Book Description

Customer Reviews (1)

Too little not enough
If you are considering buying this book for your students or child first read the editorial review here by the American Library Journal. In a nutshell that is the essence of the book and it's unfortunate shortcoming. Hence the book might serve best as a book for an older student who wants to just learn about the diverse American Indian experience. The book is a little dry and probably isbestfor a young student who really enjoys reading and does not need much other further stimulation in the form of visual enhancement. Since students do enjoy being read to , even when they are older, it may be useful for a teacher to read this book , one chapter per lesson to enrich the students understanding of other cultures. There are questions and answers and expert commentary at the end of only some chapters to help the student fully grasp the ideas explored. The stories themselves are their own reward and fully entertaining but the presentaion is a little dry. This book is good for reports and teacher led reading. A students active imagination is a must forthis book. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Learn the original culture of the Americas
It is certain that the number of cultures that existed in the area now covered by the United States before the substantial influx of Europeans will never be known. From what records remain, it is clear that the locations of the tribes were not static, but migrations of displacement, wars of conquest for brides and slaves; border interactions and peace treaties all led to a mingling of the cultures. After several hundred years of cultural "assimilation", much of their heritage has been lost. However, some has been preserved, and as is the case with much of the old ways in other lands, this heritage is preserved in mythology.
While some of the tales recounted in this book are clearly ancient, several are of recent origin. Tales of the arrival of Smallpox on his horse clearly originated in the last few centuries. In fact, all tales involving the horse are relatively recent, as they were introduced by the invading Spaniards.
In reading the stories, there is one recurring theme, that of the animals being spirits and humans being transformed into animals. At other times, the animals assist humans in their tasks, doing so voluntarily and never filling the role of a slave. From the ferocious warriors of the west to the settled agricultural groups of the east, this is a theme common to their myths.
Another common theme that is significant more by the absence is the lack of human foibles and whim that the Indian "Gods" lack. There is none of the moodiness that is often part of the behavior of the gods in western mythology.
All myths must be read while thinking about the context of the times and what has happened since the origins of the tales. This is more true of the Indian myths than others as there was no written language to record the tales, so most have been stored since their assimilation by the Europeans. Despite all of this, it is possible to learn much about the mindset and lifestyle of the American Indians from these tales, making this a book well worth reading. ... Read more

Book Description
Passed down from generation to generation, the myths and rituals of Native Americans form a rich religious and cultural base from which all members of each society can create and maintain a sense of community, physical and emotional health, identity, family, and self. Such traditions, handed down through stories and rites, stand as the lifeblood of every Native American culture.This thoroughly illustrated and carefully researched guide explores the amazing array of mythical beasts, heroic humans, and nurturing spirits that make up the fascinating spectrum of Native American mythology. With over one thousand alphabetically arranged entries, representing over one hundred different Native American cultures, readers can quickly explore the meaning of hundreds of elements of Native lore--from names, phrases, and symbols, to images, motifs, and themes. Accompanying essays take a closer look at other issues related to the origin, development, and perpetuation of Native American mythology, such as the Christian influence on myth, varying mythology between tribes, storytelling, and more. We learn about such mythical creatures as Apotamkin of the Maliseet-Passamaquoddy tribe of the Southeast (a bogey monster with long hair and huge teeth who, through the fear he generates, keeps small children from straying onto thin, newly frozen ice in the winter and unguarded beaches in the summer), ritual healing ceremonials such as the Southwestern Navajo's Uglyway ceremony (a ceremony to remove and protect against the forces of chaos and disorder that give rise to illness), and the Marau ceremony of the Hopi Indians of the Southeast (a complex ceremony concerned with rain, the ripening of corn, and the fertility of women, as well as rites of initiating new members into the society). This compelling volume honors the richness of the beliefs and values of the many peoples of native North America, from northern Mexico to the Artic Circle. In addition, a complete bibliography of primary sources and secondary sources points the way to further research, making this the perfect reference for anyone interested in the mythical history of America's original inhabitants. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

So-so
It's like what it says on the title. A dictionary. It's not what I call a definitive source, but it's ok. ... Read more

Book Description

Book Description
Gathering 160 tales from 80 tribal groups to offer a rich and lively panarama of the Native American mythic heritage. 100 drawings. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (14)

wow
This is exactly what I was looking for!
The Indians legends and myths about nearly everything.
Maybe you have read the books of Carlos Castaneda and wanted to know more about the world of Indians? Maybe you are just wondering what is behind the white peoples world? Or maybe you just enjoy reading good stories for yourselves and for your children.

It would be wise for us to start reading a stories for our children again, instead of putting them before TV. This is kind of strong base for their mental structure- to face the everyday lifes stress and routine.

For all reasons this is a good choice.

I read al lot, maybe 60-80 books a year, but this book I will remember.
Enjoyable reading to you!

authentic but inconsistent
this collection is, for the most part, written directly from recordings of tribe members retelling the stories. there is a nice sense of authenticity in the collection, but many of the stories really seem to be collected for the sake of collecting the stories... in other words, there is a definite inconsistency throughout this book.

it can be tedious to get through some parts, because the legends occasionally seem to go nowhere. it seems that many of these myths are explanations of how something came in to being, rather than a moralistic message, and in this sense it is valuable in presenting insight into the worlview of the cultures represented. nevertheless, as a reader it is enjoyable to feel that a story is leading up to something, which is not always the case here.

i was surprised by the politically incorrect title (First Nations is the preferred term nowadays- "Indians" is considered offensive), but the book was published in 1984 so this makes sense- perhaps a reprint will have a different title.

166 Quickies
Sorting through many of the American Indian Myths (As if there was a homogenized group called American Indians) Richard Erdoes and Alfonzo Ortiz selected 166 short, one or two page, stories. These stories look like the pre-curser to the urban legends today.

The myths are artificially separated into ten subjects and lose the continuity of being divided by particular ethnic group; thus we never get a feel for the bigger picture of where the stories come from.

You need a great sense of humor as many of the stories are very kinky such as "TEETH IN THE WRONG PLACE" (PONCA-OTOE), which is exactly what it implies.

There seems to be only three Zuni tales out of the 166. I wonder if there is a reason for this.

Fantastic Collection of Stories from the First Nations
Richard Erdoes and Alfonso Ortiz really did a wonderful job putting together this compilation. Taking various stories from North America, the duo covers traditional tales of everyone from the Aleut to the Toltecs and pretty much everything in between. Every region and culture group is represented, and tales from well known Nations such as the Cherokee, Lakota, Dine (Navajo), Apache and Iroquois appear beside those of less well known (but no less vibrant and culturally active) Nations such as the Miwok, Caddo, Metis and Shasta. Hopefully this will help expand people's views of Native American culture. After all, stereotypical views of "Indians" rarely include the Nations of California or the Pacific Northwest, or even the Southern Woodlands (the original homeland of the Cherokee and their neighbors). Obviously not every Nation could be represented, but this is still an excellent survey of the continent. It does a wonderful job showing how common cultural themes have woven their way across this entire continent, helping to reinforce the culture and customs of the First Nations. And at the same time, it also shows how each culture was different, having its own beliefs, customs and practices unique to themselves.

Each chapter was divided into a different theme, so the book covers the Creation of People, the Creation of the World, Stories about Celestial Bodies, Monsters, War Heroes, Love, Tricksters, Animal People, Ghosts and the End of the World. Hence the book goes full circle in exploring major themes in North American belief. Each chapter includes the stories of numerous Nations from different regions, linguistic families or "cultural groupings", allowing the reader to see them in a much broader light. All of the stories are short, and they range in mood from hilarious (Intome's description of his nightmare in "Inktome Has a Bad Dream") to being deeply moving (the sun's sacrifice in "The Scabby One Lights Up the Sky"). At the end of each story, the source is given and they come from quite a number of sources. Many are recorded in this book for the first time as far as I am aware, so it is certainly worth looking at even if you are very familar with Native American traditions.

To those familar with Native American culture, some things in this book should be familar, particularly the antics of Coyote, Inktome the spider, Raven and other tricksters, but also the tales of Glooskap, giants, floods, disembodied cannibal heads, the place of emergence, Hiawatha and so forth. One thing I should point out before going further is that some of these tales deal with adult themes (in the Inuit tale "Moon Rapes His Sister Sun" the moon commits the sins of rape and incest and forever chases his sister across the sky) and can be downright raunchy (as is the case with several of the Coyote and Inktome stories). There is nothing wrong with these stories, as they either are meant to teach a moral lesson (as is the case with the former) or because they are meant to amuse (in the case of the trickster stories). But it can come as something of a shock to those who are expecting "mere children's stories". Still, if you or someone you know has an interest in Native American culture, this book is certainly worth getting.

Good storyteller
Adult storybook....
I ordered this book to glimpse into the Native American mythology, and I have to say, I am very impressed. This book comprises of ten parts, each consisting of intelligent, sometimes even funny tales and facinating stories of Human Creation, World Creation, Sun-Moon-Stars, Monsters, Love and Sex, Animals and Birds, and Ghosts-to mention a few. It's filled with analogies taken from nature. All these stories come from the tribes once spread across all over the North American continent. The editors claim that some of the stories are completely "untouched" by white people and that they still convey the original folklores started some thousands of years ago.
If you are interested in idiosyncratic facts than forget about it, if you like good stories and folk-tales, this book is for you. ... Read more

Book Description
The wisdom and artistry of Latin America's storytellers preserve one of the world's richest folktale traditions--combining the lore of medieval Europe, the ancient Near East, and pre-Columbian America. Among the essential characters are the quiet man's wife who knew the Devil's secrets, the tree daughters who robbed their father's grave, and the wife in disguise who married her own husband--not to mention the Bear's son, the tricksters Fox and Monkey, the two compadres, and the classic rogue Pedro de Urdemalas.

Gathered from twenty countries, including the United States, the stories are here brought together in a core collection of one hundred tales arranged in the form of a velorio, or wake, the most frequent occasion for public storytelling. The tales are preceded by a selection of early Colonial legends foreshadowing the themes of Latino folklore and are followed by a carefully chosen group of modern Indian myths that replay the basic stories in a contrasting key. Riddles, chain riddles, and folk prayers, part and parcel of the velorio along with folktales, are introduced at appropriate junctures.

The collection is unprecedented in size and scope, and most of the tales have not been translated into English before. The result is the first panoramic anthology of Hispano-American folk narratives in any language--meant to be dipped into at random or read straight through from "Once and twice makes thrice upon a time" to "They were happy as the dickens and ate chickens."


From the Hardcover edition. ... Read more

Book Description

Since 9/11, America has presented itself to the world as a Christianist culture, no less antimodern and nostalgic for an idealized past than its Islamist foes. Their shared master-narrative might sound like this: Once upon a time, the values of the righteous community coincided with those of the state. Home and land were harmoniously united under God. But through intellectual pride (read: science) and disobedience (read: human rights), this God-blessed homeland was lost and now worth every drop of blood it takes, ours and others', to recover.

For Americans, the prime source for this once-and-future-kingdom myth is the Bible, with its many narratives of blessings gained, lost, and regained: the garden of Eden, the covenant with Abraham, the bondage in Egypt, the exodus under Moses, the glory of David and Solomon's realm, the coming of the promised Messiah, his crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension into heaven, his apocalyptic return at the end of history, and his establishment of the earthly kingdom of God. As Homeland Mythology shows, these biblical narratives have, over time, inspired a multitude of nationalist narratives, myths ingeniously spun out to justify a number of decidedly unchristian policies and institutions--from Indian genocide, the slave trade, and the exploitation of immigrant workers to Manifest Destiny, imperial expansionism, and, most recently, preemptive war.

On March 25, 2001, in a rare moment of public candor, George W. Bush shared a bit of his political wisdom: "You can fool some of the people all of the time--and those are the ones you have to concentrate on." The cynical use of religion to cloak criminal behavior is always worth exposing, but why our leaders lie to us is no longer a mystery. What does remain mysterious is why so many of us are disposed to believe their lies. The unexamined issue that this book addresses is, therefore, not the mendacity of the few, but the credulity of the many.

Customer Reviews (1)

Review of Homeland Mythology
Review of Homeland Mythology, by Christopher Collins (Penn State Press, 2007) 262 pp.


Christopher Collins' Homeland Mythology: Biblical Narratives in American Culture exposes layers of sediment that have occluded our view of what is American. To all those who love to quote one side of a coin, "In God We Trust," never turning it over to read "In Diversity United," this is essential reading.All cultures survive and perish on their stories, but the unexamined story, as Collins demonstrates, is a perverse lie, a tool for propagandists and tyrants.It is one thing to suspend disbelief when listening to a work of fiction, but if we carry our fairy tales into adulthood, then we risk delusional behavior on a collective level.Worse, we act on beliefs we believe are already ordained by God, with drastic consequences: imperialistic expansion, racism, disregard for human rights, disregard for the environment, war.

Collins traces a direct line from the Christian interpretations of Biblical stories from the beginning of European history and Anglo history in the New World right to the current White House and to a vast array of rhetorical givens in the media and collective consciousness. He shows that not all narratives assume the same idea of time or history. The Hebrew Bible looks to the past, embracing ancient traditions: Isaac "follows" Abraham. The Christian appropriation of The Hebrew Bible, much like the Islamic, imposes a tortured interpretation, declaring the Hebrew Bible to be a foreshadowing of the coming (and coming again) of Jesus Christ, a forward narrative movement.

Pointing out how politicians have scoured the Bible for fear-mongering language is pretty easy, but exposing how they have used Bible stories, already embedded in a collective psyche, to justify horrific acts requires insight and careful documentation, which Collins has achieved. Collins' work is to the study of the Judeo-Christian traditions what Bernard Lewis' works have been to our understanding of Islam. And LikeLewis, Collins is scholarly without ever being pedantic.Bringing together literary analysis, rhetorical theory,and cultural anthropology, Collins adeptly presents us with a book that is both profound and reader friendly.

Marlon L Fick
... Read more

Book Description
An A-Z spanning the history of Native Americans from the earliest legends to the present day. ... Read more

Book Description
This revealing work introduces readers to the mythologies of Native Americans from the United States to the Arctic Circle-a rich, complex, and diverse body of lore, which remains less widely known than mythologies of other peoples and places.In thematic chapters and encyclopedia-style entries, Handbook of Native American Mythology examines the characters and deities, rituals, sacred locations and objects, concepts, and stories that define mythological cultures of various indigenous peoples. By tracing the traditions as far back as possible and following their evolution from generation to generation, Handbook of Native American Mythology offers a unique perspective on Native American history, culture, and values. It also shows how central these traditions are to contemporary Native American life, including the continuing struggle for land rights, economic parity, and repatriation of cultural property.With more than 40 photographs, illustrations, and maps, here is the most comprehensive and accessible introduction to the mythological heritage of Native North Americans available in one volume. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (12)

Definitely worth it!
I am a Native American through blood and I can honestly say I was not brought up in any special way and that large part of my heritage was never really acknowledged. Nevertheless, I have always been up on it, I pray to The Great Spirit and so on. I purchased this book because I knew some of the context but I was more interested in learning about other tribes and their stories and such in comparison to my own since I already knew those ones. This book is great and awesome for anyone who is studying Native American symbols, stories, and ceremonies. There are, in fact, some things that are not necessarily completely true-like the owlomen for instance. I think it is geared toward a more nuetral instance in comparison to an everynight occurence, but I will never know. Although, everything else is pretty justifiable and quite informational. Definitely get this book!

Animals can tell us a lot...
Animals have been living on Earth and dealing with nature a lot longer than us.They can sense when an Earthquake is about to happen.Pets can sense an illness within their owner before the owner does.Birds, insects, and other animals have evolved and adapted to deal with floods, climate changes and dangers that happen in their lives.Why NOT use their reactions and knowledge to help us deal with nature and our own dangers?
American Indians have been listening to nature and the animals to help them deal with such dangers.Early Europeans did the same before Modern Science and the Church destroyed those cultures.While I am not sure about many of the stories I did enjoy the book.It is for beginners and I think many details have been withheld so not to make the exercises and the ceremonies beyond the grasp of the person just starting his or her spiritual quest.Think of it as a Spirits of the Earth for Dummies.

A Beatifully written Spiritual Book For Healing, Knowledge and Practice by Honoring The Great Creator and Nature!!!
This is one of Bobby Lake Thom's books that changed my life in a very Positive and Spiritual way. The knowledge in this book comes from experience and training in the medicine way.Native Healer, Bobby Lake Thom (Medicine Grizzly Bear) shares his wisdom and experience to the reader about the importance of honoring nature and the Great Creator everyday of our lives by becoming aware of our natural surroundings in nature. I am very GRATEFUL for this book and the other books that Bobby wrote. It teaches and informs the reader about nature symbols, spirits, healing and knowledge. This book is a must for anyone in search of spiritual healing and knowldege. Bobby has the experience and training from several elders(Medicine Men and Women) in his lifetime from many different tribes. Readers should also look forthe books Native Healer and Call of The Great Spirit by the same author. Again THANK YOU again for a very powerful spiritual tool Mr. Bobby Lake Thom!May the Great Creator and Good Spirits in Nature Bless You and your family Forever! I Highly recommend this book to everyone interested in Spiritual Knowledge and Healing!

Great guide to reading natures signs
I ,and my family,use this book all the time as a field guide to interpret natural signs and omens in nature.This book is an authentic,true guide to how many native people look at the natural world and how it trys to guide and assist us in our lives.Bobby has done a great job,weaving traditional stories and short interpretations on each animal,insect or birds being discussed.Especially instructive was the section on how to use the creative,right brain to intuit the language of nature.Native people do not write in a overly intellectual or complex style .The teachings and beauty is in the simplicity and heart of the words.This book speaks to your mind yet on the spiritual level too.Great book!!!!!!!

informative
I'm not a total novice of the subject, but I do still have a lot to learn. I found I liked the writing style of the author who seems to be very experienced and knowledgable. I came away from reading this book armed with a whole lot of new information (new for me) and a better appreciation for that which we do not see, or sometimes CHOOSE not to see. As I was reading this book, I found myself reaching often for my notepad to jot down quotes that "hit" me. I began reading this book at the same time I was reading a novel...on a very recent trip which involved a couple of long airplane flights. I was much more drawn to pulling this book out of my bag than the novel. That says alot to me. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

terrific assortment
Gifford offers us a unique assortment of myths and legends representative of a widely diverse set of cultural traditions spanning from "south of the Border" to the virtual igloos of Tierra del Fuego. A wide array of peoples, ranging from the highly stratified and ritualized (e.g., the Aztec [who, BTW, called themselves the Mexica] and the Maya) to neolithic forest peoples (I forget the specific tribes, but comparable to, say, the Sharanahua or the Yanomamo or the Jivaro). The stories are intriguing; a spectrum of unfamiliar animals are anthropomorphized to yield a truly unique set of deities; and, to say the least, the hand-painted color illustrations are utterly breathtaking and should richly contribute to younger readers' enjoyment of the stories.

By the way, if you thought you recognized the cover image (supra) of the eagle and the serpent atop the cactus, you thought correctly. That archetype--which announced to the Mexica that they had found their homeland, the high-altitude swamp in which they were to erect their capital--forms the seal of the green, white, and red flag of Los Estados Unidos de Mexico. ... Read more

Amazon.com
The American Revolution, writes English scholar Robert Harvey, was a defining event in modern world history, creating "the mightiest nation in human experience." Yet, he adds, in his country the revolution is ignored, while on the American side of the Atlantic it's "clouded by a fog of myth" that prevents understanding. Harvey seeks to illuminate the realities of the conflict. One, as he writes, is the war's strange similarity to Vietnam, not just in the role of guerrilla and militia versus conventional forces, but also in the antiwar strife it produced at home. Another of Harvey's myth-bursting themes is his insistence, contrary to many American textbooks, that the British commanders were not uniformly incompetent, American commanders not uniformly heroic; he cites many examples to show that neither side had a monopoly on either bravery or incompetence. Still another is his argument that the constitutional outcome of the revolution was in many ways a betrayal of the very principles for which the revolution was fought--a charge sure to excite controversy. Harvey's approach is balanced, his writing engaging, and students of the period will learn much from him. --Gregory McNameeBook Description
Taking his title from George III's infamous comment that "We meant well to the Americans-just to punish them with a few bloody noses, and then to make laws for the happiness of both countries," renowned historian Robert Harvey systematically challenges conventional views of the American Revolution and the "founding myths" of America in almost every aspect: why the revolution occurred, who was winning and when, the characters of the principal protagonists, and the role of native Americans and slaves. The result is an extraordinarily fascinating and thoroughly readable account. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (15)

Hallucinogenic Revisionist History
Mr. Harvey obviously speaks for those British subjects whostill havn't come to terms with the fact that patriotic Americans wanted to get rid of the "Little Dinglybury Nation" that attempted to keep them surpressed. Mr. Harvey is in sorts, a very sore loser. It is amazing that after 230 years, some British commoner would still harbor ill feelings towards the men and women who gave the world the best hope of freedom and liberty that has ever exisited. This book is only good for people in Britain who want to have a nice, happy feel good day.
Mr. Harvey has many wild and undocumented claims, and they are far to many for me to waste my time on. But deep into the book I could not "stand" the non-factual and non-truthful writings of the book, henceforth here is an example; on page 355 he makes a statement that disparages the Founding Fathers of The United States by his complete conjecture;George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and all of Congress called for the extermination of all the American natives. There is no such proof of this and absolutely no documentation to back up his statements. As you will quickly notice in the book, there are no references to exactly where he got his information. There may be a bibliography, but never is there a book reference or let alone a page reference to a book to back up his statements.
His facts are often wrong. On page 128, he calls Marblehead, Massachusetts, Mobilehead. He slyly omits the fact on page 351, that the notorious "Hair Buyer" Hamiliton, the British Commander in the Western outposts who bought the scalps of men, women and children, had this name attributed to him. He only emphizises that Americans scalped victims. On page 355, he says that perhaps Americans killed an Indian chief. No proof is offered, he just feels like offering the statement. On page 365, he mixes up Charlestown, Massachusetts with Charleston, South Carolina. No proof reader here. And on page 350 he states that there were West Virginians. West Virginia did not even exist at the time.
Poor job Mr. Harvey with your myths.

A revised look at the American Revolution

Journalist Robert Harvey has attempted to write a "corrective" regarding the American Revolution; it's his belief that the Americans have mythologized and glorified the events and people involved, while the British have merely ignored them. Considering both trends to be negative and counter-productive, he has written this book with the hope of bringing both sides into better balance.

At the beginning Harvey states that "virtually every common assumption has to be substantially modified, if not rejected." Some of these "assumptions" that he challenges include: Americans were not just motivated by a love of liberty, but more by economic self-interest and internal social unrest; a large number of Americans opposed resistance to Britain (8% of the population left America after the war); British commanders were incompetent while America's were geniuses; Saratoga was "the turning point" of the War; and French intervention "saved" the colonies from destruction. Harvey's most compelling argument regarding these objections is with the French intervention: he points out, and it makes sense, that when the French decided to back the American cause, it forced the British to concentrate its naval power off the European continent rather than against the colonies. The least compelling concerns his dismissing the British military leaders as being "merely" arrogant or lazy or overconfident - faults in generals that have wrecked many an army.

Harvey is usually pretty fair-minded, and instead of totally debunking standard beliefs (he points out Washington's failures in the War, which the mythologists try to ignore, but recognizes his strengths, too), he re-examines them in a more critical light. I thought his final chapter on the creation of the Constitution after the country almost fell to anarchy, bankruptcy, and internal revolt after the British were defeated to be the best. He is quick to point out that the truly amazing thing about the Constitution and the "American experiment" in democracy was how they were able to combine individual freedoms with a set body of laws, to put controls on what undoubtedly would have spun off into total chaos. He is very impressed with how the Constitution was hammered out and what it finally meant for a free republic - as we all should still be today. Harvey writes engagingly and with verve, and his book is a most interesting one. Whether his goals in writing the book were ever actually achieved (see my first paragraph above), it's hard to say (my guess would be doubtful), I personally got much pleasure from reading it. Recommended.

Littler Bit of How the Other Side Saw It
As someone who isn't very familiar with the American Revolution, I was looking for a summary history, preferably one that didn't get bogged down in the mythology that all too often surrounds old wars.Harvey's book fit the requirements.He summarizes the war well, though admittedly from a British prespective. He also provides a "reality check" of sorts for what we Americans have been taught to believe happened.Washington still comes out a hero, but one with noticeably fewer Godlike qualities, and a man who actually made some serious mistakes.Harvey also defends the Loyalists as not the Devils they are often painted to be. And, he points out that the British actually won most of the battles.

A couple of intersting ideas, the French really won the war for the Americans, and a lot of those American "lovers of freedom"
also loved the idea of slavery.Hmmm. The British's experience in the Colonies was very similar to the Americans experiences in Vietnam a couple of hunderd years later.

I'd defintely recommend the book.

The American War.
At last, a book that scrapes away all the patriotic, American propaganda and rhetoric surrounding this conflict for the last two-hundred years and produces an unbiased, accurate, even-handed and honest version of events for the first time.

The American War has deliberately been distorted ever since it was fought by American historians eager to promote their 'creation myth' in the style they're have liked it to have happened; namely righteous, noble, American heroes battling evil, dastardly, incompetent British redcoats. But this isn't the reality.

This book is a fascinating and detailed overview of the whole of the American War that manages to resist the modern American failing of lapsing into self-indulgent, patriotic wallowing and just tells us what happened, when, where and why.

Most American writers would have you believe that the British were military inept buffoons during this war, but that isn't the truth, just patriotic boasting. Also the idea that the Americans won the war by sniping at the dumb British redcoats from behind trees with accurate rifles is false. In fact, both sides used riflemen, but mostly smooth-bore muskets.

George Washington is also correctly exposed as a mediocre general who lost two-thirds of the battles he fought against the British. And of those he won, he had a large numerical advantage over the enemy in each. Washington certainly wasn't the great military genius his admirers would have us all believe today.

Interestingly, the myth about 'British tyranny' provoking the American Colonies to rebel is examined and smashed. In fact, the American Colonies had all the freedoms that the Britons back home did. Trouble started when a radical, hard-line group of the American elite came to power and wanted to break away to pursue their own, selfish, agenda.

Only when this demand was refused did the cries about 'British tyranny' begin. But, then again, if you're an American Rebel trying to engineer a war and stir up unjustified trouble, what else are you going to say to encourage fellow Americans to join the army and hate the British! British tyranny to the American Colonies was merely a myth to justify the war.

The reality was that the British won most of the battles and captured most of the biggest settlements. The Rebels spent most of the war on the defensive, usually retreating instead of risking pitched battles where possible. The French came in and saved the Rebels by giving them money and military aid!

That's more or less the truth of it, as demonstrated in this uncompromising book. Of course, modern Americans don't want people to know that, so they assault us with fanciful, Brit-bashing, historically inaccurate, drivel such as Mel Gibson's 'The Patriot' instead. However, reading this book is well worth your time.

For example, the idea, popular amongst Americans today, that the Rebels won the Battle of Bunker Hill. In fact, as this book convincingly demonstrates, the British actually won the battle but the Americans are too proud to admit it and thus claim victory even today!

This is a great book! Acquire and read at all cost if you want to know about the REAL American War rather than cinematic nonsense like `The Patriot'. It really does explode some outrageous myths and puts it straight for once and all...

Remove the Rose coloured glasses!
If you're one of those people who believe that Washington never told a lie then this isn't the book for you, or maybe it should be.

From the time of the revolution, America it seems wished to ditch the folk heroes of the British heritage, but needed to replace them with a whole host of homegrown, Robin Hoods, King Arthurs, and even the occasional Lady Godiva.

This beautifully crafted work is remarkably even handed in its approach of the subject of the American revolution. The fact that the author does not call the Sons of Liberty terrorists, is testament to that.

A more realistic view of the strengths, weaknesses, treachery, and dastardly doings of both sides in this conflict I have never read. Pieced together with the political shennanigans of the Americans in their dealings with both friend and foe alike and putting the war in its place as a sideshow in a much broader global conflict between Britain and France.

The author does not neglect the British political establishment either, and its failure to conduct the war in a manner which may have brought a successful conclusion. Drawing many parallels with such conflicts as Vietnam.

When one reads this very readable and highly entertaining book, you will be in no doubt that Britain and her loyal colonial and German allies, were engaged in the first WAR ON TERROR against, the Traitorous Colonials and their French,Spanish and later Dutch axis of evil. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Introduction to Turtle Island's Myths
This book is a wonderful introduction to the general mythologies of North America. After explaining the importance of Native American myths, Leeming and Page give a wonderful introduction to Native American culture, pointing out shared traits and beliefs (such as the earth-diver creation story) that can be found from Siberia and northern Eurasia to North America down through Central and South America. They then examine the different culture areas (the Arctic, Subarctic, Northwest Woodlands, Southeast Woodlands, Great Plains, Northwest Coast, California and the Great Basin and the Southwest), looking at major themes, language groupings and Nations in each region. More than anything else this shows both the unity of the First Nations, and the diversity as even close neighbors differed signifcantly in culture at times.

The first chapter looks at Native American pantheons, showing universal archetypes such as the world creator, the mother figure and the supreme god. Each one gives a few Native American myths to support it, ranging from traditional Native American myths (both told by Native peoples and recorded by anthropologists) to Oglala holy man Black Elk to James Mooney's massive Myths of the Cherokees, and covering a wide variety of Nations and regions. It then goes on to look at other figures central to Native culture, such as the Trickster (coyote, raven, Manabozho, Glooskap, etc), the Dying God and a wide variety of other kachinas, manitous and spirits. Again a wide variety of Nations are examined, including Sioux, Cherokee, Penobscott, Maidu, Luiseños, Ojibway, Apache and many others besides.

The next chapter takes an in depth look at Native American cosmology, starting with the creation. Several versions of the earth diver creation myth, dominant in both North America and Siberia, is contrasted with the emergence myth of the Hopi, Diné (Navajo), Apache and other Nations of the Southwest. A handful of other creation myths are given, including those of Nations such as the Yokuts, Chuckchi (actually Siberian, but included to show the shared cultures of North America and Siberia) and Blackfoot who believe that an omnipotent Creator made the world. Beyond that are a handful of tales describing the universal flood myth, the afterlife and ultimately the end of the world, bringing the cycle of life full circle and illustrating the cyclical nature of many Native culture's world views.

Finally, the book closes out with looking at hero figures; culture heroes, monster slayers, hero twins (a major theme throughout the Americas really) and so forth. Included here are such legendary hero figures as the Diné (Navajo) hero twins, Glooskap (Algonquian), Sweet Medicine (Cheyenne) and Blot Clot (Blackfoot), amongst others. Really this book is a wonderful introduction to Native American beliefs and stories. As I said before, a wide range of Nations is covered, including the Pueblos, Pawnee, Pomo, Tohono O'odham, Kiowa, Yuchi, Caddo, Arikara and even Métis. Since it covers so many regions and major themes, it is an excellent introduction to a pan-North American mythology. I really suggest that anyone interested in Native American (or world) mythology.

Probably a good introduction to native myths.
Native American myths are always primitive, raw, peculiar, and sometimes entertaining, but might not be for everyone.This particular book is not daunting, at about 200 pages, with most of the myths being relatively short.What the authors have tried to do is present the myths in a general, more literary approach, and with some reference to similarities with other mythic traditions.Starting with the native "pantheons", then to their conception of the cosmos (creation, flood, afterlife, end of world), then to hero myths.Of these the last section was the most entertaining, the other myths end up being etiological and rather simple.If you are interested in the mysths in their more original forms there is "American Indian Myths and Legends".This book is more like a primer, but is at least a good overall introduction to what is really a vast mythological tradition. ... Read more

Book Description
Volume X of the series "The Mythology of All Races."An exhaustive compendium of North American mythology.Beautifully and copiously illustrated.Contents: The far north; Forest tribes; Gulf region; Great plains; Mountain and desert; Pueblo dwellers; Pacific coast; Notes and bibliography. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

An amazing mythology collection
I suppose that some of the work in this book, one of a 13 volume set written between 1916 and 1932 (reprinted in the 1960s, has been changed by more recent scholarship, but there is still nothing to equal this fantastic achievement. The set includes not only the more familiar myths such as Greek and Roman, but pretty well succeeds in its goal to include all of humanity. The text is extremely detailed but very readable; none of the turgid prose so often associated with academia. The volumes contain numerous illustrations, both in the text and as plates (mostly black & white.)
One of the most useful parts of the set is the final volume, an extremely detailed index, which allows the reader to pursue a theme, or even a topic as specific as the significance of belts, across all the volumes.The individual volumes do not have their own indices, but the tables of contents are fairly detailed.The books appear to have been issued without dust jackets.

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