The various Sioux tribes of the Great Plains in the 19th century had a reputation as being some of the toughest and wildest Indians. They were the Indians who in popular imagination swooped onto settlers crossing the plains in covered wagons. They were sometimes seen as animals to be exterminated. Atrocities were committed by both sides. Cultural cliches show the Sioux as tough warriors and not multi-dimensional humans who laughed, loved, had families and responsibilities. Into this gap steps actor/historian Marshall (born 1946) who was raised in a traditional Lakota household. He gives a human biography to one of the fiercest warriors, and does so from a Lakota perspective. Much time is spent on Crazy Horse's early life and upbringing, and of course his role at Little Bighorn. We gain a deeper understanding of how the Lakota saw the conflict, what motivated them, how they organized and saw their place in the world. The book feels accurate and transportive, the vocabulary and cultural information is rich due to Marshall's Lakota background.

Although published in 2004 you wouldn't know because it feels timeless. One aspect that disturbed me is Crazy Horse's one-man crusade to kill gold prospectors in the Black Hills, sneaking up on them and blowing them away, day after day. This is a significant atrocity regardless of justification and I think it shouldn't be forgotten along with his heroic deeds, he was also a cold blooded mass killer. The Nez Perce for example did not commit deeds like this, not systematically, it was more than merely par for the times. He was probably about to be tried and hanged by Federal authorities but events intervened. ( )

Excellent ( )

This book was interesting. While reading it I definitely learned a thing or two about the Lakota ways. It really helped me expand my knowledge of American history. Although at some parts it was a little bland, but overall I would suggest this book to anyone who wants to read an eye opening book on Lakota Indians. ( )

In this year's One Book South Dakota selection, Marshall examines the life and story of the iconic and often stereotyped Sioux leader, Crazy Horse. Delving into but also looking past his the role of warrior and leader, Crazy Horse's journey from birth to death is defined through the stories and oral history of the Sioux that paints with a much broader stroke while providing a more vivid description of the vibrant and troubled life of a person all too often captured through the lens of Western eyes. In this book we see Crazy Horse as a loving and grieving father, a devoted husband but tortured by lost love, a reluctant leader with a deep concern for a fading lifestyle and culture, a son, a mystic and a loner. Several threads running together weave a deeper story – one that washes over the reader like gusts of wind rather than like waves of warriors.

written by a lacota tribal member, good reviews, teaches some lakota language.