Short Synopsis
An evenhanded, indispensable account of one of the most striking figures of American history and an essential re-creation of the army's subjugation of the North Plains tribes.

Full Synopsis
He was the most feared and loathed Indian of his time, earning his reputation in surprise victories against the troops of Generals Crook and Custer at the Rosebud and Little Bighorn. Despite his enduring reputation, he has remained an enigma (even the whereabouts of his burial place are unknown, and no portrait or photograph of him exists). Now, Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist Thomas Powers brings Crazy Horse to life in this vivid work of American history.

Powers situates the critical battles won by Crazy Horse within the context of the decades-long conflict between Indian tribes and U.S. Army forces commonly called the Great Sioux Wars. He explores the complicated relationship between the tribes—in particular, Crazy Horse's Lakota Sioux—and the federal authorities. And he makes clear why the few battles won by the Indians—regardless of the fear they left in their wake—did not ultimately help them to stem the tide of settlers, gold seekers, and buffalo hunters that flooded the Great Plains after the Civil War.

"Powers has...clearly inhabited this story, living in it as one does a home or a piece of clothing that holds meaning for the wearer." ---The Los Angeles Times

"Powers tells us much that is revealing and often moving about the Sioux in their last days as free warriors." ---The New York Times

"The book is informative and rewarding, and Pruden makes it work in audio." ---AudioFile

"Powers has given us a great book, a great painting of that still-beating heart." ---The Washington Post

Washington Post Best Audiobook