Buckskin Brigades

Rating:
Summary: The true story of the old west
Review: I am not usually a fan of "westerns," but this book is definitely an exception. It opens with an incident which actually happened to Lewis & Carrol, written from the explorers' viewpoint then it relates the same incident from the viewpoint of the Blackfeet Indians. The effect is startling: suddenly the roles of "civilized" white men and "savage" indians are completely reversed and the book continues from there. The story itself is a page turner but the added realism of what the lives and cultures of the European settlers and the Native Americans were really like is fascinating. I highly recommend it

Rating:
Summary: A good piece of work from an experienced story teller!
Review: I consider this western to be among the best I have ever read. It not only is a great tale, but it is told with incredible accuracy. One really gets the feeling you are really there! This magnificent novel by L.Ron Hubbard portrays the West as you always knew it was like, not like some colorful Saturday morning cliche' western. This novel captures your heart with its sincere 'realness' and wraps you up in the struggle and plight of a forgotten people. I wanted to grab my rifle and join them on the plains. I loved it! What a great story! Hubbard really nails this one!

Rating:
Summary: The West portrayed as you always knew it really was like!
Review: I consider this western to be among the best I have ever read. It not only is a great tale, but it is told with incredible accuracy. One really gets the feeling you are really there! This magnificent novel by L.Ron Hubbard portrays the West as you always knew it was like, not like some colorful Saturday morning cliche' western. This novel captures your heart with its sincere 'realness' and wraps you up in the struggle and plight of a forgotten people. I wanted to grab my rifle and join them on the plains. I loved it! What a great story! Hubbard really nails this one!

Rating:
Summary: A good piece of work from an experienced story teller!
Review: I think the thing that grabbed me was the realism. You definitely get the feeling that the author had been there, understood Indians and their culture. I have compared it to anthropological BLACK ELK SPEAKS and the classic historical novel THE DELIGHT MAKERS and it's feel for authenticity is on par. Add to that the sheer story-teller talent of the author and it is well worth reading. That it was written long before our "civilization" was aware of the Amerindian culture and its depth is quite amazing.

Rating:
Summary: Overrated but readable
Review: I'm a bit puzzled by all the positive reviews of Buckskin Brigades. Did we all read the same book? This is definitely not top notch fiction. Yellow Hair is a white man raised by Blackfeet, who eventually encounters "his own kind," with fireworks resulting. There isn't much plot to speak of, the action isn't gripping, and as usual for Hubbard the characters are pretty shallow. I do remember enjoying it somewhat, but for a relatively short book (c. 300 pages) it sure does drag on. Almost the only part worth recommending is that it's sort of an "anti-Western," in that the whites are depicted as the bad guys. Pretty unusual for the mid-30s, and a refreshing perspective even now. Other than that, this book isn't terrible, but IMO it's not worth more than a library browse.

Rating:
Summary: Heavy Handed
Review: The main point of this book, as I see it, is to illustrate the supreme goodness of the Native Americans of the 18th and 19th century, while depicting the vile loathsomeness of the white European encroachers. This point is made with every character and scene description in the book. While I enjoyed learning the author's opinions, eventually I felt pummeled by the repeated blows. This is the first book I have given up reading after completing 85% of the story. I just couldn't take it anymore.

Rating:
Summary: A "Dances With Wolves" type book
Review: This book was possibly the first ever written which showed the true way the indians on this continent were treated by "the white man". It made me laugh, it made me cry. Read it to find out who the real "savages" were and to get a better understanding of the Indian lifestyle and their mores. Incredible read for the first novel by this author