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birdkeeperklink's review
1.0
I hated this one. It was dry, and heavy, and Sugden would present a bunch of stuff as fact, only to later tell you that it was conjecture. Let's waste our readers' time, shall we?
So that ticked me off. Really, just the whole tone of the thing ticked me off. Who does Sugden think he is? He wasn't at all objective, and seems to think his opinions are law. I always find that distasteful to read, even when I agree with the person, and I didn't agree with him most of the time.
So that ticked me off. Really, just the whole tone of the thing ticked me off. Who does Sugden think he is? He wasn't at all objective, and seems to think his opinions are law. I always find that distasteful to read, even when I agree with the person, and I didn't agree with him most of the time.
socraticgadfly's review
5.0
I don't know if any newer biographies of any depth exist and if they're better or not. This is very good.
First, the fact that Sugden is not American probably gives him a different, and generally good angle. (I've read a British history of what we Yanks call The American Revolution.)
Sugden notes that Tecumseh's younger brother, The Prophet, took the lead on leadership among the two when both were in younger years. Only later did Tecumseh stand out, and he did so for many reasons.
First, attempts at intertribal unity had been done before. Tecumseh didn't re-invent the wheel, but he did do a very good job at building on the past, including widening the geographic spread of his appeal. The difficulties with language and with culture were tough.
Also tough? Within his own Shawnees, some wanted to take over more of the white culture. One chief said Shawnees should let go of their ideas that farming was "women's work" rather than the white yeoman's "honest toil." Beyond that, as shown later on across the west, some chiefs were bought off by liquor or other things, and yet others wanted peace at almost any cost.
Second, Tecumseh was a great civil and war leader both.
Sugden also shows the "dance" that anti-American Indians did with the British from 1783 and the independence of the United States on.
He also rejects mythical material.
First, the fact that Sugden is not American probably gives him a different, and generally good angle. (I've read a British history of what we Yanks call The American Revolution.)
Sugden notes that Tecumseh's younger brother, The Prophet, took the lead on leadership among the two when both were in younger years. Only later did Tecumseh stand out, and he did so for many reasons.
First, attempts at intertribal unity had been done before. Tecumseh didn't re-invent the wheel, but he did do a very good job at building on the past, including widening the geographic spread of his appeal. The difficulties with language and with culture were tough.
Also tough? Within his own Shawnees, some wanted to take over more of the white culture. One chief said Shawnees should let go of their ideas that farming was "women's work" rather than the white yeoman's "honest toil." Beyond that, as shown later on across the west, some chiefs were bought off by liquor or other things, and yet others wanted peace at almost any cost.
Second, Tecumseh was a great civil and war leader both.
Sugden also shows the "dance" that anti-American Indians did with the British from 1783 and the independence of the United States on.
He also rejects mythical material.
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