The Defenders: Osceola, Tecumseh and Cochise

Scholastic Biography

by Ann McGovern

The exciting and tragic story of three great Indian leaders, who fought bravely for their people's freedom and their right to live on their own lands.

Genres: Biography, History, Native American

128 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1970

About the author

Ann McGovern Scheiner (née Weinberger) was an American writer of more than 55 children's books, selling over 30 million copies. She may be best known for her adaptation of Stone Soup, as well as Too Much Noise, historical and travel non-fiction, and biographies of figures like Harriet Tubman and Deborah Sampson Gannett and Eugenie Clark.

Reviews

[Lady reading under the Willow · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sad and sobering. It's always disheartening to read/hear about the cruel treatment people give each other. The atrocious measures individuals and governments take with other human beings showcases our hopeless sin as a broken, fallen humanity in need of a Savior. Policies and treaties will never be to any real avail without Christ.

So much fighting, warring, trickery, taking wrongful advantage, and dishonor, done by all sides and under all guises in all these battles and wars. There are definitely both honorable and dishonorable people of every nation, tribe, and tongue.

This is a good book to add to a thoughtful study of our past, inextricably linked to the people who lived here first. Maybe we can learn to treat others as valuable human beings, regardless of nationality, cultural history, age (in the womb or out of it), etc.

[Kris · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was actually quite surprised at my reading of this, especially since it was published in 1970. Make no mistake - there are some outdated terms used here and some stereotyping. However, I was really impressed with just how much this book calls out the atrocities committed against the Native peoples and how it does not pull any punches saying that the white colonists and the U.S. government treated the Indigenous peoples horribly. For 1970, I'd say that's pretty progressive.

[The other John · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is three biographies in one, telling the tales of three Native American leaders. Well, actually, using the word "biographies" might be stretching it a bit. The focus of the book, and the common theme of the three stories, is how those leaders attempted to keep the United States government from stealing the land of their respective peoples. The book starts out with the story of Osceola, the Seminole who gave the U.S. Army a run for their money through the Florida swamps in the 1830s. Next is the story of Tecumseh, who tried to unite the tribes east of the Mississippi in the 1810s to resist the flood of white settlers invading Indian lands. The final story is that of Cochise, the Chiricahua Apache who was equally competent in keeping peace or making war in the 1860s. Each story was interesting to read, even if they did make me feel ashamed to be an American. Even though the tales are simplistic from an adult point of view, I think it's worth checking out, either for a quick read or to share with the kids.

[Rosa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked up this book to see if it was one I wanted my son to read. I became so interested in it myself that I ended up reading the entire book! I thought the author did a good job at presenting the truth of the relationships between the white men and the Indians. She presented the good and bad of both sides. The book is broken into three parts telling the story of the lives of three different Indians and their influence in history. It's a quick, yet informative read.

[Peter Mcgovern · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's been many years since I read this. It's one of my favorite books by this author (my mom). I was transported into the lives of the subjects and couldn't stop reading. If you can find a copy, I highly recommend you give it a try.

[Kim]

6 copies

[Jim · Rating 5 out of 5]

i read this in fourth grade and fifth and sixth and probably once in high school