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Geronimo: A Life from Beginning to End
The legendary Geronimo led one of the last great Apache uprisings against American expansionism. The lands of the Apache tribe comprised what is today part of northern Mexico and the southwestern United States, and Geronimo was one of the last who dared to stand up to the powers that encroached on the Native American way of life.
In the end, even the cunning and might of Geronimo had to surrender to the wayward expansion of the west. As a prisoner of war, he eventually became a part of the western machine, even getting money to pose for pictures at the state fair and taking part in re-enactments of the Wild West.
His name certainly went down in history—so much so that World War II paratroopers picked up the habit of shouting it as they leaped from planes. The name Geronimo certainly leaps off the page as a larger than life figure, but just who was this nomad of the southwest? This book will discuss the life and legend of Geronimo in full.
In the end, even the cunning and might of Geronimo had to surrender to the wayward expansion of the west. As a prisoner of war, he eventually became a part of the western machine, even getting money to pose for pictures at the state fair and taking part in re-enactments of the Wild West.
His name certainly went down in history—so much so that World War II paratroopers picked up the habit of shouting it as they leaped from planes. The name Geronimo certainly leaps off the page as a larger than life figure, but just who was this nomad of the southwest? This book will discuss the life and legend of Geronimo in full.
110 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 8, 2020
207 people are currently reading
161 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
December 9, 2022
I lived where he was born in what is now New Mexico, the Gila. His photo was in many cafés and cantinas and restaurants. They said Mangas Coloradas and his warriors watered their horses from a spring that flowed from my yard during heavy rains. I’ve traveled through the San Carlos Reservation in AZ where Geronimo was often held.
It’s a sad, bloody tale. He was pursued relentlessly and he raided relentlessly. Blood flowed over and over again. There was treachery and butchery on all sides. It’s difficult to find nuggets of goodness once the battles between Apache and Mexicans and Apache and the US Army began.
This would be, I think, the same author who wrote the bio in this series for Sitting Bull. He does a number of things well but still damages his research by the use of slang. The Apache are “cooling their heels” in the mountains. They “kick off” their battle with the Mexican Army. It’s not a 21st century story. It’s a 19th century one.
It’s a sad, bloody tale. He was pursued relentlessly and he raided relentlessly. Blood flowed over and over again. There was treachery and butchery on all sides. It’s difficult to find nuggets of goodness once the battles between Apache and Mexicans and Apache and the US Army began.
This would be, I think, the same author who wrote the bio in this series for Sitting Bull. He does a number of things well but still damages his research by the use of slang. The Apache are “cooling their heels” in the mountains. They “kick off” their battle with the Mexican Army. It’s not a 21st century story. It’s a 19th century one.
January 22, 2023
Not a bad little biography. It's not meant to be exhaustive, just an overview that can be read in an hour, so lots of stuff was necessarily left out, but all the major and/or interesting things were present, including his great, seething anger at Mexicans. I enjoyed it.
August 9, 2025
Wow! Violent and tragic life though sometimes he deserved it and sometimes he didn't. He could be reasonable and he could be utter unreasonable and ruthless. All the players seemed more than willing to walk both sides of the street - honest and dishonest.
Geronimo was selfish at times making life difficult for other Apache.
Geronimo was selfish at times making life difficult for other Apache.
June 11, 2024
About Geronimo
A nicely told story about Geronimo, his travels and his raiding. A quick read with plenty of great historical information. Mmm
A nicely told story about Geronimo, his travels and his raiding. A quick read with plenty of great historical information. Mmm
January 15, 2023
Published by Hourly History in 2020.
Geronimo (1829-1909) is the Apache leader that is famous for having fought just about everybody that encroached on his people's land. Later on, when he had surrendered he was shipped all over the place to different reservations.
That was pretty much the facts that I knew about Geronimo and I thought that I really needed to add more to that. After all, he is one of the few Native Americans that everyone has heard of.
Hourly History write histories and biographies that you can read in about an hour. That can be a tough job for big topics in history like "The Industrial Revolution" or "The Roman Empire" but it is just about right for a short biography.
Geronimo may have fought with the United States and was eventually captured by the U.S. Army (many, many times) but he was really angry with Mexicans. Mexico was his primary enemy because Mexican soldiers killed his family and friends while he was on a legitimate trip to a Mexican town to get supplies.
From that point on, as the United States and Mexico encroached on traditional Apache territories, Geronimo fought both groups - but he focused on Mexico whenever he could.
The book comes up short with his years in captivity, except to note that, depending on the time period, the security went from severe to very, very lax.
I rate this e-book 4 stars out of 5.
See all of my reviews of Hourly History books here:
https://dwdsreviews.blogspot.com/sear...
Geronimo (1829-1909) is the Apache leader that is famous for having fought just about everybody that encroached on his people's land. Later on, when he had surrendered he was shipped all over the place to different reservations.
That was pretty much the facts that I knew about Geronimo and I thought that I really needed to add more to that. After all, he is one of the few Native Americans that everyone has heard of.
Hourly History write histories and biographies that you can read in about an hour. That can be a tough job for big topics in history like "The Industrial Revolution" or "The Roman Empire" but it is just about right for a short biography.
Geronimo may have fought with the United States and was eventually captured by the U.S. Army (many, many times) but he was really angry with Mexicans. Mexico was his primary enemy because Mexican soldiers killed his family and friends while he was on a legitimate trip to a Mexican town to get supplies.
From that point on, as the United States and Mexico encroached on traditional Apache territories, Geronimo fought both groups - but he focused on Mexico whenever he could.
The book comes up short with his years in captivity, except to note that, depending on the time period, the security went from severe to very, very lax.
I rate this e-book 4 stars out of 5.
See all of my reviews of Hourly History books here:
https://dwdsreviews.blogspot.com/sear...
June 14, 2020
Breaking Bad
Geronimo led a long and interesting life. The story begins with his birth, thus A Life from Beginning to End. First came the U.S. Government forcing the Apache settlement to move to a reservation to clear the way for white settlers. The selected reservation was uninhabitable, and the Apache negotiated for a better venue almost on the U.S.- Mexico border.
The Apache routinely traded with the white men. One such trip ended with all of the women and children, as well as the men left to guard them, being massacred by the Mexicans. The slain included Geronimo's wife, children and mother. The remainder of Geronimo's life was driven by vengeance.
This is an interesting and informative read. Having heard the name Geronimo from childhood, I never knew the story of the man.
1
Geronimo led a long and interesting life. The story begins with his birth, thus A Life from Beginning to End. First came the U.S. Government forcing the Apache settlement to move to a reservation to clear the way for white settlers. The selected reservation was uninhabitable, and the Apache negotiated for a better venue almost on the U.S.- Mexico border.
The Apache routinely traded with the white men. One such trip ended with all of the women and children, as well as the men left to guard them, being massacred by the Mexicans. The slain included Geronimo's wife, children and mother. The remainder of Geronimo's life was driven by vengeance.
This is an interesting and informative read. Having heard the name Geronimo from childhood, I never knew the story of the man.
1
August 3, 2021
Al ser apache, Gerónimo aprendió algunas actividades características de su tribu como cazar animales salvajes, correr largas distancias en el desierto, montar a caballo, usar el arco y la flecha.
Antes de la creación de México 🇲🇽 y EUA 🇺🇲 ya existían diversos pueblos originarios en lo que conocemos hoy como Norteamérica. Poco a poco fueron desplazando a esos pueblos indios de sus tierras, lo que generó problemas constantes entre estados militarizados e indios bravíos, pero mal armados.
Gerónimo fue un apache rebelde incluso para su propia etnia. En su juventud, su familia fue asesinada por el ejército mexicano, situación que le llevó a atacar constantemente poblaciones del noroeste de México. Después fue el ejército yanqui quien comenzó a acosarlo en la época de expansionismo de EUA hacia el Pacífico.
Progresivamente, esos pueblos indios fueron diezmados, hasta recluirlos en reservaciones en las que nunca se halló cómodo Gerónimo. Él y su pandilla fueron acusados de alcoholismo, saqueo, robo de licores, asesinatos y otros delitos hasta que finalmente fue capturado y terminó sus días tristemente: trabajando como atracción circense, autografiando fotos.
#Geronimo #books #libros #Bücher #livros #libres #llibres #libri #книги #reading #lectura #lettura #lecture #Lesen #leitura #чтeние #apaches
Antes de la creación de México 🇲🇽 y EUA 🇺🇲 ya existían diversos pueblos originarios en lo que conocemos hoy como Norteamérica. Poco a poco fueron desplazando a esos pueblos indios de sus tierras, lo que generó problemas constantes entre estados militarizados e indios bravíos, pero mal armados.
Gerónimo fue un apache rebelde incluso para su propia etnia. En su juventud, su familia fue asesinada por el ejército mexicano, situación que le llevó a atacar constantemente poblaciones del noroeste de México. Después fue el ejército yanqui quien comenzó a acosarlo en la época de expansionismo de EUA hacia el Pacífico.
Progresivamente, esos pueblos indios fueron diezmados, hasta recluirlos en reservaciones en las que nunca se halló cómodo Gerónimo. Él y su pandilla fueron acusados de alcoholismo, saqueo, robo de licores, asesinatos y otros delitos hasta que finalmente fue capturado y terminó sus días tristemente: trabajando como atracción circense, autografiando fotos.
#Geronimo #books #libros #Bücher #livros #libres #llibres #libri #книги #reading #lectura #lettura #lecture #Lesen #leitura #чтeние #apaches
July 17, 2020
** Some Spoilers **
There is a lot of information in this short biography. I think I would have given it five stars but there are some glaring typos, such as using the date 1962 regarding Abraham Lincoln when it should be 1862. I did feel I learned a lot about Geronimo by reading this that I didn't know before reading it. I found this biography very sad and tragic, and in the end ironic. History is recorded in the eyes of the historian and I am sure Geronimo would have seen his raids in an entirely different way than outsiders, considering the fact that Geronimo's beloved wife, children, and mother were murdered. In that respect, he was almost like a "Braveheart" figure, in my opinion. The revenge killings went on for years on all sides and I couldn't help feeling sad and wishing none of it had happened. His life in the end was quite ironic. I thought this book was worth the read.
There is a lot of information in this short biography. I think I would have given it five stars but there are some glaring typos, such as using the date 1962 regarding Abraham Lincoln when it should be 1862. I did feel I learned a lot about Geronimo by reading this that I didn't know before reading it. I found this biography very sad and tragic, and in the end ironic. History is recorded in the eyes of the historian and I am sure Geronimo would have seen his raids in an entirely different way than outsiders, considering the fact that Geronimo's beloved wife, children, and mother were murdered. In that respect, he was almost like a "Braveheart" figure, in my opinion. The revenge killings went on for years on all sides and I couldn't help feeling sad and wishing none of it had happened. His life in the end was quite ironic. I thought this book was worth the read.
May 26, 2023
A Must Read of Native American people
A fascinating history of Geronimo and Cochise. I had no idea the the Apache first had skirmishes with the Mexicans. Not until the end of the Civil War did American troops travel west to counter the Apache. There was a lot of distrust and misunderstanding between the three groups. Eventually the Americans hired other Apache warriors to curtail Geronimo. Geronimo died in 1909 at the age of 79 and even was allowed to be present at the inauguration of Theodore Roosevelt. I would have enjoyed history during my schooling if I had been exposed to this vital knowledge instead of having to memorize a bunch of " important dates!" History is now my favorite read.
A fascinating history of Geronimo and Cochise. I had no idea the the Apache first had skirmishes with the Mexicans. Not until the end of the Civil War did American troops travel west to counter the Apache. There was a lot of distrust and misunderstanding between the three groups. Eventually the Americans hired other Apache warriors to curtail Geronimo. Geronimo died in 1909 at the age of 79 and even was allowed to be present at the inauguration of Theodore Roosevelt. I would have enjoyed history during my schooling if I had been exposed to this vital knowledge instead of having to memorize a bunch of " important dates!" History is now my favorite read.
November 26, 2024
I realize these books are just a skim, given they are short enough to read in an hour. But, they seem to suffer from similar issues, which is you get a good idea of the person's life story and then the end is rushed. Like, there was no explanation of how was Geronimo captured that last time. I completely understood the source of his anger through most of his life, but then there was zero mention of how he was convinced to do the things he did in his later life that were so antithetical to how he'd lived prior to his final capture.
December 17, 2021
Geronimo
I'm reading factual stories of important members of different native American tribes and this book was one of a list of about 4 books that I choose to read. As a truck driver, I once delivered a load of washers and dryers to the San Carlos Reservation. I was interested in how life on the reservation had changed from 1877 to when I was there. I enjoyed reading the book and I found it very interesting and informative.
I'm reading factual stories of important members of different native American tribes and this book was one of a list of about 4 books that I choose to read. As a truck driver, I once delivered a load of washers and dryers to the San Carlos Reservation. I was interested in how life on the reservation had changed from 1877 to when I was there. I enjoyed reading the book and I found it very interesting and informative.
January 21, 2021
A great book using original statements from Geronimo himself. His boyhood & becoming a true warrior was very detailed including escaping death & his battles with the Mexican military who. Slaughtered his people including his wife & children. A must read if you like history or Native American history.
March 16, 2023
Another highly interesting chapter of Native American history.
Geronimo is a controversial person, motivated by personal tragedy but still on the wrong side of the law.
This character's profile gives the whole series more objectiveness despite portraying the devastating tragedy of Native Americans it also makes clear that there were atrocities on both sides.
Geronimo is a controversial person, motivated by personal tragedy but still on the wrong side of the law.
This character's profile gives the whole series more objectiveness despite portraying the devastating tragedy of Native Americans it also makes clear that there were atrocities on both sides.
April 18, 2023
A warrior
This hourly history does a very good job of telling the story of Geronimo. It shows how Geronimo became the warrior feared by Mexicans and Americans . Not a chief in the sense we think of a chief, but a leader of his people. This read is one to be read by fans of the Old West.
This hourly history does a very good job of telling the story of Geronimo. It shows how Geronimo became the warrior feared by Mexicans and Americans . Not a chief in the sense we think of a chief, but a leader of his people. This read is one to be read by fans of the Old West.
June 12, 2020
It seemed like a pretty fair history of the Apache Mexican and American wars. Although the ending is different from another accounting that I had previously read. Certainly there was equal amounts of injustice from all sides. In the end, the leopard could not change his spots.
April 9, 2021
Very Sad story about a great man
Geromimo was an honest man who was treated ungrateful young treated by the US government and military. His family was was murdered by the Mexicans. He never recovered.
Geromimo was an honest man who was treated ungrateful young treated by the US government and military. His family was was murdered by the Mexicans. He never recovered.
February 14, 2024
The Truth About Geronimo
Bigger than life with terrorized multiple peoples and killing lots of Mexicans and frontier people, he died of old age.
In his youth he was fearless and was injured several times.
Bigger than life with terrorized multiple peoples and killing lots of Mexicans and frontier people, he died of old age.
In his youth he was fearless and was injured several times.
February 26, 2024
An excellent summarized history of the life of the great Apache leader Geronimo. I'm dating myself, but as boys, my brother and I would yell, "Geronimo!!!!" when we would jump off rocks into a river, or a diving board into a pool, etc. It was a sign of respect we had for the fearsome Apache.
October 17, 2025
A Very Interesting Read
I previously had heard of Geronimo and had little knowledge of his history. This book provided a nice, concise amount of information. I was surprised that while he was affected like the rest of the native americans by the expansion of while americans, it seemed that he was able to live a more free life while he inflicted his justice on the Mexicans and others that wronged him or his people.
I previously had heard of Geronimo and had little knowledge of his history. This book provided a nice, concise amount of information. I was surprised that while he was affected like the rest of the native americans by the expansion of while americans, it seemed that he was able to live a more free life while he inflicted his justice on the Mexicans and others that wronged him or his people.
June 15, 2020
Well written. Will stir your interest in Native American History.
June 23, 2020
Enjoyed this hourly history book.
I found this book very interesting and read it twice. I didn't know much about Geronimo but only from movies.
I found this book very interesting and read it twice. I didn't know much about Geronimo but only from movies.
July 1, 2020
Interesting, but hard to imagine his life at the same time as what's going on in Europe.
August 24, 2020
Interesting!
The more I read of Indian cultures the more I believe that the lack of written language was there biggest down fall.
The more I read of Indian cultures the more I believe that the lack of written language was there biggest down fall.
December 4, 2021
An amazing life of the man
This account of the infamous Apache Geronimo is quite detailed
tragic, shocking and overall amazing
A Very well done biography
This account of the infamous Apache Geronimo is quite detailed
tragic, shocking and overall amazing
A Very well done biography
November 30, 2022
Geronimo
This is a very good book, with a good story line about a young Apache named Geronimo, and his life .
This is a very good book, with a good story line about a young Apache named Geronimo, and his life .
Read
January 5, 2023Quick and interesting biography of an impressive man. Worth the read.
December 11, 2024
Geronimo
Very interesting book on life of Geronimo. But could have had some photos of him and the other Chiefs. Good.
Very interesting book on life of Geronimo. But could have had some photos of him and the other Chiefs. Good.
March 26, 2025
brief history
This is a brief history of the Apache Geronimo from his birth to his death. Included is a discussion of the Apache life on and off the reservation.
This is a brief history of the Apache Geronimo from his birth to his death. Included is a discussion of the Apache life on and off the reservation.
February 17, 2022
I found the book to be sketchy at best. Seemed to be written like a middle school student's report. If you're looking to reading some real information about Geronimo, look elsewhere.
June 17, 2025
No man is inherently bad. However, serious circumstances may lead to a change in a person’s views on life. In the case of Geronimo, the death of his family resulted in his deep hatred for the Mexicans and U.S. troops.
Geronimo led a normal and carefree childhood, raised in the traditional native Indian life. He once said,
As he grew into adolescence, his father taught him the skills needed to survive the rigorous realities of daily life. He was trained on how to go about long stretches without food and water. Sadly, though, during the beginning of his training, Geronimo’s father died. And so, the official training was bestowed upon another relative. The ultimate test of this novice period was participating in an active raid. Geronimo successfully passed his tests at the age of 17.
The Tragedy
Soon after finishing his training, Geronimo took a wife with whom he had three children. They had a happy life together until an incident happened. On one occasion, while Geronimo and his fellow tribesmen were out to trade with the Mexicans, a group of Mexicans attacked their village and massacred many people. Among the dead were Geronimo’s mother, wife, and their 3 children. This enraged Geronimo so much that he was determined to avenge his family. And, because he was the one who lost the most in the massacre, the Apache chief allowed him to lead the raids against the Mexicans.
Geronimo grew ruthless and became fearless. He gathered other Apache tribes and formed a band of warriors. Together, they pillage Mexican villages one after another. Despite several counterattacks from the Mexican army and the number of casualties in their ranks, the Apache warrior was relentless.
The Book and the Author
Produced by Hourly History, Geronimo: A Life from Beginning to End provides the reader with a general view of who the legendary Geronimo was. I appreciate the author for coming up with this kind of read. It helps the reader to have a quick glimpse of the Native Americans’ struggle to defend their homeland.
Although I understand that the book is a quick read, I would have wanted to learn more about the protagonist. I was particularly curious about the name Geronimo especially because such a name is unusual in the Native American tradition. Thankfully, I found a biography of the protagonist from where I learned many things about the relentless warrior. I also learned that Geronimo’s Indian name was Go Khia yeh¹. It was actually the Mexicans who named him Geronimo.
Overall, I give Geronimo: A Life from Beginning to End a rating of 5 out of 5 stars. And, I highly recommend the book to readers of all ages, especially among those interested in history.
CITATION:
¹Geronimo, and S. M Barrett. Geronimo’s Story of His Life. New York, Duffield & Company, 1906. Pdf. https://www.loc.gov/item/06035725/.
NOTE: The above review is also found in Books for All Seasons.
Geronimo led a normal and carefree childhood, raised in the traditional native Indian life. He once said,
“I was born on the prairies where the wind blew free and there was nothing to break the light of the sun. I was born where there were no enclosures.”
As he grew into adolescence, his father taught him the skills needed to survive the rigorous realities of daily life. He was trained on how to go about long stretches without food and water. Sadly, though, during the beginning of his training, Geronimo’s father died. And so, the official training was bestowed upon another relative. The ultimate test of this novice period was participating in an active raid. Geronimo successfully passed his tests at the age of 17.
The Tragedy
Soon after finishing his training, Geronimo took a wife with whom he had three children. They had a happy life together until an incident happened. On one occasion, while Geronimo and his fellow tribesmen were out to trade with the Mexicans, a group of Mexicans attacked their village and massacred many people. Among the dead were Geronimo’s mother, wife, and their 3 children. This enraged Geronimo so much that he was determined to avenge his family. And, because he was the one who lost the most in the massacre, the Apache chief allowed him to lead the raids against the Mexicans.
Geronimo grew ruthless and became fearless. He gathered other Apache tribes and formed a band of warriors. Together, they pillage Mexican villages one after another. Despite several counterattacks from the Mexican army and the number of casualties in their ranks, the Apache warrior was relentless.
The Book and the Author
Produced by Hourly History, Geronimo: A Life from Beginning to End provides the reader with a general view of who the legendary Geronimo was. I appreciate the author for coming up with this kind of read. It helps the reader to have a quick glimpse of the Native Americans’ struggle to defend their homeland.
Although I understand that the book is a quick read, I would have wanted to learn more about the protagonist. I was particularly curious about the name Geronimo especially because such a name is unusual in the Native American tradition. Thankfully, I found a biography of the protagonist from where I learned many things about the relentless warrior. I also learned that Geronimo’s Indian name was Go Khia yeh¹. It was actually the Mexicans who named him Geronimo.
Overall, I give Geronimo: A Life from Beginning to End a rating of 5 out of 5 stars. And, I highly recommend the book to readers of all ages, especially among those interested in history.
CITATION:
¹Geronimo, and S. M Barrett. Geronimo’s Story of His Life. New York, Duffield & Company, 1906. Pdf. https://www.loc.gov/item/06035725/.
NOTE: The above review is also found in Books for All Seasons.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews