I picked up a few new books this month. When I say "new," I
actually mean "used," as you might be able to tell from the photos. I
really wanted to get these books -- and all books -- in Kindle format.
But they're just too expensive. As I understand it, publishers are
intentionally over-pricing e-book editions in order to prop up paper
books (and paper bookstores). LOL! Good luck with that. It's interesting
to see these buggy whip manufacturers go down kicking and screaming.
For example,
Frontiersmen in Blue
sells for $24 on Kindle. I mean, c'mon man, that's not even serious.
Hate to tell ya, but I'm not paying that for a trade paperback, either. I
got it used for a couple of bucks. I'm glad, too, because, well, it's
just not all that good.
But let's start with a book that is all that good...mostly. If you read
Andersonville by this same author, then you know what awaits you in
Spirit Lake.
It's a novel of an 1850s massacre that occurred
in the Spirit Lake region of Iowa. It's written in a kind of stream of
consciousness. Not for everyone. You have to really love language as
much as story to enjoy this. As you remember from
Andersonville,
Kantor can be a tad over-exuberant in his use of words, to put it
lightly. To put it heavily, there are times when he just vomits words
all over the page. So prepare yourself for that. I'm 300 pages into this
800+ page novel, and so far the author paints a compelling picture of
mid-19th century America.
 |
| 800 pages of densely-packed verbiage. A 1/2" square chit for scale. |
This book is out of print. I've long wanted to
read it, so didn't mind paying $14 for a used mass market paperback.
Impressed with the book, I went to purchase
Andersonville
for my Kindle only to find that the publisher has set the price at $20. I
guess they think they can stem the tide of progress. If so, they'll be
the first! Off to the used bookstore again. Sigh...
A couple more, both by Robert Utley:
Frontiersmen in Blue and
Frontier Regulars.
These are something like parts 1 and 2 of a military history of the
American West. The first covers the years 1848-1865, the second from
'65-'91.
I read
Frontiersmen in Blue and found
it informative but dry. Utley, I think, is an academic, and he
definitely writes like one. Very by-the-numbers. But I found some good
Indian Wars gaming scenarios in there from some little-known campaigns
(at least to me) in Oregon and Washington among other places. It's a
good reference book, if nothing else. I don't expect anything more from
Frontier Regulars. They're both heavy, meaty books with some maps and plenty of photos.
Forty Miles on Beans and Hay
is a much better choice for enjoyable reading than the Utley books.
It's pretty much everything you wanted to know about the frontier army
during the Indian Wars. Rickey's a good writer and offers a complete --
and personal -- portrait of the frontier soldier of the day. Essential
reading for reenactors and wargamers. You won't find any formal
description of proscribed tactics used during battle, however -- because
there weren't any. Tactics were pretty much improvised on the spot. The
formal tactics of the day were for use against modern armies and not
Indian bands, who were not considered a significant enough threat to
warrant a tactical doctrine. Still, the book discusses weapons and
tactics, at least as they were employed in the field. But I was a little
disappointed in this aspect of the book. An entertaining read, though.
If you want a good book on army life on the frontier, Eugene Ware's
book is the one to read. He was an officer at Fort Kearney Nebraska
during the Civil War. He's also a top-notch writer.
The Indian War of 1864
is the somewhat mis-titled account of, well, just day-to-day life on
the frontier. I love eye-witness accounts and this is one of the best
out there. You learn stuff you've never heard before, such as how the
Indians had a superstitious fear of telegraph wires after a group of
them were hit by lightning while cutting some down and attempting to
steal it. Just the parade of colorful characters that show up at the
fort as they travel west (or back east) is almost unbelievable. Like
characters from Mark Twain. If you have a Kindle, this book is free on
Amazon. I recommend it without reservation.
While I'm thinking about it, another good first-hand account is
My 60 Years on the Plains.
The author was a mountain man and Indian fighter. In those days, the
Blackfeet were the main nemesis. Also, free, if I remember, on Kindle.
