This book is three biographies in one, telling the tales of three Native American leaders. Well, actually, using the word "biographies" might be stretching it a bit. The focus of the book, and the common theme of the three stories, is how those leaders attempted to keep the United States government from stealing the land of their respective peoples. The book starts out with the story of Osceola, the Seminole who gave the U.S. Army a run for their money through the Florida swamps in the 1830s. Next is the story of Tecumseh, who tried to unite the tribes east of the Mississippi in the 1810s to resist the flood of white settlers invading Indian lands. The final story is that of Cochise, the Chiricahua Apache who was equally competent in keeping peace or making war in the 1860s. Each story was interesting to read, even if they did make me feel ashamed to be an American. Even though the tales are simplistic from an adult point of view, I think it's worth checking out, either for a quick read or to share with the kids.
--J. ( )