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The Apache Novels #2
Apache Devil
Shoz-Dijiji, or Black Bear, kidnapped by the Apaches from his white pioneer family as an infant and raised by Geronimo, is now a brave and accomplished Apache War Chief. In addition to the skills of hunting and warfare he has learned to hate violently the pin-dah-lickoyee ('white eyes') from witnessing their consistently wretched treatments of the Apaches: violation of treaties, forced imprisonment on reservations, and economic exploitation. Shoz-Dijiji is also embittered by bereavement over the death of a young Indian maiden he had loved. He becomes notorious as the blood thirsty Apache Devil a daring and intrepid raider, His adventures bring him together with Wichita Billings, a tough-minded white frontier girl, and they reluctantly fall in love, despite seeming culture and racial differences. But the main action of the novel is the final pursuit and surrender of Geronimos to General Miles chronicled here in grim and realistic detail. Apache Devil is remarkable for it's honest and sympathetic treatment of Apache life at a time when almost everyone else portrayed the Apaches as devil incarnate; it is an epic worthy of Apache Devil an exciting but tragic era of American history.
706 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1928
18 people are currently reading
188 people want to read
About the author
Edgar Rice Burroughs
2,775 books2,728 followersEdgar Rice Burroughs was an American author, best known for his creation of the jungle hero Tarzan and the heroic John Carter, although he produced works in many genres.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
July 15, 2020
The sequel to ERB’s 1927 western, The War Chief, begins with our hero, Shaz-Dijiji (Black Bear) trying to pick up the pieces of his life amid the tragic circumstances surrounding his loved ones in that first book. He’s still a young man in his early 20’s when this book begins, still an Apache warrior chief but the end of the Apaches as a people is becoming more and more evident.
The novel is a conjunction of two types of stories. It’s partly an accurate historical novel that chronicles the final years of Geronimo and his renegades before the final peace agreements and the eventual life on a reservation. It also includes a more typical western tale (told from the Apaches’ point of view) that centers on Shaz-Dijiji and his needing to come to grips with his own origins as a white man. A potential romance may be in the cards; dare we hope for a happy ending for him?
I’ve thought before that ERB was ahead of his time when it comes to appreciating the plight of the Native Americans and this novel proves it. It’s hard to believe this was first published in 1928 given the sympathetic view the author has for Geronimo and his people.
ERB isn’t well known for his westerns, probably because there are only a handful of them and when compared to his prolific output and world-famous settings and characters like John Carter, Tarzan, David Innes, etc. it’s just hard to compete. But one gets the impression that the author’s own experiences in the West as an enlisted soldier with the 7th U.S. Cavalry in Fort Grant, Arizona Territory were forever imprinted on his psyche and came pouring out in these two novels. I wish there were more in this series.
The novel is a conjunction of two types of stories. It’s partly an accurate historical novel that chronicles the final years of Geronimo and his renegades before the final peace agreements and the eventual life on a reservation. It also includes a more typical western tale (told from the Apaches’ point of view) that centers on Shaz-Dijiji and his needing to come to grips with his own origins as a white man. A potential romance may be in the cards; dare we hope for a happy ending for him?
I’ve thought before that ERB was ahead of his time when it comes to appreciating the plight of the Native Americans and this novel proves it. It’s hard to believe this was first published in 1928 given the sympathetic view the author has for Geronimo and his people.
ERB isn’t well known for his westerns, probably because there are only a handful of them and when compared to his prolific output and world-famous settings and characters like John Carter, Tarzan, David Innes, etc. it’s just hard to compete. But one gets the impression that the author’s own experiences in the West as an enlisted soldier with the 7th U.S. Cavalry in Fort Grant, Arizona Territory were forever imprinted on his psyche and came pouring out in these two novels. I wish there were more in this series.
November 26, 2024
Intiaanipäällikön kostoon (Apache Devil, All-Story Weeklyssä touko–kesäkuussa 1928, kirjana 1933) pätevät hyvin pitkälti samat kommentit kuin Intiaanipäällikköön, joten taustoitukseksi kannattanee vilkaista se arvio ensin. Ja eritoten kannattaa lukea Intiaanipäällikkö, sillä ykkösosaa lukematta ei Kostosta varmaan kovin paljon kostuisi.
Intiaanipäällikön lopun ja Intiaanipäällikön koston alun välillä on kulunut muutama vuosi. Käytännössä kuitenkin Shoz-dijijin tarina jatkuu saumattomasti siitä mihin se edellisessä kirjassa jäi. Meno on Kostossa vieläkin karumpaa kuin Intiaanipäällikössä, minkä voi tietysti päätellä jo kirjan nimestä, samoin kuin todellisista apassien viimeisiä vuosia koskevista historiallisista tapahtumista. Lievää miinusta tulee kuitenkin siitä, että vahvoista naisista ei ole enää kuin puolet jäljellä, ja hänkin käyttäytyy välillä idioottimaisesti. Juonenkuljetuksessa on myös enemmän osuutta sattumalla kuin ykkösosassa, osin ehkä siitäkin johtuen, että koska enää ei kyse ole kasvutarinasta, Kostossa ylipäätään on enemmän juonta.
Olen täälläkin muistaakseni useampaan otteeseen todennut, että Burroughsin sarjat tuppasivat Mars-kirjoja lukuun ottamatta taantumaan loppuaan kohti aika pahasti. Shoz-dijijistä Burroughs kirjoitti vain nämä kaksi romaania. Niinpä hiipumisesta ei ole pahempia merkkejä, vaan laatu pysyi erittäin korkeana (jos siis Burroughsista ylipäätään pitää).
Kokonaisuutena tämä ei siis ole ihan yhtä vahva kuin Intiaanipäällikkö, mutta mainio teos silti. Yhtenäisenä eepoksena Intiaanipäällikkö ja Intiaanipäällikön kosto ovat Burroughsin tuotannon ehdotonta kärkeä.
4,5/5
Intiaanipäällikön lopun ja Intiaanipäällikön koston alun välillä on kulunut muutama vuosi. Käytännössä kuitenkin Shoz-dijijin tarina jatkuu saumattomasti siitä mihin se edellisessä kirjassa jäi. Meno on Kostossa vieläkin karumpaa kuin Intiaanipäällikössä, minkä voi tietysti päätellä jo kirjan nimestä, samoin kuin todellisista apassien viimeisiä vuosia koskevista historiallisista tapahtumista. Lievää miinusta tulee kuitenkin siitä, että vahvoista naisista ei ole enää kuin puolet jäljellä, ja hänkin käyttäytyy välillä idioottimaisesti. Juonenkuljetuksessa on myös enemmän osuutta sattumalla kuin ykkösosassa, osin ehkä siitäkin johtuen, että koska enää ei kyse ole kasvutarinasta, Kostossa ylipäätään on enemmän juonta.
Olen täälläkin muistaakseni useampaan otteeseen todennut, että Burroughsin sarjat tuppasivat Mars-kirjoja lukuun ottamatta taantumaan loppuaan kohti aika pahasti. Shoz-dijijistä Burroughs kirjoitti vain nämä kaksi romaania. Niinpä hiipumisesta ei ole pahempia merkkejä, vaan laatu pysyi erittäin korkeana (jos siis Burroughsista ylipäätään pitää).
Kokonaisuutena tämä ei siis ole ihan yhtä vahva kuin Intiaanipäällikkö, mutta mainio teos silti. Yhtenäisenä eepoksena Intiaanipäällikkö ja Intiaanipäällikön kosto ovat Burroughsin tuotannon ehdotonta kärkeä.
4,5/5
July 27, 2008
This is a sequel to The War Chief." I didn't think it was quite as good but it's still a fun read.
January 29, 2016
Part 2 of a set Burroughs wrote on Indians. Great fast paced action. Recommended
August 29, 2024
Geronimo and his war chief Shoz-Dijiji are still fighting the US Army, but it is only a matter of time. Other Apache, who have surrendered, and now being employed to find Geronimo and his tribe.
Early in the book, Shoz-Dijiji learns that Wichita Billings has been kidnapped. He rescues her and returns her to her father, who believes she had been taken by the Apache.
Shoz-Dijiji now goes by the name “Apache Devil”. He wears blue and white warpaint. However, he refuses to participate in torture. He also refuses to drink, unlike his fellow warriors.
Geronimo is repeatedly offered peace, which means moving onto a reservation and being forced to farm. He anguishes over this as he is losing men in many skirmishes with the US and with Mexican troops when they escape over the border.
The saddest moment is when in 1886, Geronimo relents and surrenders to the US. Shoz-Dijiji refuses to surrender. Geronimo tells him he is only an Apache by spirit, but he is a white man by blood.
Chapter 15 begins: “For the first time in 300 years, the white invaders of Apache-land slept in peace. All of the renegades were prisoners of war in Florida. Right, at last, had prevailed. Once more a Christian nation had exterminated a primitive people who had dared defend their homeland against the greedy and ruthless invader.”
Shoz-Dijiji sets out for the Billings ranch only to learn there is a bounty on his head and Wichita is again in danger.
This was a very good book, better than some of the Tarzan books I have read.
Early in the book, Shoz-Dijiji learns that Wichita Billings has been kidnapped. He rescues her and returns her to her father, who believes she had been taken by the Apache.
Shoz-Dijiji now goes by the name “Apache Devil”. He wears blue and white warpaint. However, he refuses to participate in torture. He also refuses to drink, unlike his fellow warriors.
Geronimo is repeatedly offered peace, which means moving onto a reservation and being forced to farm. He anguishes over this as he is losing men in many skirmishes with the US and with Mexican troops when they escape over the border.
The saddest moment is when in 1886, Geronimo relents and surrenders to the US. Shoz-Dijiji refuses to surrender. Geronimo tells him he is only an Apache by spirit, but he is a white man by blood.
Chapter 15 begins: “For the first time in 300 years, the white invaders of Apache-land slept in peace. All of the renegades were prisoners of war in Florida. Right, at last, had prevailed. Once more a Christian nation had exterminated a primitive people who had dared defend their homeland against the greedy and ruthless invader.”
Shoz-Dijiji sets out for the Billings ranch only to learn there is a bounty on his head and Wichita is again in danger.
This was a very good book, better than some of the Tarzan books I have read.
September 7, 2023
If you read my review for The War Chief by Edgar Rice Burroughs, chances are that you might remember me gushing about how progressive the author's views were considering that the publishing date was around one hundred years ago, when most other authors considered the American Indian to be little more than a savage. The sequel to that book is equally as great.
Here, Shoz-Dijiji, the eponymous Apache Devil or Black Bear has aged, but is still young enough to remain an active scout and enemy of the pin-dah-lickoyee, white eyes. He has just cause in hating the white man. The white man negotiates treaties with the Apache, but then consistently alters the terms of the treaty. There is also a love story between the son of Geronimo and Wichita Billings that has been going on since the first book.
My feeling is that ERB is an incredible story teller and in these two westerns, it is evident to me that he not only can write a good western, but can also write with originality and historical accuracy. This really is a top-tier classic western that checks all the boxes of my 3 criteria to be considered classic: paradigm defining, longevity, and exceptionalism. This novel deserves my highest recommendation.
Here, Shoz-Dijiji, the eponymous Apache Devil or Black Bear has aged, but is still young enough to remain an active scout and enemy of the pin-dah-lickoyee, white eyes. He has just cause in hating the white man. The white man negotiates treaties with the Apache, but then consistently alters the terms of the treaty. There is also a love story between the son of Geronimo and Wichita Billings that has been going on since the first book.
My feeling is that ERB is an incredible story teller and in these two westerns, it is evident to me that he not only can write a good western, but can also write with originality and historical accuracy. This really is a top-tier classic western that checks all the boxes of my 3 criteria to be considered classic: paradigm defining, longevity, and exceptionalism. This novel deserves my highest recommendation.
March 8, 2018
This book surprised me.
I rather expected the Apaches to be "the bad guys" given the time this was written. Instead, the author really focused on the massive injustices done to the Native people, and puts Geronimo in a sympathetic light.
"The Apaches have done far less to us than we have to them. They only kill and torture us, we take everything from them. They don't value their life and comfort above everything else like we do. We take what is most important to them, they take from us what is of little value to them."
Interesting and unlooked for point of view.
The story, as is usual with Burroughs, is fast paced and intriguing, the characters sharply defined and true to life, if perhaps a little over dramatized.
The only thing I disliked about it was the continual reference to the Native paganism. Not something I really wanted to know about.
I rather expected the Apaches to be "the bad guys" given the time this was written. Instead, the author really focused on the massive injustices done to the Native people, and puts Geronimo in a sympathetic light.
"The Apaches have done far less to us than we have to them. They only kill and torture us, we take everything from them. They don't value their life and comfort above everything else like we do. We take what is most important to them, they take from us what is of little value to them."
Interesting and unlooked for point of view.
The story, as is usual with Burroughs, is fast paced and intriguing, the characters sharply defined and true to life, if perhaps a little over dramatized.
The only thing I disliked about it was the continual reference to the Native paganism. Not something I really wanted to know about.
July 4, 2025
This continues the story of The War Chief, also written by Burroughs. In my opinion, the story is much improved. The book is close to historical fiction in that it closely follows the story of the Geronimo wars. Geronimo is a major character and numerous other historical participants and events make an appearance. I recommend reading both The War Chief and the Wikipedia article about Geronimo before starting this book. The Wikipedia article gave me a much greater appreciation for the skill of the author in developing the plotline. It is illuminating to see the subject presented from the perspective of the native Americans. This and a story that keeps ones attention earns 4 🌟🌟🌟🌟.
March 18, 2025
Another fine book about the American Southwest, starring the Apaches warlord Shoz Dijiji.
There is sadness as the fate of the Apaches is played out. But there is also happiness as the two lovers are able to cross the void of cultural differences.
Well written, and engaging, this is another fine read by the master of exciting adventures.
There is sadness as the fate of the Apaches is played out. But there is also happiness as the two lovers are able to cross the void of cultural differences.
Well written, and engaging, this is another fine read by the master of exciting adventures.
August 28, 2018
This is the sequel to the war chief. Excellent story. OP
January 6, 2016
Perhaps more famous for his science fiction masterpieces, Edgar Rice Burroughs proves himself adept at capturing a poignant passage of human history. Using an accurate timeline he weaves a love story through the epic and heartrending attempts of the Apache to cling to their traditional way of life.
Originally published in the early part of the twentieth century, the romantic element may be too traditional for some but this allows for the bulk of the story to concentrate on the struggle between two very different cultures.
An easy, enjoyable read that follows the final war trails of Geronimo and his diminishing band of warriors as the wild west was finally tamed.
Originally published in the early part of the twentieth century, the romantic element may be too traditional for some but this allows for the bulk of the story to concentrate on the struggle between two very different cultures.
An easy, enjoyable read that follows the final war trails of Geronimo and his diminishing band of warriors as the wild west was finally tamed.
August 3, 2013
This is the second novel of the "Apache" series, a Western and historical fiction which includes a very sympathetic biography of the life of Geronimo. The novel's fictional hero is a white orphaned adoptee into the Apaches. The story combines Burroughs usual adventure tale with historical fact, romance, heartbreaking tragedy, and a powerful statement of the evil of racial bigotry. I think every Burroughs fan should read the "Apache" series.
November 11, 2014
A sequel to The War Chief, Shoz-Dijiji, the Black Bear, has lost his love, Ish-kay-nay, to death, killed his mortal enemy, Juh, the Apache, and does not understand his attraction to the white woman, Wichita Billings, he takes up the warpath as the Apache Devil.
July 15, 2013
Only okay. Pretty leaden prose, honestly.
September 26, 2019
Great story by a great writer.
July 31, 2014
A satisfying sequel to The War Chief.
August 24, 2016
A great weatern pulp story, just not as good as the book that preceded it.
November 17, 2018
read some time in 1985
June 18, 2012
This was even better then Book 1. To bad there is no book 3....!!
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews