From Publishers Weekly
Aleshire (professor of American Studies at Arizona State University and author of Reaping the Whirlwind) seeks to replicate the format of Stephen E. Ambrose's 1975 Crazy Horse and Custer in a "paired biography" of two warriors of the 19th-century American Southwest: U.S. Gen. George Crook and Apache leader Geronimo, who waged a battle of wits and wills for 15 years. If their culture and characters were different, still they came to understand each other both as men and as representatives of their respective value systems. Aleshire's Crook is an archetypal American: a common-sense intellectual who doesn't hesitate to act on his convictions. Understanding the culture of the Apache so well that he earned their nickname "Grey Fox," Crook nevertheless regarded the tribe as doomed by a white advance whose legitimacy he did not question. His task was only to make conquest as completeAand as merciful and honorableAas possible. Tragically, Crook was so much outside his own system that he was unable to prevent the defeated Apaches' deportation to Florida. Aleshire's Geronimo is Crook's counterpoint. A shaman and a warrior, he was a whirlwind both to his people and to the Anglos and Mexicans who made him a symbol of terror. Though Geronimo vigorously defended his tribe at all costs, Aleshire suggests that the total defeat he eventually suffered was unavoidable. Giving a voice to each protagonist, Aleshire tells their stories by drawing on personal memoirs and government reports and dispatches. Although more conventional scholars might be disconcerted by his face value acceptance of Geronimo's claim to supernatural powers, Aleshire's approach works; presenting each culture on its own terms rather than simply inverting stereotypes and making the white man the true savage, he depicts a mortal combat between men of conviction, principle, and spiritual power. B&w photos, maps. (Mar.) Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From Library Journal
If many Americans know the celebrated warrior and shaman Geronimo, far fewer are familiar with his opposite number and skilled pursuer, the Indian fighter George Crook, whose respect for Apache culture helped him to devise a style of campaigning that effectively subdued Indian resistance. Aleshire (American studies, Arizona State Univ.) brings alive both men and the societies they represented in this provocative account of conflict and conquest. Alternating chapters between his two protagonists, each combatant represented by a distinctive narrative voice, Aleshire offers a refreshing approach to understanding the Apache wars, allowing readers to grasp the conflict from multiple perspectives. Recommended for public and academic libraries.-Brooks D. Simpson, Arizona State Univ., Tempe Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From Booklist
In Crazy Horse and Custer, Stephen Ambrose used the technique of examining parallel lives to demonstrate the immense cultural divide separating the Plains Indians from European Americans. Aleshire, professor of American studies at Arizona State University, is less successful here as he recounts the saga of Geronimo, the "hopelessly wild" Chiricahua Apache, and his ardent pursuer, General George Crook. In striving to find common threads in the lives of his protagonists, Aleshire often strains credulity. He also seems too willing to gloss over some of the outrages committed by each side as the result of cultural peculiarities rather than moral failings. Still, the struggles and tragic fates of these two warriors make for a grand historical drama, and Aleshire generally tells their stories with understanding and compassion. This is an informative and interesting look at two strong men who were both victimized by a changed world they could not comprehend. Jay Freeman


Book Description
"An invaluable addition to Western history."—Evan Connell, author of Son of the Morning Star TWO OF AMERICAN HISTORYíS MOST BRILLIANT WARRIORSóAND FIERCEST ENEMIES—COME ALIVE This captivating dual biography chronicles the lives and battles of Americaís most famous warriors, the legendary Apache shaman, Geronimo, and the nationís most successful Indian fighter, General George Crook. Artfully constructed from the warriors' own words, as well as newspaper accounts and the firsthand recollections of those who fought with—and against—them, here is a compelling and uniquely evenhanded account of the intriguing men at the center of one of American history's most definitive, longest-running struggles—the infamous Apache Wars. Born to defend their respective culturesóand destined to destroy each other in the process—the vengeful, spiritually powerful Indian warrior and the remorseless, consummate professional officer are inextricably bound to each other in the fabric of our country, and in the hearts of their peoples.


Book Info
Captivating dual biography chronicles the lives and battles of America's most famous warriors, the legendary Apache shaman, Geronimo, and the nation's most successful Indian fighter, General George Crook. DLC: Geronimo, 1828-1909--Apache Indians--Kings and rulers.


From the Inside Flap
Geronimo and General George Crook were born to destroy each other.And they didóthe perfect enemies, perfectly embodying the tragic strengths and weaknesses of their respective cultures. No confrontation more powerfully captures the relentless, irreconcilable struggle between Native Americans and whites than the Apache Wars—the final and longest running of the North American Indian wars. At the heart of that bitter and violent conflict lies the intriguing story of two of historyís most brilliant strategists—united by their fierce loyalty to their peoples, yet divided by their warring bloods. A shaman and a merciless warrior, Geronimo made a religion of revenge and fought on long past hope and reason, becoming both the whites' most hated foe and a romanticized symbol of Indian resistance. The slaughter of Geronimoís wife, mother, and children set him on his deadly path. For more than thirty years, his cunning, reputation for supernatural power, and determination exacted a terrible revenge on his enemies. The nation's most effective Indian fighter, Crook combined a paradoxical sympathy with a relentless antipathy toward his foe. He became both the Apachesí best friend and their worst enemy. The taciturn, introverted, and adventurous Crook learned his trade in the Indian wars in the Pacific Northwest. He proved a gifted, courageous, irascible cavalry commander in the Civil War, then played a lead role in both the Sioux and Apache Wars, including the disastrous campaign that resulted in the destruction of General George Armstrong Custer's command. Plainspoken, unassuming, honest, informal yet disciplined, Crook was ultimately confounded by Geronimo's refusal to surrender. Shifting from one distinct voice and viewpoint to the other, this intertwined biography achieves a novelistic sweep while taking full advantage of transcripts and negotiations, newspaper accounts, journals, and primary sources, as well as each man's autobiography. From the early days that shaped them to the battle that consumed them, and the politics that ultimately betrayed them both, their quests for victory and immortality offer great insight into some of the most important events in American history—and a unique perspective of the cultures from which they sprang.


From the Back Cover
"An invaluable addition to Western history."—Evan Connell, author of Son of the Morning Star TWO OF AMERICAN HISTORYíS MOST BRILLIANT WARRIORSóAND FIERCEST ENEMIES—COME ALIVE This captivating dual biography chronicles the lives and battles of Americaís most famous warriors, the legendary Apache shaman, Geronimo, and the nationís most successful Indian fighter, General George Crook. Artfully constructed from the warriors' own words, as well as newspaper accounts and the firsthand recollections of those who fought with—and against—them, here is a compelling and uniquely evenhanded account of the intriguing men at the center of one of American history's most definitive, longest-running struggles—the infamous Apache Wars. Born to defend their respective culturesóand destined to destroy each other in the process—the vengeful, spiritually powerful Indian warrior and the remorseless, consummate professional officer are inextricably bound to each other in the fabric of our country, and in the hearts of their peoples.


About the Author
PETER ALESHIRE is senior lecturer in the Department of American Studies at Arizona State University, West Campus, and the author of Reaping the Whirlwind, a history of the Apache Wars. He is also a contributing editor to Phoenix Magazine and writes for Arizona Highways and other publications. He lives in Phoenix, Arizona.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

This captivating dual biography chronicles the lives and battles of two of America's most famous warriors, the legendary Apache shaman, Geronimo, and the nation's most successful Indian fighter, General George Crook. Artfully constructed from their own words, as well as newspaper accounts and the firsthand recollections of those who fought with -- and against -- them, here is a compelling and uniquely evenhanded account of the intriguing men at the center of one of American history's most definitive, longest-running struggles -- the infamous Apache Wars. Born to defend their respective cultures -- and destined to destroy each other in the process -- the vengeful, spiritually powerful Indian warrior and the remorseless, consummate professional officer are inextricably bound to each other in the fabric of our country, and in the hearts of their peoples.

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

Aleshire (professor of American Studies at Arizona State University and author of Reaping the Whirlwind) seeks to replicate the format of Stephen E. Ambrose's 1975 Crazy Horse and Custer in a "paired biography" of two warriors of the 19th-century American Southwest: U.S. Gen. George Crook and Apache leader Geronimo, who waged a battle of wits and wills for 15 years. If their culture and characters were different, still they came to understand each other both as men and as representatives of their respective value systems. Aleshire's Crook is an archetypal American: a common-sense intellectual who doesn't hesitate to act on his convictions. Understanding the culture of the Apache so well that he earned their nickname "Grey Fox," Crook nevertheless regarded the tribe as doomed by a white advance whose legitimacy he did not question. His task was only to make conquest as complete--and as merciful and honorable--as possible. Tragically, Crook was so much outside his own system that he was unable to prevent the defeated Apaches' deportation to Florida. Aleshire's Geronimo is Crook's counterpoint. A shaman and a warrior, he was a whirlwind both to his people and to the Anglos and Mexicans who made him a symbol of terror. Though Geronimo vigorously defended his tribe at all costs, Aleshire suggests that the total defeat he eventually suffered was unavoidable. Giving a voice to each protagonist, Aleshire tells their stories by drawing on personal memoirs and government reports and dispatches. Although more conventional scholars might be disconcerted by his face value acceptance of Geronimo's claim to supernatural powers, Aleshire's approach works; presenting each culture on its own terms rather than simply inverting stereotypes and making the white man the true savage, he depicts a mortal combat between men of conviction, principle, and spiritual power. B&w photos, maps. (Mar.) Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.|

Library Journal