Encyclopedia of American Indian Wars 1492-1890

Book Description

The wars with the Indians were the longest running conflict in American history. This highly illustrated encyclopedia reveals the common threads that weave through the four centuries of clashes, from Columbus's voyage to the Wounded Knee Massacre. While people automatically think of the Revolutionary War or the Civil War as defining moments in American history, the wars with the Indians were strikingly important in shaping the destiny and mythology of the nation. Encyclopedia of American Indian Wars notes the inevitability of conflict between western and native cultures given the great disparity in values and customs, especially with regard to land ownership. It also analyzes the many indirect changes in Indian lifestyles caused by the settlers --such as the introduction of iron implements and firearms --which changed the balance of power between traditional enemies. In a wide-ranging panorama of 450 entries and 70 illustrations, this comprehensive volume provides an in-depth analysis of pivotal battles, famous and infamous leaders, and broken treaties. It explores lesser known subjects, such as dog soldiers, ghost dancing, scalping and scalp bounties, staked plains, praying towns, the Galvanized Confederates, and stories of white captives, some of whom preferred life with Indian captors over rescue. Encyclopedia of American Indian Wars paints a complete, objective, and detailed picture of the bloody conflicts that gave birth to the nation --and their terrible cost.

Customer Reviews:

great reading!.......2000-06-10

This is a book definately worth reading if you are at all interested in american/indian history.

Book Description

Ben and his family are slaves to Mister Tom until they plan a daring escape in the middle of the night and go south to Florida, to Indian territory. They have a long and dangerous journey ahead. But maybe among the Seminoles, they will find a place of their own—and freedom.
“History and drama blend seamlessly in this advanced chapter book.”
—The Horn Book Magazine
Kim Siegelson was the 2000 Georgia Author of the Year for Children’s Literature. She won a Coretta Scott King Award for In the Time of the Drums.

Like Beads on a String: A Culture History of the Seminole Indians in North Peninsular Florida

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Like Beads on a String: A Culture History of the Seminole Indians in North Peninsular Florida
Brent R. Weisman
Manufacturer: University Alabama Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

The Black Seminole Legacy and North American Politics, 1693-1845

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A scholarly, accessible study

The Black Seminole Legacy and North American Politics, 1693-1845
Bruce Edward Twyman
Manufacturer: Howard University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

ASIN: 0882582046

Customer Reviews:

A scholarly, accessible study.......2002-07-12

The Black Seminole Legacy And North American Politics 1693-1845 by educator and historian Bruce Edward Twyman is a scholarly, accessible study of fugitive slaves who fled to Florida and formed alliances with Native peoples, mostly Seminoles. Known as "Black Seminoles", these independent-minded people had a profound effect on the politics of Spain, Britain, and the United States especially from 1693 to 1845. The influence that Black Seminoles had on United States presidents, and the particular contributions of the Black Seminole leader Abraham, are scrutinized in depth in this fascinating account that delves deep into an often-overlooked side of American history. Ideal for both academia and the non-specialist general reader with an interest in Native American Studies, The Black Seminole Legacy And North American Politics 1693-1845 is highly recommended reading.

Freedom on the Border: The Seminole Maroons in Florida, the Indian Territory, Coahuila, and Texas

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a rollickin' good yarn - unputdownable

Freedom on the Border: The Seminole Maroons in Florida, the Indian Territory, Coahuila, and Texas
Kevin Mulroy
Manufacturer: Texas Tech University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Americas | History | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0896722503

Customer Reviews:

a rollickin' good yarn - unputdownable.......1999-11-11

Kevin, as always, is a master story teller. This book blends that mastery with a sound knowledge of the subject matter evidencing lots of research. Brings a few tears, but well worth reading.....

Art of the Florida Seminole and Miccosukee Indians

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the best out there

Art of the Florida Seminole and Miccosukee Indians
Dorothy Downs
Manufacturer: University Press of Florida
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Instructional & How-To | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

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Folk Art | Schools, Periods & Styles | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0813015367

Customer Reviews:

the best out there.......2003-06-13

While I would have preferred more illustrations, this is still one of the best books out there on Seminole art and artifacts. This is a must have if you are interested in Seminole material culture. Such a shame it is out of print.

Unconquered People: Florida's Seminole and Miccosukee Indians (Native Peoples, Cultures, and Places of the Southeastern United States Series)

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Unconquered People: Florida's Seminole and Miccosukee Indians (Native Peoples, Cultures, and Places of the Southeastern United States Series)
Brent Richards Weisman
Manufacturer: University Press of Florida
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Americas | History | Subjects | Books

General | World | History | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0813016630

My Life in the Old Army: The Reminiscences of Abner Doubleday from the Collections of the New-York Historical Society

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My Life in the Old Army: The Reminiscences of Abner Doubleday from the Collections of the New-York Historical Society
Abner Doubleday , and Joseph E. Chance
Manufacturer: Texas Christian University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Military & Spies | Professionals & Academics | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

General | Military | History | Subjects | Books

The Anthropology of Florida (Classics Southeast Archaeology)

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The Anthropology of Florida (Classics Southeast Archaeology)
Ales Hrdlicka
Manufacturer: University Alabama Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
ASIN: 0817353593

Book Description

A fundamental work on the peopling of the Americas.

This volume, originally published in 1922, constitutes the most complete summary of anthropological information on Florida up until that point. Not only does it consider all previous research on Florida archaeology, physical anthropology, and aboriginal history, it also contains Hrdlicka’s analysis of every human bone from Florida that he could find in collections. He made remarkably accurate observations about the general physical types of prehistoric Florida Indians and how they compared to native peoples of surrounding regions.

Aleš Hrdlicka, M.D., 1869–1943, was a physical anthropologist and founder of the American Association of Physical Anthropologists and the American Journal of Physical Anthropology, and he was its editor from 1918 until 1942. Jeffrey M. Mitchem is a research archaeologist with the Arkansas Archeological Survey who edited and introduced both The West and Central Florida Expeditions of Clarence Bloomfield Moore and The East Florida Expeditions of Clarence Bloomfield Moore.

The Seminole Wars: America's Longest Indian Conflict (The Florida History and Culture Series)

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Draws upon diaries, military reports, & archival newspapers

The Seminole Wars: America's Longest Indian Conflict (The Florida History and Culture Series)
John Missall , and Mary Lou Missall
Manufacturer: University Press of Florida
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Americas | History | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0813027152

Book Description

The Seminole Wars were the longest, bloodiest, and most costly of all the Indian wars fought by this nation. Written for a popular audience, this illustrated history is the first book to provide a comprehensive overview of all three wars. John and Mary Lou Missall examine not only the wars that were fought between 1817 and 1858 but also the events leading up to them and their place in American history. In particular it sheds new light on the relationship between the wars, the issue of slavery, and the prevailing attitudes toward Native Americans.

While fought in Florida, the Seminole Wars were a major concern to the nation as a whole. In addition to the issue of slavery, a culture of national arrogance and religious fervor fostered an attitude that allowed the conflicts to happen.

The first war, led by General Andrew Jackson, was part of an attempt to wrest Florida from Spain and had international repercussions that led to a lengthy congressional investigation. The second, which lasted seven years, took the lives of more than 1,500 soldiers and resulted in the forced removal of more than 3,000 Seminole Indians from Florida and the deaths of countless others. During 1836 and 1837 it was the predominant story in national newspapers, and public support for the war was fueled in part by fear among slaveholders that black Seminoles might inspire a general slave uprising. The third war, fought on the eve of the Civil War, was an attempt to remove the final remnants of the Seminole Nation from their homes in the Everglades.

The authors describe the wars as both a military and a moral embarrassment--a sad chapter in American history that has been overshadowed by the Civil War and by Indian wars fought west of the Mississippi. The conflicts were the nation's first guerrilla wars. They offered the country its first opportunity for aggressive territorial expansion and highlighted the dangers of an inflexible government policy. Analyzing events of the wars against larger issues, the authors observe: "It often seems as if the Seminole Nation was the nail being pounded by the hammer of American policy. What interested us most was why the hammer was swung in the first place."

Based on original research that makes use of diaries, military reports, and archival newspapers, this work will be of interest to general readers as well as historians of Florida and Native American life and to those who study the antebellum South and the early American Republic.

Customer Reviews:

Draws upon diaries, military reports, & archival newspapers.......2004-07-17

There were actually three wars between armed forces of the United States government and the Seminole Indian tribes of Florida. The first was led by General Andrew Jackson in 1817 and was a facet of the attempt by Americans to acquire Florida from Spain by force of arms. The second of the Seminole Wars raged over seven years and resulted in the deaths of more than 1,500 soldiers and the forced removal of more than 3,000 Seminole Indians from Florida -- along the deaths of hundreds (perhaps thousands - the true number is unknown) of others. The third and last of the Seminole Indian Wars took place in 1858 when the country was on the eve of the Civil War and was an ultimately unsuccessful attempt to remove the final remnants of the Seminole Nations from their homes and hunting grounds within in the Florida Everglades. In The Seminole Wars: America's Longest Indian Conflict, historians John and May Lou (they serve on the board of directors of the Seminole Wars Historic Foundation) draw upon diaries, military reports, and archival newspapers to reveal new aspects and impacts of the Seminole Wars upon the relationships between the three conflicts, the pre-Civil War issues of slavery, as well as the then prevalent attitudes toward Native Americans, and the political/military attempts to establish national security. The Seminole Wars is an impressively informative contribution and a welcome addition to 19th Century American History Studies and Native American Studies reading lists and library reference collections.

The origin, progress, and conclusion of the Florida War (Seminole Wars Historic Foundation contribution)

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The Definitive Source

The origin, progress, and conclusion of the Florida War (Seminole Wars Historic Foundation contribution)
J. T Sprague
Manufacturer: University of Tampa Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Customer Reviews:

The Definitive Source .......2007-05-14

Sprague's account of the Florida War is, to my knowledge, the definitive source for any student of this American conflict. It is one of the few book-length works on the subject and, without any doubt, the most complete treatment of the war. Sprague includes letters from the commanders, copies of U.S.-Seminole treaties, as well as detailed reproductions of civilian accounts of some events. The style of writing employed by Sprague is easy to read and hardly ever dry as his personal passion comes through in his voice, without overbearing didacticism.

For anyone interested in the history of the Seminole people or U.S.-Native American conflicts, this book is a must have for your library!

Amazon.com's Best of 2001

Oliver Sacks's luminous memoir charts the growth of a mind. Born in 1933 into a family of formidably intelligent London Jews, he discovered the wonders of the physical sciences early from his parents and their flock of brilliant siblings, most notably "Uncle Tungsten" (real name, Dave), who "manufactured lightbulbs with filaments of fine tungsten wire." Metals were the substances that first attracted young Oliver, and his descriptions of their colors, textures, and properties are as sensuous and romantic as an art lover's rhapsodies over an Old Master. Seamlessly interwoven with his personal recollections is a masterful survey of scientific history, with emphasis on the great chemists like Robert Boyle, Antoine Lavoisier, and Humphry Davy (Sacks's personal hero). Yet this is not a dry intellectual autobiography; his parents in particular, both doctors, are vividly sketched. His sociable father loved house calls and "was drawn to medicine because its practice was central in human society," while his shy mother "had an intense feeling for structure ... for her [medicine] was part of natural history and biology." For young Oliver, unhappy at the brutal boarding school he was sent to during the war, and afraid that he would become mentally ill like his older brother, chemistry was a refuge in an uncertain world. He would outgrow his passion for metals and become a neurologist, but as readers of Awakenings and The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat know, he would never leave behind his conviction that science is a profoundly human endeavor. --Wendy Smith

Book Description

Long before Oliver Sacks became a distinguished neurologist and bestselling writer, he was a small English boy fascinated by metals–also by chemical reactions (the louder and smellier the better), photography, squids and cuttlefish, H.G. Wells, and the periodic table. In this endlessly charming and eloquent memoir, the author of The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat and Awakenings chronicles his love affair with science and the magnificently odd and sometimes harrowing childhood in which that love affair unfolded.

In Uncle Tungsten we meet Sacks’ extraordinary family, from his surgeon mother (who introduces the fourteen-year-old Oliver to the art of human dissection) and his father, a family doctor who imbues in his son an early enthusiasm for housecalls, to his “Uncle Tungsten,” whose factory produces tungsten-filament lightbulbs. We follow the young Oliver as he is exiled at the age of six to a grim, sadistic boarding school to escape the London Blitz, and later watch as he sets about passionately reliving the exploits of his chemical heroes–in his own home laboratory. Uncle Tungsten is a crystalline view of a brilliant young mind springing to life, a story of growing up which is by turns elegiac, comic, and wistful, full of the electrifying joy of discovery.

Customer Reviews:

Uncle Oliver.......2007-07-19

The relationship between uncle and nephew is the most precious. Why? Because nephews confide in uncles like they don't confide in a father or mother. And uncles are sort of pseudo fathers to nephews. The responsibility of an uncle is not less than a father: to inspire and stimulate the child wherever he resists parental influence. I would imagine the rapport between an aunt and a niece is the same way, looking up to the corresponding role model and same sex mentor.

Although Dr. Sacks paints a portrait of his extended family in this book, his Uncle Dave "Tungsten" is highlighted as an important source of inspiration. His retelling of his childhood and adolescence is fascinating. This is a beautiful book, sometimes overwhelming when scientific lingo becomes predominant but very warm and engaging. Even with a poor knowledge in chemistry -- my case -- it's immensely enjoyable. Dr. Sacks' childhood memories are colorful, jam-packed, very serious at times but also humorous, a bit like John Boorman's movie "Hope and Glory".

I wish all children were introduced to science like this!.......2007-05-15

Sigh...as a science educator who sees students turned off of science in spite of it being much more interesting and useful then English and history, it's frustrating to read about a child whose family managed to convey the fun of science. I've enjoyed Oliver Sacks books so much. He is such a great person, a great neurologist, a great writer who manages to introduce the world to his scientific world and keep them interested. Too bad we cannot get someone like Sacks to write some of our textbooks because they are too dry, without showing the practical applications of the science. Sack's was lucky in having a family with immense background in the sciences, who spent their entire lives performing or doing science in some way. Very few of us have access to the equipment and the materials needed to do lab science at home, but Sacks did have access to this stuff and he certainly made the most of it.

Sack's stories include information about his big family and their great variety of work in the sciences. His descriptions of his family members, his memories are filled with both love and awe for their patience with him and his interests in sciences which sometimes were not the same as theirs (his mom and dad wanted him to be a physician, and not a chemist).

Sack's books are usually compendiums of short stories, which make for interesting reading. He has had so many intriguing forays into different fields of chemistry, and his ability to remember the textbooks and the books that famous scientists from that golden age in England and Germany are phenomenal in the recall. I remember the teacher in science who made such an impact on my perception of science, and I am only too aware of how short we are in obtaining good science teachers and introducing science programs into public schools. Maybe reading this book will encourage other young people with talent to look into science as a career possibility.

Karen L. SAdler

Memory is Precious.......2007-03-15

I loved reading this book for multiple reasons, but I will restrict myself to mentioning two. The first is that it is a well constructed story with excellent writing---a combination I cannot resist. The narrative moves at a pace to engage and captivate the reader without making the story just a rush to get to the next page. Writing that is thoughtful makes sure that the reader will savor and think about the events presented. This is worth a read merely to have the understanding of one more perspective presented well.

But there is more to the book that makes me give this an enthusiastic five stars. As a chemist I was delighted to read a book that gave insight into this space of history of the chemistry profession. The history is two-fold: first it is a history of childhood enthusiasm for science and second it is a history of chemistry in the middle of the 1900s. many a child is enthusiastic about something. For all those children who loved science but never had the means to explore this book will bring sadness at what they lost for not being given such freedom and support. But the book also brings joy at reading that someone, somewhere had the chance to be the brilliant child you always thought you were. Today we highly restrict certain chemicals and also have an emphasis on safety in working with all chemicals. Sacks presents a time period when chemistry and science in general was done with little concern for safety. Instead of glossing over things Sacks presents information and experiments without deluding the reading into thinking it was perfectly safe.

This book is an excellent exploration of multiple themes that are well worth thinking about. I challenge anyone to read it and not find something in it that doesn't provoke some thoughts about what you are doing now with what you are enthusiastic about or what you loved childhood and now have lost as an adult.

If you rated it poorly, you'll never understand........2006-07-15

I ran across this book quite by accident, on the bottom shelf of the Engineering section in the bowels of a major brick-and-mortar bookstore. Perusing the first few pages convinced me to give it a try. I was hooked, and devoured the book in two nights.

There are enough reviews here to give you a feel for the book. My only point for writing this is that those who have given the book poor reviews simply don't "get it", nor, likely, shall they. If you grew up with an avid interest in what makes the world work, wore out VHS tapes of Cosmos, and were reading Gribbin, Rucker, and Asimov (nonfiction) in second grade, you "get it" and will adore this book. Sacks's voracious appetite for knowledge at this young age mirrored my own, and his enjoyment of discovery for discovery's sake made me nostalgic of my own youth within the first few pages - an amazing testimonial of the timelessness of his relevance, given the nearly-50-year difference in our ages.

Note: I'm a professional manager of computer geeks, not a chemist.

A Chemical Childhood.......2006-05-28

Oliver Sacks is one of my favorite authors and I especially like his autobiographical-chemical tome "Uncle Tungsten: Memories of a Chemical Boyhood." I read it a while back and never reviewed it, but on the second reading while flying from El Paso, Texas, to Washington, DC, recently I was so delighted with it that I thought that I would put in my 2 cents worth.

I was lucky enough to meet Oliver Sacks about the time I read this book the first time and had a chance to talk with him (with a group of students) for a few minutes after his lecture. He is certainly a very interesting man and well versed in a number of fields.

His book on his early life and his association with chemistry as a nearly all consuming hobby was in many ways somewhat echoed in my own childhood- except I became consumed by both astronomy and chemistry in my teens. Still, like Sacks, I performed a number of experiments with a friend of mine that would now curl the hair of any parent, and in the process learned a lot about chemistry (it was my favorite science after biological sciences in college). Also like Sacks I became a biological scientist, but in a different specialty. Unfortunately I had no relatives who remotely understood my interests and I do envy him for his uncles and even his parents, who were not always so supportive, but did give him a love of learning and science.

Sacks has written an account of his early life with its sorrows (being sent away to a boarding school run by a sadistic head master during the Blitz in London) and the ecstasies (chemistry, books, science history and even marine biology)of a young boy caught up in the pure love of science and life, despite the trials. The book is simply charming and shows what a resourceful child can do, even under often difficult times, to make his or her life interesting and even joyful.

I recommend this book highly. It will brighten up any reader's day.

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Loving things

Uncle Tungsten
Oliver Sacks
Manufacturer: Picador
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

General | Science | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0330390287

Customer Reviews:

Loving things.......2006-07-28

It reveals a wonderful way of discovering and loving chemistry, showing that it's everywhere.

Uncle Tungsten Memories of a Chemical Bo

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Uncle Tungsten Memories of a Chemical Bo
Oliver Sacks
Manufacturer: ALFRED A KNOPF
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000W7WG6C

Uncle Tungsten, Memories of a Chemical Boyhood (2001, Knopf) a Borzoi Book

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Uncle Tungsten, Memories of a Chemical Boyhood (2001, Knopf) a Borzoi Book

Manufacturer: Alfred A. Knopf (USA)/Borzoi
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000GAY60O

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Uncle Tungsten: Memories Of A Chemical Boyhood
Oliver Sacks
Manufacturer: Alfred A. Knopf
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000JJOHRY

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Uncle Tungsten: Memories of a Chemical Boyhood
Oliver Sacks
Manufacturer: Picador
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000GPAUWM

Enthralled by the Elements. (Chemistry).: An article from: American Scientist

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Enthralled by the Elements. (Chemistry).: An article from: American Scientist

Manufacturer: Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Society
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

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Uncle Tungsten: Memoirs of a Chemical Boyhood.(Books)(Book Review): An article from: ETC.: A Review of General Semantics

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Uncle Tungsten: Memoirs of a Chemical Boyhood.(Books)(Book Review): An article from: ETC.: A Review of General Semantics
Martin H. Levinson
Manufacturer: International Society for General Semantics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital
ASIN: B000820B7W
Release Date: 2005-06-01

Book Description

This digital document is an article from ETC.: A Review of General Semantics, published by International Society for General Semantics on December 22, 2003. The length of the article is 350 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Uncle Tungsten: Memoirs of a Chemical Boyhood.(Books)(Book Review)
Author: Martin H. Levinson
Publication: ETC.: A Review of General Semantics (Refereed)
Date: December 22, 2003
Publisher: International Society for General Semantics
Volume: 60 Issue: 4 Page: 440(1)

Article Type: Book Review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

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Uncle Tungsten
Sacks Oliver
Manufacturer: Alfred a . Knopf
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000LCS50O

Book Description

It was like no other library: not a musty, mute archive but a bustling center of activity and voice of advocacy. It brought together otherwise combative parties--sportsmen, lumbermen, librarians, politicians, even disputing activists--as it helped redefine what environmentalism means in America.

Denver's Conservation Library was established in 1960 as a repository for environmental and conservation documents. In chronicling its history, Andrew Kirk also traces the cultural history of American environmentalism as viewed through the lens of this unique institution. He tells how this library created by an older generation of technophobic men evolved into a cutting-edge laboratory for alternative technology research run by young women, mirroring tumultuous changes in American culture and social movements over the past four decades.

Kirk reveals how the Conservation Library Collection merged with various constituencies vying to shape it for their own purposes, and how it reflected the thinking of influences as diverse as John Muir and Stewart Brand. He introduces key players such as founder Arthur Carhart and administrator Kay Collins, then tells how the CLC was transformed into the Regional Energy/Environment Information Center, suffered cutbacks in the Reagan era that brought on its demise, and lately began a quiet resurgence as the archive it was originally intended to be.

Collecting Nature shows that the CLC was a microcosm for the environmental movement itself, as well as a clear barometer of its gender and generational shifts. Kirk's eloquent narrative reveals much about the ideological bases and promises of environmentalism, while showing how the movement grew from its conservationist and preservationist roots. In the process, Kirk contributes to the debate over the evolution of environmental thinking, with an eye toward resolving the differences among competing perspectives. Through the story of this unique institution, he shows us how we have come to define conservation, wilderness, and even nature itself.

This book is part of the Development of Western Resources series.

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Collecting Nature: The American Environmental Movement and the Conservation Library (Development of Western Resources)
Andrew G. Kirk
Manufacturer: NY
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000MUBLCO

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