Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee: An Indian History of the American West

A sweeping work of history, which I would have enjoyed even more if I were better with names. Brown recounts the interactions between native Americans and European immigrants almost as a series of episodes, and if you don't keep the names straight, it can sound a lot like the same things happening over & over again. Of course, that's because it was, but still it doesn't help make for an interesting read. In the second half, though, the narrative seems to have more texture, and quite a few individuals really begin to stand out.

It's powerful to hear everything told from the perspective of the Indians, even down to the names of the generals & other whites involved. There's an immersive aspect to this approach, which is really well suited to an "alternate" history. (Alternate to the mainstream telling, I mean--I'm certainly not implying that it's anything less than as accurate as Brown could make it.) I came away from it having not just more (and more accurate) knowledge, but also having a deeper, truer understanding of the injustice which was such a large part of our nation's development.

This is an important book that emphasizes that not only did Americans kill numerous Native Americans in war (which we all knew), but they also committed a number of horrible atrocities, cheated, stole, and lied even in official treaties, and pushed Native Americans onto small pieces of desolate lands ruining their way of life forever. Americans did this over the course of 200 years, basically pursuing a national policy of genocide. So obviously it was excruciating to read.