Into the West

by Max McCoy

The events, triumphs, and tragedies of the opening of the American West are seen through the eyes of members of two different families--one white and one Lakota. Original. (A TNT television miniseries, releasing June 2005, starring Sean Astin, Simon Baker, Beau Bridges, Josh Brolin, Tom Berenger, & Gary Busey, among others) (Western)

Genres: Historical Fiction, Westerns

288 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published June 7, 2005

About the author

Max McCoy is an award-winning journalist and author. He’s won awards for his reporting on unsolved murders, serial killers, and hate groups. In addition to his daily newspaper work, Max has written for publications as diverse as American Photographer, True West, and The New Territory. He’s the author of four original Indiana Jones adventures for Lucasfilm/Bantam and the novelization of the epic TNT miniseries, Into the West. His novels, including Damnation Road, have won three Spur awards from the Western Writers of America. His novels, Hellfire Canyon and Of Grave Concern, have also been named Kansas Notable Books by the state library. He's a tenured professor of journalism at Emporia State University, in east central Kansas, where he specializes in investigative reporting and nonfiction narrative. He's also director of the university’s Center for Great Plains Studies. His most recent book is Elevations: A Personal Exploration of the Arkansas River, from the University Press of Kansas.

Reviews

[Carla · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book! I've read the book when I was in the 6th grade and finished it quite quickly. It was that interesting. Max McCoy was able to show the vivid imagery of how America expanded ever westward and how the European population interacted with America's Native population, both the negative and positive. While the story mainly focuses on the Lakota/Dakota/Nakota Nation, it does include a few of the native nations in California.

On a side note.... I've also managed to watch the TNT series of the same name after reading the book. Luckily, three of my good friends were in the Series. I highly recommend the book and the series.

[Brandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book came out right from the movie/series so there wasn't anything new in it. The story is so good for the first half and then you lose the other characters - the ones you really care about. The whole story is great though. But you never find out what happened to Naomi or Abe.

[Laura Chavez · Rating 5 out of 5]

An incredible quick read that reshapes the way you view the history of the American frontier. Mixed with fictional characters and real events, the novel expertly lays out the cold truth of what transpired during a time that has been horribly retold throughout the years. It’s brutal, it is real and it’s exactly what people need to know. An emotional connection is important and that is what helps guide the reader to a newer level of knowledge about the United States.

[Kathy Overstreet]

Another one that I like to read more than once!

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really wish I could find the unabridged version. For a western this was a really good book.