Tecumseh: A Biography

Greenwood Biographies

by Amy H. Sturgis (Editor)

One of the most important Native American leaders in history, the Shawnee leader Tecumseh protested land cession, and was a major catalyst of the Battle of Tippecanoe. He harnessed the tradition of American Indian pan-tribal unity to become the most important symbol of multi-national Native American identity and resistance in North America. This in-depth, accessible treatment explores the life of a key figure in Native American battle-lore who figures prominently in U.S. history curricula.

Lively, narrative chapters explore the Shawnee culture, Tecumseh's childhood, the transformation of his brother, Tenskwatawa into The Prophet, his creation of a pan-tribal movement, the War of 1812, and his legacy in history and popular culture.

168 pages, Hardcover

First published April 30, 2008

About the author

Amy H. Sturgis earned her Ph.D. in Intellectual History from Vanderbilt University. Her work focuses on the intellectual history of speculative fiction.

Sturgis teaches at Signum University. She is author of four books as well as more than sixty scholarly and mainstream essays on historical and speculative fiction topics. She has edited or co-edited ten books. In 2006, Sturgis was honored with the Imperishable Flame Award for Achievement in Tolkien/Inklings Scholarship. In 2015, the L.A. Press Club named her Reason article "Not Your Parents' Dystopias: Millennial Fondness for Worlds Gone Wrong" the "Best Magazine Review/Criticism/Column" in the 57th Annual Southern California Journalism Awards.

Dubbed "The Neil deGrasse Tyson of Science Fiction" by The Drabblecast podcast in 2014, Sturgis also contributes regular "Looking Back on Genre History" segments to and narrates contemporary science fiction stories for the U.K.-based podcast StarShipSofa. In both 2009 and 2011, she was honored with The Sofanaut Award for her podcasting work. In 2010, StarShipSofa became the first podcast ever to win a Hugo Award. Sturgis also has made guest appearances on more than a dozen other podcasts in the field.

With well over 200 presentations to her credit, Sturgis frequently speaks at colleges, conferences, and genre conventions across North America and Europe. Along with her husband, Dr. Larry M. Hall, Sturgis lives in the Appalachian highlands of Virginia.

Her Goodreads reviews cover only the books she has read since joining the Goodreads community in July 2010.