Get Hold Of George Crook: From The Redwoods To Appomattox Illustrated By Paul Magid Released As Readable Copy

reading Paul Magid's book, most of my knowledge of Crook's career was limited to his service on the frontier during the Plains Indian Wars.
Crook's Civil War career is fascinating and often overlooked, The author is obviously a fan of the general, but Magid presents Crook fairly and points out his flaws as well as his strengths, Crook was an excellent tactician, a brave battlefield leader, and an indispensable counterguerilla leader, However, Crook was also prone to holding grudges and, at times, was too rash and impulsive,

The chapters on Crook's antebellum service in California are masterfully done especially considering the scarcity of sources on that part of his career.
While sharing many of the prejudices of his time, Crook also respected his NativeAmerican adversaries and went to great lengths to learn about their culture, language, and lifestyle.
This was an interest begun in California during the's,

Crook was a very private man, and he left few primary sources of information for historians to study, The author tracked down a fine array of material and skillfully dissects Crook's own unpublished autobiography pointing out inconsistencies and verifying facts, By focusing his book on Crook's army career prior to, Magid's research allows the reader as good of an understanding of Crook's foundations as is possible under the circumstances.


This book is recommended not only for those who are interested in the Civil War, but also for those who seek to understand the background of this famous U.
S. Army Plains Indian Wars leader, The majority of Magid's first volume biography of Crook concern's his Civil War service, a period of American history that no longer much interests me nonetheless, because the George Crook's opening hundred pages cover the General's early army years, thes, in California and Oregon, I recommend it to readers not familiar with that time and setting.


was having computer problems when writing this, . . wanted to use some information from Bourke, Crook's long time aide, to compliment Magid,

sitelinkOn the Border with Crook
John Bourke was Crook's aide, A couple quotes from this "half anthropologist" :

"Curious by nature, he soon picked up enough of the local language to 'carry on an ordinary conversation' with his informants.
His growing familiarity with their tongue earned their trust, while he in turn began to appreciate them as individuals and learn from them, There can be no question that many of his skills as a tracker, hunter, fisherman, and woodsman for which he later would become famous derived in large measure from the Indians with whom he frequently associated during this period.
"

"While he was learning wood lore from the Indians, he was also forming opinions based on his observations of their character and beliefs.
He recorded these in his autobiography years later, Though they often reflect the superficial, ethnocentric view common to most white Americans of the time, his conclusions demonstrate an unusual and genuine interest in Indian culture, a desire, as he put it, to get to know 'the inner Indian.
'"


Am having computer challenges, . . here are some quotes from the other book by Magid:

page", . . he pursued his enemy with such singleminded ferocity that to the Apaches, . . he became the Gray Fox, a herald of ruin or 'impending death' in their culture, . . Yet the more humanitarian aspects of Crook's personality began to emerge, Indians also came to view him as an officer they could rely to represent their interests fairly and sympathetically, "

"Whether referring to Arizona's current Indian problems or to its generally inhospitable nature, General Sherman tersely summarized the military's prevailing attitude toward the Territory: 'We had one war with Mexico to take Arizona, and we should have another to make her take it back.
'"

"Crook did not want to leave his command in Oregon to take the Arizona assignment, He twice turned down proposals from senior officers, but the territorial governor of Arizona wrote directly to President Grant requesting Crook's leadership, "

"If his men thought that the completion of the post construction signaled a life of leisure, they were mistaken, For their commanding officer, it simple meant that his troops now had more time to concentrate on improving their military skills, In an army known for its indifference to preparing its enlisted men for war, Crook was unusual in the high priority he gave to training, particularly in the use of firearms.
His service in the Pacific Northwest led him to believe that proficiency with a rifle was essential to a soldier's effectiveness, " This is the first volume in a two volume look at General George Crook by the author, The second volume focuses on his Indian fighting career, But that career is, to some extent, presaged by Crook's experience with Indians in the West Coast early in his career as a soldier,

The book begins with a straightforward and lean depiction of his family's background and his own growing up in Ohio, Then, his time at West Point, One of his closest friends at the Academy was Phil Sheridan, The story of their falling out over time is poignantly told in this and the second book, He became acquainted with Indians when he was posted to the American West Coast, He saw much and came to show sympathy toward the Indians, although his record over time shows that he could be a hard fighter against a variety of Indian nations.


When the Civil War came, he fought in a variety of departmentsincluding battle in the West at Chattanooga, in the East West Virginia and with the Army of the Potomac.
He was outstanding as a cavalry commander as well as an infantry officer, He was a key actor in Sheridan's victory in the Shenandoah Valley at Cedar Creek, Overall, he had a pretty good military record in the Civil War,

Crook was not a major figure, but he was a capable commander andlike many others of his kindhe made important contributions to the Union war effort.


All in all, a very nice biography! Renowned for his prominent role in the Apache and Sioux wars, General George Crookwas considered by William Tecumseh Sherman to be his greatest Indianfighting general.
Although Crook was feared by Indian opponents on the battlefield, in defeat the tribes found him a true friend and advocate who earned their trust and friendship when he spoke out in their defense against political corruption and greed.


Paul Magids detailed and engaging narrative focuses on Crooks early years through the end of the Civil War, Magid begins with Crooks boyhood on the Ohio frontier and his education at West Point, then recounts his nine years military service in California during the height of the Gold Rush.
It was in the

Far West that Crook acquired the experience and skills essential to his success as an Indian fighter,

This is primarily an account of Crooks dramatic and sometimes controversial role in the Civil War, in which he was involved on three fronts, in West Virginia, Tennessee, and Virginia.
Crook saw action during the battle of Antietam and played important roles in two major offensives in the Shenandoah Valley and in the Chattanooga and Appomattox campaigns.
His courage, leadership, and tactical skills won him the respect and admiration of his commanding officers, including Generals Grant and Sheridan, He soon rose to the rank of major general and received four brevet promotions for bravery and meritorious service, Along the way, he led both infantry and cavalry, pioneered innovations in guerrilla warfare, conducted raids deep into enemy territory, and endured a kidnapping by Confederate partisans.


George Crook offers insight into the influences that later would make this general both a nemesis of the Indian tribes and their ardent advocate, and it illuminates the personality of this most enigmatic and eccentric of army officers.
What do you want out of a biography objectivity or analysis Do you want the author to put their two cents in or stick close to reporting the events as close is readable I struggled reading this one.
Here is a very well researched book from a new author who takes an interesting person and writes the first volume about their life before they become what they are best known for.


Crook did not leave much writing about his life, so the thought of getting a biography out of him is tough, The text starts out telling us about Crook in his early life and moves through West Point and the first Western outposts where he was around US Grant.
All this was very intriguing to me I ate this part of the book up, I really do not know much about the regular Army right before the civil war,

The majority of the book is a fairly dry telling of Crook's time in the civil war, Where he was, battles that were fought, the back and forth of the war, This section contained very little analysis and if I was a serious historian perhaps I would have enjoyed that more, Honestly though I'm just a regular person who appreciates analysis and this book just doesn't have much of that, I most enjoyed hearing about the other generals in relation to Crook because they left more notes on their feelings,

Still I learned a lot and though it was not an easy read at times I regret nothing, I am very much looking forward to reading the next volume on the Indian war fighting Crook, What I took from reading this biography to me is more important than the general entertainment factor, Also this is a debut book by this author so maybe the next one will be a bit more entertaining, .