wealth of detail. Finishing it one feels that the subject has been well covered. I recommend it highly but it is not a quick read. However, it will repay the time invested.
The Apache were a nomadic warier culture. There substance came from raids on the people around them. The author states that at their peak the numbered only eight to ten thousand. Even with this small number they burned their mark onto a hundred years of the history of Northern Mexico and the Southwestern United States.
He starts his story with the kidnaping of an Irish-Mexican child named Felix Tellez in January of 1861. The child was raised by the Apache and came to be called Mickey Free. This kidnapping was the proximate cause of the Chiricahua Wars. This was the first of an almost continues series of conflicts between the Apache Nation and the United States and Mexico. The story of Mickey Free would weave in and out of these conflicts. As a grown man he sided against the tribe and was a scout and a bounty hunter.
This is a dense book filled with a wealth of detail. Finishing it one feels that the subject has been well covered. I recommend it highly but it is not a quick read. However, it will repay the time invested.
April 21, 2016
Received through firstreads giveaway...Prior to this, what I've read about the "old west" had been limited to books about the Lincoln County War, Billy the Kid, and others in that vein. This was so much more interesting than I was expecting, I kept picking it up to read another chapter. Full of detail. In particular I appreciated how the author gave some background information on everyone, bringing them to life as real people with both good and bad qualities, instead of just saying this guy was a jerk, or this guy was so very honorable. So many books characterize their subjects in black and white terms, which makes them seem like characters, not actual people. The author also did a good job of including a wide range of people, instead of just focusing on two or three, which would have been the easier route.
April 1, 2016
I imagine that when some distanced historian in the future writes a history of the war in Afghanistan or the various Middle Eastern conflicts, it will read a lot like this. As in its subtitle this book characterizes the war between the US Army/settlers and the Apaches as the "longest war in American history," certainly those more contemporary conflicts are coming to rival it in length.
Before a bullet gets fired, it all begins in fundamental cultural conflict. Living in the harsh physical environment of the American Southwest, the Apaches were a nomadic people. They survived by accessing whatever resources they could. That often meant raiding and commandeering the resources of others. Because the purpose of the raids was survival, violence was avoided if at all possible. A perfect raid would be theft without killing. When communities battled one another, it was for the purpose of revenge; the killing of one clan's member required payback.
Needless to say, such vengeance-oriented ethic could escalate very quickly, and that's exactly what happened when white settlers appeared on the scene. Ranchers and farmers were not going to tolerate raids of their property, and the Apaches were prepared to wreak whatever violence they could on those who dared use their guns on them.
Things turned ugly very fast. There were no heroes here. The Apaches, facing the overwhelming force of the US Army, essentially played the role of terrorists, unwilling to spare hardly anyone when they were on the warpath, including children and infants. The US Army undertook essentially a policy of genocide.
But this was a guerrilla war, much like the conflicts of today. There was no front. Pursuits of Apache groups criss-crossed southern Arizona and New Mexico and northern Mexico. There were few big battles, but plenty of skirmishes. On the Army side, confusion led to frustration which led to a lot of personnel changes. Others knew how to exploit the confusion for personal gain, and corruption among some of those administering the war was rife.
All this activity with such a broad cast of characters (not to mention the fact that the Apaches were neither a homogeneous group, but had many differences among themselves--some even served as Army scouts!) makes for a busy narrative. It certainly helps to read with the book in one hand and a map in the other to trace all the movement.
Some characters stand out, with lives so interesting they could carry their own books (and indeed have--along with movies): Cochise, Tom Horn, Mickey Free, the Apache Kid, Tom Jeffords--not to mention Geronimo. But this book well-accomplishes the task of the tale of a complex time in Western American history together, connecting how all they relate.
And perhaps even giving some insight into our own time.
Before a bullet gets fired, it all begins in fundamental cultural conflict. Living in the harsh physical environment of the American Southwest, the Apaches were a nomadic people. They survived by accessing whatever resources they could. That often meant raiding and commandeering the resources of others. Because the purpose of the raids was survival, violence was avoided if at all possible. A perfect raid would be theft without killing. When communities battled one another, it was for the purpose of revenge; the killing of one clan's member required payback.
Needless to say, such vengeance-oriented ethic could escalate very quickly, and that's exactly what happened when white settlers appeared on the scene. Ranchers and farmers were not going to tolerate raids of their property, and the Apaches were prepared to wreak whatever violence they could on those who dared use their guns on them.
Things turned ugly very fast. There were no heroes here. The Apaches, facing the overwhelming force of the US Army, essentially played the role of terrorists, unwilling to spare hardly anyone when they were on the warpath, including children and infants. The US Army undertook essentially a policy of genocide.
But this was a guerrilla war, much like the conflicts of today. There was no front. Pursuits of Apache groups criss-crossed southern Arizona and New Mexico and northern Mexico. There were few big battles, but plenty of skirmishes. On the Army side, confusion led to frustration which led to a lot of personnel changes. Others knew how to exploit the confusion for personal gain, and corruption among some of those administering the war was rife.
All this activity with such a broad cast of characters (not to mention the fact that the Apaches were neither a homogeneous group, but had many differences among themselves--some even served as Army scouts!) makes for a busy narrative. It certainly helps to read with the book in one hand and a map in the other to trace all the movement.
Some characters stand out, with lives so interesting they could carry their own books (and indeed have--along with movies): Cochise, Tom Horn, Mickey Free, the Apache Kid, Tom Jeffords--not to mention Geronimo. But this book well-accomplishes the task of the tale of a complex time in Western American history together, connecting how all they relate.
And perhaps even giving some insight into our own time.
December 4, 2017
I received a copy of this book for free through Goodreads Giveaways.
A few years back I took a Native American History class that purported to be the most truthful look at aboriginal Americans possible, having moved beyond the "noble savage" trope and being surpassingly even-handed. The teacher then spent the whole semester excoriating white people and lauding native people. That really fits into the zeitgeist of the times, as cultural analysis seems to have broken down into a shallow view of white people (aka colonialist, imperialist, racist oppressors) versus non-white people (aka colonized, enslaved, persecuted victims). So it's incredibly refreshing to come across a book like The Apache Wars that legitimately deals with the people it follows with an honest, unflinching eye toward painting an accurate picture of the southwest in the late 1800s.
Nobody comes off as purely good or entirely evil, regardless of ethnic identity. Apache are shown to be ruthless raiders as often as put-upon underdogs buffeted by the winds of the United States' "manifest destiny." Representatives of the US and Mexican governments are by turns righteous, well-meaning, incompetent, uncaring, or genocidal. Individuals (as with the titular Apache Kid) are shown to be nuanced, with loyalties divided along racial, fraternal, ideological, and moral lines. When dealing with the conflicting interests of multiple disparate groups, The Apache Wars isn't afraid to cast the players in shades of grey.
It's also a book that isn't driven by action-movie pacing. There are frequent skirmishes related, but one of the main takeaways is how low the body count in military engagements tended to be, and how easily the targets of dedicated manhunts managed to escape. The titular hunt for Geronimo is noteworthy for how often he slipped through the fingers of his pursuers, variously through the incompetence of the military, the fog of war, skill, guile, and duplicity. Minor encounters where shots are fired, nobody is injured, and the hunted get away clean are related in a way that would doubtlessly be culled from a book aiming purely for an exciting narrative, but it's a necessary detail to show if you want an honest picture of the times.
Given the extreme focus on one region in a particular era and a specific set of people, the book has a lot of details and information I hadn't previously been aware of. At over 400 pages it might be a bit lengthy and overly-specific for some people's taste, but I value any book I come away from with a better picture of the world, so I found The Apache Wars immensely enjoyable.
A few years back I took a Native American History class that purported to be the most truthful look at aboriginal Americans possible, having moved beyond the "noble savage" trope and being surpassingly even-handed. The teacher then spent the whole semester excoriating white people and lauding native people. That really fits into the zeitgeist of the times, as cultural analysis seems to have broken down into a shallow view of white people (aka colonialist, imperialist, racist oppressors) versus non-white people (aka colonized, enslaved, persecuted victims). So it's incredibly refreshing to come across a book like The Apache Wars that legitimately deals with the people it follows with an honest, unflinching eye toward painting an accurate picture of the southwest in the late 1800s.
Nobody comes off as purely good or entirely evil, regardless of ethnic identity. Apache are shown to be ruthless raiders as often as put-upon underdogs buffeted by the winds of the United States' "manifest destiny." Representatives of the US and Mexican governments are by turns righteous, well-meaning, incompetent, uncaring, or genocidal. Individuals (as with the titular Apache Kid) are shown to be nuanced, with loyalties divided along racial, fraternal, ideological, and moral lines. When dealing with the conflicting interests of multiple disparate groups, The Apache Wars isn't afraid to cast the players in shades of grey.
It's also a book that isn't driven by action-movie pacing. There are frequent skirmishes related, but one of the main takeaways is how low the body count in military engagements tended to be, and how easily the targets of dedicated manhunts managed to escape. The titular hunt for Geronimo is noteworthy for how often he slipped through the fingers of his pursuers, variously through the incompetence of the military, the fog of war, skill, guile, and duplicity. Minor encounters where shots are fired, nobody is injured, and the hunted get away clean are related in a way that would doubtlessly be culled from a book aiming purely for an exciting narrative, but it's a necessary detail to show if you want an honest picture of the times.
Given the extreme focus on one region in a particular era and a specific set of people, the book has a lot of details and information I hadn't previously been aware of. At over 400 pages it might be a bit lengthy and overly-specific for some people's taste, but I value any book I come away from with a better picture of the world, so I found The Apache Wars immensely enjoyable.
December 29, 2016
Geronimo gets the best line in this book:
"You are the false White-Eye who came to the Chiricahua Reservation a year ago and broke the peace treaty made by the Great Chief and Taglito and the one-arm general. Do not talk to me about breaking treaties -- you and your sick brain!"
However, it seems that a fair number of fellow Apaches felt that Geronimo, too, suffered from a "sick brain," which in turn caused them much suffering. I'm not suggesting that Hutton implies a moral equivalency between U.S. Army and Geronimo, for the blame for escalating violence clearly rests with the whites, but, nonetheless, in demonstrating this shared tragic malady, Hutton reveals just how complex the war became.
Hutton is a fine writer, but he describes every raid, ambush, battle, no matter how small or large, in the kind of exacting detail one would expect in a lecture on tactics at the War College. I like military history, but this kind of thorough accounting of every movement got wearisome quickly, to the point that I started skimming some of these sections about half way through the book.
But overall Hutton is a good storyteller with a very good eye for vivid description, some of which, though rather grim, is quite evocative. He often ends chapters with such descriptions, which made up for the monotonous detail, enough so that I started anticipating the next example. Here's a highlight:
"At the Apache Pass, the bodies of the six warriors hung precariously from the four oak trees for days, then weeks, and then months. The Apaches, in fear of the spirits of the dead, avoided the place. They would not touch the bodies. The wolves and coyotes took turns in a leaping dance beneath the bodies in hopes of pulling them down -- but they had been hanged too high. The ravens plucked out their eyes, and the owls and vultures fed upon the flesh. As spring turned to summer the unrelenting sun scorched the ropes why they hung until, finally, the snapped and the bodies turned to the ground. Then the ants marched forth to consume what was left. The rains of August swept away the bleached bones, and all that was left of the six Apaches vanished back into the desert sands over which they had once so freely roamed."
Granted, Hutton appears to be indulging some poetic license here, but this is no mere inventory of sensationalist detail for shock effect. There is a rhythm and movement in the prose that reflects the inexorable destruction and vanishing not just of a six warriors but of an entire people. It was passages like this one that kept me reading. 3 1/2 stars.
"You are the false White-Eye who came to the Chiricahua Reservation a year ago and broke the peace treaty made by the Great Chief and Taglito and the one-arm general. Do not talk to me about breaking treaties -- you and your sick brain!"
However, it seems that a fair number of fellow Apaches felt that Geronimo, too, suffered from a "sick brain," which in turn caused them much suffering. I'm not suggesting that Hutton implies a moral equivalency between U.S. Army and Geronimo, for the blame for escalating violence clearly rests with the whites, but, nonetheless, in demonstrating this shared tragic malady, Hutton reveals just how complex the war became.
Hutton is a fine writer, but he describes every raid, ambush, battle, no matter how small or large, in the kind of exacting detail one would expect in a lecture on tactics at the War College. I like military history, but this kind of thorough accounting of every movement got wearisome quickly, to the point that I started skimming some of these sections about half way through the book.
But overall Hutton is a good storyteller with a very good eye for vivid description, some of which, though rather grim, is quite evocative. He often ends chapters with such descriptions, which made up for the monotonous detail, enough so that I started anticipating the next example. Here's a highlight:
"At the Apache Pass, the bodies of the six warriors hung precariously from the four oak trees for days, then weeks, and then months. The Apaches, in fear of the spirits of the dead, avoided the place. They would not touch the bodies. The wolves and coyotes took turns in a leaping dance beneath the bodies in hopes of pulling them down -- but they had been hanged too high. The ravens plucked out their eyes, and the owls and vultures fed upon the flesh. As spring turned to summer the unrelenting sun scorched the ropes why they hung until, finally, the snapped and the bodies turned to the ground. Then the ants marched forth to consume what was left. The rains of August swept away the bleached bones, and all that was left of the six Apaches vanished back into the desert sands over which they had once so freely roamed."
Granted, Hutton appears to be indulging some poetic license here, but this is no mere inventory of sensationalist detail for shock effect. There is a rhythm and movement in the prose that reflects the inexorable destruction and vanishing not just of a six warriors but of an entire people. It was passages like this one that kept me reading. 3 1/2 stars.
July 3, 2016
The Apache Wars by Paul Andrew Hutton was my Blogging for Books choice. It was a subject I knew almost nothing about.
At nearly 500 pages this book offers a complete and detailed history of the relationship between the Native Americans of Apacheria and Americans whose expansion encroached into their traditional homelands. This is not a book for the fainthearted, and I rued not making a list to keep track of the ever changing major players. The publisher description calls it a "sprawling, monumental work" about the "two decades of the last war for the West through the eyes of the men and women who lived it." Because the book is encyclopedic it can be overwhelming.
I moved by the stories and quite disgusted (once again) by the horrible choices American government has made concerning those we fear--or those just plain in the way of 'progress,' which mostly means making money. It was very interesting to learn details of the Apache culture.
When I was a kid in the 50s watching the TV and movie westerns there were several cliches, one being 'white man speak with forked tongue.' Well, that is about it in a nutshell. Treaties and promises were broken with impunity, and the Apache who sought peace were treated badly and barely trusted. And there were leaders who tired of war and just wanted peace with the White Eyes. Not giving them a fair deal lost their trust Even when President Grant endeavored to change how the Apache were treated by sending Dutch Reformed agents did not improve how the Apache fared.
Hutton's knowledge is incredible and his treatment of this war fair and unbiased.
At nearly 500 pages this book offers a complete and detailed history of the relationship between the Native Americans of Apacheria and Americans whose expansion encroached into their traditional homelands. This is not a book for the fainthearted, and I rued not making a list to keep track of the ever changing major players. The publisher description calls it a "sprawling, monumental work" about the "two decades of the last war for the West through the eyes of the men and women who lived it." Because the book is encyclopedic it can be overwhelming.
I moved by the stories and quite disgusted (once again) by the horrible choices American government has made concerning those we fear--or those just plain in the way of 'progress,' which mostly means making money. It was very interesting to learn details of the Apache culture.
When I was a kid in the 50s watching the TV and movie westerns there were several cliches, one being 'white man speak with forked tongue.' Well, that is about it in a nutshell. Treaties and promises were broken with impunity, and the Apache who sought peace were treated badly and barely trusted. And there were leaders who tired of war and just wanted peace with the White Eyes. Not giving them a fair deal lost their trust Even when President Grant endeavored to change how the Apache were treated by sending Dutch Reformed agents did not improve how the Apache fared.
Hutton's knowledge is incredible and his treatment of this war fair and unbiased.
June 20, 2016
At times dense and overwhelming, but definitely worth reading. Hutton does a great job compiling the longest war in American history without making it read like a textbook. It's as unbiased and fair as possible, and the author does a good job of outlining when the White Eyes (white Americans) are screwing over the Apaches and vice-versa (obviously though the White Eyes are the biggest ones at fault). I knew literally nothing before starting this and it kinda blew my mind, wild west history is so fascinating. I had heard of Geronimo and the Apache kid but it was completely out of context to what really happened. It's a sad story of a quickly diminishing land, broken treaties, vengeance, raids, kidnappings, and murder. It keeps getting more depressing the further you read because the government has less patience and less land to "give." A must read for fans of the wild west and Native American history. Included are pictures that help bring the whole story to light.
I received this book for free from Blogging for Books in return for my honest, unbiased review.
I received this book for free from Blogging for Books in return for my honest, unbiased review.
December 8, 2019
In 1905 Geronimo is riding in Teddy Roosevelt's inauguration day parade and a man asks " Why did you let that mass murderer in your parade?" Teddy replied " I wanted to give a Big Show." My Southwest America history was a tad light and this book added some weight. I plan to tool around in New Mexico soon and this book will help me identify and realize why some places have Historical Markers, generally who died here, because this is some Grimdark History. There are a few individuals whose story would make for a great Movie or TV Series.
May 16, 2021
Full of infomation about a lot of places, a lot of people (Native American, Mexican, and the whites), and conflicts between the Apache people and the encroaching Americans. This was a well-researched and non-biased history about a complex people in Arizona and New Mexico.
January 16, 2025
Great read while traveling through the South West US. I’ve heard all these names and stories growing up but this book put all the pieces together. Shows the evilness on all sides and the absolute worst sides of humanity…
May 25, 2016
"The Apache Wars" by Paul Andrew Hutton brings to life in a sweeping narrative the forty bloody years of warfare between the Apaches and the US in the New Mexico and Arizona territories from about 1850 to 1890. It was a war that began when a small band of Apaches raided a ranch looking for cattle, horses and whatever else they could carry off. What the carried off was the young son of the ranch owner. A manhunt began, reprisals started and the bloody , remorseless war was on.
In a fluid narrative style that is nearly that of a novel and just as absorbing, Mr Hutton brings fabled names , places and events to life. As one who spent many an hour watching the epic, classic westerns of John Ford and others, I was amazed to see that much of the fictional names and events were real. Yes, everyone know of Chochise and Geronimo, but other names popped up: Victorio, Nana, Chato and Ulzanna. Not to mention, Tom Horn, Al Stieber and Texas John Slaughter, Curly Bill Borcius. Men who are part of the myths of the West.Lordsburg, Fort Apache and Tombstone. These and other names come alive in Mr. Hutton's capable hands. And there are others: Mickey Free, The Apache Kid ( the last free Apache) and the amazing Apache woman-warrior and Shaman, Lozen.
Everything one knew from the movies and novels is in the book. The brutal atrocities by the Apaches, followed by outrages from Mexicans who hated and feared the Apaches and by settlers who were prone to beleive that " the only good Indian was a dead one." Long cavalry chases. Corrupt Indian agents who cheated the Apaches relentlessly. Yet, there were other truths: treaties broken by both sides. Government officers, both military and civilian appointees who sincerely tried to help bring about peace between the warring sides.
" The Apache Wars" is an excellent history of a time not that long ago and is highly recommended for any amateur historian and everyone who has an interest in the Old West. Echos of the past resound. There where truly, the men were bigger than the myths.
In a fluid narrative style that is nearly that of a novel and just as absorbing, Mr Hutton brings fabled names , places and events to life. As one who spent many an hour watching the epic, classic westerns of John Ford and others, I was amazed to see that much of the fictional names and events were real. Yes, everyone know of Chochise and Geronimo, but other names popped up: Victorio, Nana, Chato and Ulzanna. Not to mention, Tom Horn, Al Stieber and Texas John Slaughter, Curly Bill Borcius. Men who are part of the myths of the West.Lordsburg, Fort Apache and Tombstone. These and other names come alive in Mr. Hutton's capable hands. And there are others: Mickey Free, The Apache Kid ( the last free Apache) and the amazing Apache woman-warrior and Shaman, Lozen.
Everything one knew from the movies and novels is in the book. The brutal atrocities by the Apaches, followed by outrages from Mexicans who hated and feared the Apaches and by settlers who were prone to beleive that " the only good Indian was a dead one." Long cavalry chases. Corrupt Indian agents who cheated the Apaches relentlessly. Yet, there were other truths: treaties broken by both sides. Government officers, both military and civilian appointees who sincerely tried to help bring about peace between the warring sides.
" The Apache Wars" is an excellent history of a time not that long ago and is highly recommended for any amateur historian and everyone who has an interest in the Old West. Echos of the past resound. There where truly, the men were bigger than the myths.
June 11, 2017
The Apache Wars: The Hunt for Geronimo, the Apache Kid, and the Captive Boy Who Started the Longest War in American History by Paul Andrew HuttonThis is the first time I've ever read any Paul Andrew Hutton books and now that I have , I have to say that with this one The Apace Wars, he has written a gripping story that is fast past nonstop page turner and very emotional. He has a way that he brings to life and off the pages the history and struggle of the Apaches . If you love history then you will love The Apache War, because I did, with that said I would love to say thinks to Blogging for Books , as well as to the book publishers and Mr. Hutton for giving me a change to read this great book in a change for my honest opinion
Note: This is the second time I've read and review, only this time it's the paperback one and I still love it.
March 5, 2016
A graphic and well-researched history of the 25-year conflict between the US and the Apache nation, mostly from the American perspective.
Hutton goes back all the way to the migration of natives to the “Apacheria” (Arizona and New Mexico) from Alaska and Canada and the age of Spanish colonization and how everything was affected by European colonial competition, the influx of settlers, and conflicts among the natives.
Hutton introduces many figures, such as Cochise, Geronimo, Mickey Free, and many others (although none of them really come to life), and Hutton ably describes the Apache nations’ struggle against all kinds of underhandedness and ruthlessness from both the US and the Mexicans, as well as the many conflicts among the Apache tribes themselves. At times, Hutton’s rendition of the war can get a bit overwhelming, and it seems like Hutton tries too hard to cover every single bit of fighting (even patrols) and there is little coverage of Apache culture.
A well-written, readable and insightful history, although the level of detail in the first hundred pages or so may bog the reader down a bit, and some other parts are also rather dense.
Hutton goes back all the way to the migration of natives to the “Apacheria” (Arizona and New Mexico) from Alaska and Canada and the age of Spanish colonization and how everything was affected by European colonial competition, the influx of settlers, and conflicts among the natives.
Hutton introduces many figures, such as Cochise, Geronimo, Mickey Free, and many others (although none of them really come to life), and Hutton ably describes the Apache nations’ struggle against all kinds of underhandedness and ruthlessness from both the US and the Mexicans, as well as the many conflicts among the Apache tribes themselves. At times, Hutton’s rendition of the war can get a bit overwhelming, and it seems like Hutton tries too hard to cover every single bit of fighting (even patrols) and there is little coverage of Apache culture.
A well-written, readable and insightful history, although the level of detail in the first hundred pages or so may bog the reader down a bit, and some other parts are also rather dense.
March 1, 2017
Started at five stars and kept going down as it progressed. The story gets a bit lost for all the details while listening, though if you want details, this book has them by the wagon load. Interesting to note the disagreements between bands, tribes, the Indian Bureau, the military, and the settlers. The Indian Bureau struck me as mostly goofy religious reformers who didn't understand Indian politics. The settlers, especially in Tucson, were very aggressive, and oftentimes the military was much more moderate and wanted to protect the Apaches from the settlers, a justification for reservations I had always heard but dismissed. Many Apache bands are brutal raiders by trade (God help you if you betrayed them), even prior to the Columbian Moment, but many were willing to change and adapt and lived by peaceful means as well, or did so for the most part previously. There's a lot of nuance in the story and competing interests and personalities, but I have a hard time picking out many characters as they tended to blend together. It did remind me what a strange and magical place Arizona is though, and that reminder is always welcome.
April 8, 2016
Disclaimer: I received this book as part of GoodReads FirstReads program.
The Apache Wars begins (and began) with the abduction of a young, one-eyed boy by Apache raiders after the attacked his home, killing his father and taking off with their livestock. This is the beginning of hostilities between the Apaches and the USA and the Apaches and Mexico. Many of the prominent names in this story are familiar to anyone who grew up watching old cowboy movies, especially Cochise and Geronimo. The stories of how these people lived, interacted with the Anglos and Latinos and with each other is rarely told with any accuracy. In the old John Wayne westerns, the Apaches are universally the bad guys. Reality has a way of being more complicated, and the representatives of the US Government certainly had their own share of villains. I enjoyed reading this book, and would recommend it to anyone interested in American history in general, and especially history of the American West.
The Apache Wars begins (and began) with the abduction of a young, one-eyed boy by Apache raiders after the attacked his home, killing his father and taking off with their livestock. This is the beginning of hostilities between the Apaches and the USA and the Apaches and Mexico. Many of the prominent names in this story are familiar to anyone who grew up watching old cowboy movies, especially Cochise and Geronimo. The stories of how these people lived, interacted with the Anglos and Latinos and with each other is rarely told with any accuracy. In the old John Wayne westerns, the Apaches are universally the bad guys. Reality has a way of being more complicated, and the representatives of the US Government certainly had their own share of villains. I enjoyed reading this book, and would recommend it to anyone interested in American history in general, and especially history of the American West.
March 8, 2018
A very readable history of the wars between Americans and the Apache Indians and the causes and consequences of those wars. An objective view of both sides is presented making this a good read of the opening of the American West and relations with Native Americans.
July 23, 2025
An amazing, well researched book that took me quite awhile to read due to its length and the amount of detail - so many people and places to focus on! I was drawn to this book since I live in Southern Arizona and close to the geographical areas covered in this book. This novel had also been on my Want to Read list for more than four years and one of my goals this year was to finally read these older WTR books.
In the spring this year my husband and I visited Fort Bowie National Historic Site, operated by the National Park Service. This NHS is different from other parks as visitors hike to the fort and Visitor Center, three miles round trip. It is a walk through history as along the way are places that figure in to the beginning of the Apache Wars. When we reached the visitor center, a volunteer informed me that the Apache Wars were the longest war in the history of the United States - 25 years. After reading this book, I can understand why the conflict lasted so long.
It started with a young boy kidnapped by Apache raiders and continued through endless attempts by the infantry and calvary troops to eventually force the many Apache tribes into reservations. The Apaches, fiercely independent, resourceful and intelligent were difficult to find and subdue in an inhospitable area of rugged canyons and mountains. In addition, the Apaches often escaped into nearby Mexico, living in the mountains and canyons there. The U.S. government made life very difficult for the Apache and they in turn terrorized Southeast Arizona, raiding ranches and farms, stealing horses and livestock and killing people. It was a bloody, violent time. Although there were peaceful periods where both sides attempted to live harmoniously, those periods were short lived. Ultimately, the two nations could not cohabit together, even in an area as large, barren and diverse as Southern Arizona and New Mexico were. Although some in the military were very sympathetic to the plight of the Apache, they remained unable to resolve the problem long term. Typical for the government's treatment of native people were the many broken promises made, which are difficult to read about.
Some of the more famous Native Americans are featured in this book, with Geronimo the most well known. He alluded his captors for many years.
For those that enjoy historical novels I recommend
this well written book. It opened my eyes to some significant history in the West.
In the spring this year my husband and I visited Fort Bowie National Historic Site, operated by the National Park Service. This NHS is different from other parks as visitors hike to the fort and Visitor Center, three miles round trip. It is a walk through history as along the way are places that figure in to the beginning of the Apache Wars. When we reached the visitor center, a volunteer informed me that the Apache Wars were the longest war in the history of the United States - 25 years. After reading this book, I can understand why the conflict lasted so long.
It started with a young boy kidnapped by Apache raiders and continued through endless attempts by the infantry and calvary troops to eventually force the many Apache tribes into reservations. The Apaches, fiercely independent, resourceful and intelligent were difficult to find and subdue in an inhospitable area of rugged canyons and mountains. In addition, the Apaches often escaped into nearby Mexico, living in the mountains and canyons there. The U.S. government made life very difficult for the Apache and they in turn terrorized Southeast Arizona, raiding ranches and farms, stealing horses and livestock and killing people. It was a bloody, violent time. Although there were peaceful periods where both sides attempted to live harmoniously, those periods were short lived. Ultimately, the two nations could not cohabit together, even in an area as large, barren and diverse as Southern Arizona and New Mexico were. Although some in the military were very sympathetic to the plight of the Apache, they remained unable to resolve the problem long term. Typical for the government's treatment of native people were the many broken promises made, which are difficult to read about.
Some of the more famous Native Americans are featured in this book, with Geronimo the most well known. He alluded his captors for many years.
For those that enjoy historical novels I recommend
this well written book. It opened my eyes to some significant history in the West.
September 21, 2020
I consider this a must read for anyone exploring Arizona- as I have been for the last two weeks. I learned so much about the complicated history of this region that added to every aspect in f my exploration. The only critique I have is that I listened to the book and there are so many names and places included that a print copy with maps would have helped a lot. I just did a lot of Googling when I reached a destination on my trip.
November 16, 2025
A very thorough history of a period with a lot of moving parts. It balances people, places, relationships, backgrounds, politics,ambition, culture, and contextualizes the zeitgeist of the time all well, which is no easy task. It is an informational text first, but for those who are looking for that, it is definitely entertaining as well.
February 7, 2018
A great, epic story. Compelling as fiction and informative. Well worth reading.
August 9, 2023
The Native American Indian is a proud member of their given tribe yet we seldom hear their voice. The Apaches we sold a horrible bag of goods and a land with wealth was taken by the greed of non Native Americans sadly the Apaches were true fighters.
Good read!
Good read!
October 29, 2023
When you have a conflict spanning this length of time, the amount of players kind of turn this into name soup history. It’s alright.
September 5, 2024
4 1/2 stars but rounded it up to five. Very entertaining and enjoyable read that provides a wealth of stories you wish the film industry would make. The book mentions political corruption concerning mining stakes and Indigenous peoples removal, but does not provide names and details about corrupt persons. Maybe that could be saved for another book. That was my only complaint which knocks it down 1/2 a star. The book was brutal, sad, serene, epic, and surprisingly humorous.
July 10, 2019
This book was clearly well-researched and it is written in a clear and concise format. However, it is an overview of a long, fairly complicated time period; therefore, there were many names to keep track of, and the story line did become confusing at various points. Nevertheless, I have learned a lot about a subject that I had no prior knowledge of, and it was a very good read.
May 17, 2016
I was graciously given an Advanced Reader Copy of this book from Crown Publishing through the Goodreads' Giveaways for an honest review. This is it:
When I got the e-mail that I was going to be getting an early copy of this book I was pretty excited about it. I knew a bit about the life of Geronimo and the wars he fought in, but I honestly didn't know any details about the Apache Wars. Nothing more than a blurb from High School History. So I was eager to crack open this one, especially since I've realized lately that I honestly don't know a lot about the history of my own country. This book was the first in many non-fictions gracing my "To Be Read" pile to fix that problem.
Unfortunately, I've been trying to read The Apache Wars since I got in mid-April.
To be honest this is my least favorite kind of review to write. I had a really hard time getting through the first few chapters of this book. There was a lot of information thrown into those few pages I did manage to get through. I understood it was background information for what the author was leading up to the main part of the book. There was just a lot of it take in.
Another problem I was having was when I would set the book down to go to work, or what have you, I would have trouble remember details when I picked the book back up. Not big details, but because all that information was sort of shoved in forty to fifty pages I'd forget which Tribe was in what region. Who this person was, or maybe why the important. I spent a lot of time flipping back and forth once I came back to it.
I really tried to push through book. In fact, I kept telling myself it's a nonfiction and I don't generally read a lot of them so maybe it's me. I would read one more chapter hoping I'd start to get into history of it, but sadly it never happened. Which stinks because Apache Wars does have really good, Four Star, reviews. So for a bit I figured it was me.
The problem started when I would sit down to read, I'd find myself reading a couple of pages and then picking up my phone. Or, just flipping on my laptop to watch one episode. I just haven't read in the last week, because despite wanting to read Apache Wars, I just end up turning myself around as a read.
So is it a bad book?
No, it's not. Hutton has down an amazing amount of research into the Apache culture, their history, the history of the region, the war, and everyone involved. Which is the reason I have given it Two Stars. I applaud the amount of time and effort Hutton put into this book.
Did having an ARC hurt me?
I think it did. If I had map to keep the regions straight maybe that would of helped me. Maybe the first few chapters have been revised in the released editions.
So, maybe it was me and not The Apache Wars. This is the second non-fiction book I've picked up and that hasn't really pulled me in. I'm really bummed to have to put it aside, but I don't want to put myself into a slump and I was given this book for an honest review. No matter how sad I am that I cannot join in the good reviews.
So, would I recommend this book?
Yeah, I would. There were moments in this book where I was starting to enjoy it, and then there would a be a chapter that just left me stumped. Still, it's well researched and I honestly think other people would enjoy it. Especially those a little more well versed in history around the Apache Wars.
I might even pick this one up again at a later date. Maybe grab a finalized copy from the library and give it another proper go. It really wasn't a bad books, Apache Wars, but maybe it just wasn't for me.
When I got the e-mail that I was going to be getting an early copy of this book I was pretty excited about it. I knew a bit about the life of Geronimo and the wars he fought in, but I honestly didn't know any details about the Apache Wars. Nothing more than a blurb from High School History. So I was eager to crack open this one, especially since I've realized lately that I honestly don't know a lot about the history of my own country. This book was the first in many non-fictions gracing my "To Be Read" pile to fix that problem.
Unfortunately, I've been trying to read The Apache Wars since I got in mid-April.
To be honest this is my least favorite kind of review to write. I had a really hard time getting through the first few chapters of this book. There was a lot of information thrown into those few pages I did manage to get through. I understood it was background information for what the author was leading up to the main part of the book. There was just a lot of it take in.
Another problem I was having was when I would set the book down to go to work, or what have you, I would have trouble remember details when I picked the book back up. Not big details, but because all that information was sort of shoved in forty to fifty pages I'd forget which Tribe was in what region. Who this person was, or maybe why the important. I spent a lot of time flipping back and forth once I came back to it.
I really tried to push through book. In fact, I kept telling myself it's a nonfiction and I don't generally read a lot of them so maybe it's me. I would read one more chapter hoping I'd start to get into history of it, but sadly it never happened. Which stinks because Apache Wars does have really good, Four Star, reviews. So for a bit I figured it was me.
The problem started when I would sit down to read, I'd find myself reading a couple of pages and then picking up my phone. Or, just flipping on my laptop to watch one episode. I just haven't read in the last week, because despite wanting to read Apache Wars, I just end up turning myself around as a read.
So is it a bad book?
No, it's not. Hutton has down an amazing amount of research into the Apache culture, their history, the history of the region, the war, and everyone involved. Which is the reason I have given it Two Stars. I applaud the amount of time and effort Hutton put into this book.
Did having an ARC hurt me?
I think it did. If I had map to keep the regions straight maybe that would of helped me. Maybe the first few chapters have been revised in the released editions.
So, maybe it was me and not The Apache Wars. This is the second non-fiction book I've picked up and that hasn't really pulled me in. I'm really bummed to have to put it aside, but I don't want to put myself into a slump and I was given this book for an honest review. No matter how sad I am that I cannot join in the good reviews.
So, would I recommend this book?
Yeah, I would. There were moments in this book where I was starting to enjoy it, and then there would a be a chapter that just left me stumped. Still, it's well researched and I honestly think other people would enjoy it. Especially those a little more well versed in history around the Apache Wars.
I might even pick this one up again at a later date. Maybe grab a finalized copy from the library and give it another proper go. It really wasn't a bad books, Apache Wars, but maybe it just wasn't for me.
June 7, 2016
**I received this book as part of Goodreads' FirstReads giveaway.**
This was an incredibly informative read. The author does a fantastic job of covering the events of the Apache Wars from start to finish. I will admit that it does become bogged down in details in some spots, but the author does an admirable job describing the many events in a manner that is enjoyable and informative.
I will admit that I knew little about the Apache tribes or their war(s) with the U.S. government besides minor details and the names of major figures (General Crook, Geronimo, etc.). I greatly enjoyed reading this book and found that it portrayed the events in an unbiased manner. Neither side was made to look good or bad as the writing portrays the events in a neutral language.
While I have not read many other books related to Native Americans, I certainly plan to in the near future because of this book. Having said that, this may be a difficult read for some readers as there are numerous individuals and groups discussed throughout the book. This may make it difficult to remember who each person is or why they're relevant, though there are brief reminders "sprinkled" throughout the text. As over 500 pages, this nook can be quite daunting for even the biggest history buffs (like myself), but again, the author does an excellent job of providing details on the events of the Apache Wars. My only suggestion for future editions would be to include a section or appendices with brief descriptions of the key individuals and groups involved in the story as well as map, as numerous places throughout Arizona, New Mexico and Mexico are named in the text.
Overall, I found this to be a great read and one I will likely refer back to after reading more on Native American history. I would highly recommend this to anyone interested in Native American (specifically Apache) history as well as those who wish to read an unbiased account of an important, but tragic era in U.S. history.
This was an incredibly informative read. The author does a fantastic job of covering the events of the Apache Wars from start to finish. I will admit that it does become bogged down in details in some spots, but the author does an admirable job describing the many events in a manner that is enjoyable and informative.
I will admit that I knew little about the Apache tribes or their war(s) with the U.S. government besides minor details and the names of major figures (General Crook, Geronimo, etc.). I greatly enjoyed reading this book and found that it portrayed the events in an unbiased manner. Neither side was made to look good or bad as the writing portrays the events in a neutral language.
While I have not read many other books related to Native Americans, I certainly plan to in the near future because of this book. Having said that, this may be a difficult read for some readers as there are numerous individuals and groups discussed throughout the book. This may make it difficult to remember who each person is or why they're relevant, though there are brief reminders "sprinkled" throughout the text. As over 500 pages, this nook can be quite daunting for even the biggest history buffs (like myself), but again, the author does an excellent job of providing details on the events of the Apache Wars. My only suggestion for future editions would be to include a section or appendices with brief descriptions of the key individuals and groups involved in the story as well as map, as numerous places throughout Arizona, New Mexico and Mexico are named in the text.
Overall, I found this to be a great read and one I will likely refer back to after reading more on Native American history. I would highly recommend this to anyone interested in Native American (specifically Apache) history as well as those who wish to read an unbiased account of an important, but tragic era in U.S. history.
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