The Long Death

by Ralph K. Andrist

Book Overview

This compelling narrative explains how Native Americans found themselves time and again betrayed by the ever-expanding white nation of the East, fighting for lands on the edge of the shrinking frontier. Long considered a classic, this edition features an introduction by Dee Brown, author of Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee.

"A vivid, swiftly paced account of the dispossession of the Plains Indians during the half century after 1840--The New...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0806133082
• ISBN13: 9780806133089
• Release Date: June 2001
• Publisher: University of Oklahoma Press
• Length: 410 Pages
• Weight: 1.30 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 6.1" x 9.3"

Customer Reviews

Heartbreaking and Poignant

An excellent book that tells the story of the Plains tribes and their conflict with the United States. The Long Death has stood the test of time and is still a great read. Well-researched and written to be accessible by even the most novice reader, Andrist tells a story that is both heart-breaking and poignant. If you are a fan of Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee, you need to read The Long Death.

Holds up well

I had this book as part of a college course in the mid 1970s and just finished re-reading it. It holds up well and will always be a relevant book. Most of my books from my college days are long gone, but I kept this one and refer to it often. In fact, that is why I am here...to purchase another copy since mine is so well worn. It is often referred to as pro-Indian, but, as a previous reviewer noted, it is very well balanced. It should be required reading for any American history student and I highly recommend it. Andrist is a gifted storyteller and prompted me to read other material about this subject. You will not be disappointed.

Best Book I ever Read on the Subject

This book is far and away better than the more widely read book by Dee Brown, Bury my Heart at Wounded Knee. It goes further in depth, has better pace, lacks a "sentimentality" rampant in Dee's work, and the story telling quality is unsurpassed. I couldn't put it down, I had to order another one because I wore out my first copy.

Pleasantly surprised

After reading the other review calling the book revisionist...I was pleasantly surprised, by this book. I would call it very evenly balanced, presenting both sides of the historical record. Very equally balanced, and also extraordinarily well written. The author was a master of story telling. His historical accounts not only present events I had never heard of, they do it in such a way that you are informed and engrossed in the historical account. Highly recommended for study of the Sioux, early Minnesota,plus many other tribes and states. (Osage, comanche, etc) Your obt. servant, Doc

Forefather of justified Plains Indian revisionist history

Ralph Andrist, already in 1964, opened the doors for authors to follow, such as Dee Brown and "Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee." Andrist tells the story facing eastward, part of his overall effort to incorporate the Plains Indian point of view into his story. Putting the history of broken treaties and broken promises front and center Andrist paints a portrait of Plains tribes struggling to maintain an identity and way of life -- a struggle that continues to today.