Author: Michael Blake

ISBN: 0-87358-907-6

Publisher:  Northland Publishing

There’s nothing wrong with a controversial book, but reviewing one can be difficult. Finding the line between preference and a book’s value can be a personal challenge, if you’re not objective. Michael Blake’s Indian Yell: The Heart of an American Insurgency is controversial. You’re going to love it or hate it. I can’t see too many readers being indifferent.

Blake provides a gutsy look at the struggle between the native population and the US military forces during the nineteenth century. He accurately portrays the events of several conflicts using lively and creative text. In fact, I think he’s gone out of his way to present facts some of us might not want to know. In that sense, the book is not only controversial, but also courageous. You’ll read the details that history books omit. My personal favorite is the story of Crazy Horse—it has everything. Blake’s version is the most well balanced rendition I’ve read.

The writing is spectacular, as you might expect from the author of Dancing With Wolves. Blake’s a masterful storyteller and he presents events in a succinct yet creative manner. Unfortunately, the sheer brevity comprises the subject—that’s not a criticism; just true life with the medium. Sometimes the larger picture gets lost in the facts of the events. It’s possible to view Blake’s work as “white-man bashing” if you get too caught up in the individual stories. I can’t speak for the author, but having read the book, I don’t think that was his intention.

Indian Yell is classified as nonfiction. Blake carefully presents and identifies conflicting sides of an issue when necessary. On the other hand, unidentified commentary does slip in occasionally. It’s the nature of the subject; Blake’s certainly not guilty of revising history, although his critics might accuse him of that.

Technically, the only thing I missed is true notes. At the end of each chapter you’ll find further reading recommendations, but for me, it just wasn’t enough. For instance, when an author mentions an eyewitness account, I want to know who the eyewitness was and who told the story. Proper accounting would only add to the value of this interesting and insightful book.

The above review was contributed by: Susan Sales Harkins:  Software consultant and the author of several articles and books on database technologies. She and her husband, William, collaborate on children's non-fiction. Click Here to read more of Susan’s Reviews