Crazy Horse, A Lakota Life
by Kingsley M. Bray, 2006, Volume 254 of the Civilization of the American Indian Series, The University of Oklahoma Press, Norman, OK
I purchased this book at the Custer Battlefield at Little Bighorn just before leaving. As I glanced through the book I suspected that it would be a bit of a chore to get through; I was right about that.
I didn’t really know much about the life of Crazy Horse, however, and I was interested in finding out more. This book filled the bill in that respect and a lot more. It was extremely well researched and fairly well written, but the level of detail sometimes got in the way of just plain enjoying it. The plethora of the names of various Indian individuals and subgroups, as well as the geography, made it very difficult to keep track of what was actually happening. I sometimes felt like crying out for Ken Burns to provide me some visual orientation. At the very least, an appendix depicting the various tribes and subtribes along with their leaders would have been very helpful.
It appears that the author has a tremendous respect for the culture and practices of the Lakota Indians and I felt that respect come through strongly in this book. I think he dealt with the character and actions of Crazy Horse and his contemporaries in a fair and even handed manner. In the end, however, I’m still not sure whether Crazy Horse over all made things better or worse for his people.
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