The Indian wars of the north west
This, the fifth volume in Cyrus Townsend Brady's well regarded series, American Fights and Fighters, differs somewhat in format from other its companion volumes. Whilst Brady is always informative, accurate, original and entertaining his books have a tendency to include material where the subject matter appears to have appealed to Brady at the time and was thereafter in need of a home in one of his works. This volume, Northwest Fights and Fighters, focuses specifically on two wars, the Nez Percé War and the Modoc War, which the United States Army fought against the indigenous Indian tribes of the north west in the period following the American Civil War. The Nez Percé War was fought against that tribe under Chief Joseph's inspired leadership and the Modoc War was a gruelling, bitter campaign fought in the inhospitable lava beds. The accounts and recollections of these two war comprise the entire book and Brady therefore deals with his subjects in some detail. He has particularly drawn upon the first hand narratives of those combatants who fought on both sides of the conflicts and this very much enhances the book's value, since these accounts rarely appear elsewhere in print. In the Nez Percé section Brady of course deals with the actions at White Bird Canyon, Cottonwood, Clearwater, Big Hole and all the pivotal aspects of the campaign. The Modoc War outraged the American people after the murder of the so called 'peace commissioners' by the Modoc leader Captain Jack and this and many other aspects of the campaign are dealt with in considerable depth. Leonaur have already published, or will publish all of Brady's Fights and Fighters series and together they provide a well regarded and classic library of Americans at war-particularly on the ever turbulent frontiers of its Westward expansion.
Leonaur editions are newly typeset and are not facsimiles; each title is available in softcover and hardback with dustjacket.
