The Fox and the Whirlwind: General George Crook and Geronimo, a Paired Biography - Hardcover

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PETER ALESHIRE is senior lecturer in the Department of American Studies at Arizona State University, West Campus, and the author of Reaping the Whirlwind, a history of the Apache Wars. He is also a contributing editor to Phoenix Magazine and writes for Arizona Highways and other publications. He lives in Phoenix, Arizona.

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"An invaluable addition to Western history."?Evan Connell, author of Son of the Morning Star

TWO OF AMERICAN HISTORY?S MOST BRILLIANT WARRIORS?AND FIERCEST ENEMIES?COME ALIVE

This captivating dual biography chronicles the lives and battles of America?s most famous warriors, the legendary Apache shaman, Geronimo, and the nation?s most successful Indian fighter, General George Crook. Artfully constructed from the warriors' own words, as well as newspaper accounts and the firsthand recollections of those who fought with?and against?them, here is a compelling and uniquely evenhanded account of the intriguing men at the center of one of American history's most definitive, longest-running struggles?the infamous Apache Wars. Born to defend their respective cultures?and destined to destroy each other in the process?the vengeful, spiritually powerful Indian warrior and the remorseless, consummate professional officer are inextricably bound to each other in the fabric of our country, and in the hearts of their peoples.

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Geronimo and General George Crook were born to destroy each other.And they did?the perfect enemies, perfectly embodying the tragic strengths and weaknesses of their respective cultures. No confrontation more powerfully captures the relentless, irreconcilable struggle between Native Americans and whites than the Apache Wars?the final and longest running of the North American Indian wars. At the heart of that bitter and violent conflict lies the intriguing story of two of history?s most brilliant strategists?united by their fierce loyalty to their peoples, yet divided by their warring bloods. A shaman and a merciless warrior, Geronimo made a religion of revenge and fought on long past hope and reason, becoming both the whites' most hated foe and a romanticized symbol of Indian resistance. The slaughter of Geronimo?s wife, mother, and children set him on his deadly path. For more than thirty years, his cunning, reputation for supernatural power, and determination exacted a terrible revenge on his enemies. The nation's most effective Indian fighter, Crook combined a paradoxical sympathy with a relentless antipathy toward his foe. He became both the Apaches? best friend and their worst enemy. The taciturn, introverted, and adventurous Crook learned his trade in the Indian wars in the Pacific Northwest. He proved a gifted, courageous, irascible cavalry commander in the Civil War, then played a lead role in both the Sioux and Apache Wars, including the disastrous campaign that resulted in the destruction of General George Armstrong Custer's command. Plainspoken, unassuming, honest, informal yet disciplined, Crook was ultimately confounded by Geronimo's refusal to surrender.Shifting from one distinct voice and viewpoint to the other, this intertwined biography achieves a novelistic sweep while taking full advantage of transcripts and negotiations, newspaper accounts, journals, and primary sources, as well as each man's autobiography. From the early days that shaped them to the battle that consumed them, and the politics that ultimately betrayed them both, their quests for victory and immortality offer great insight into some of the most important events in American history?and a unique perspective of the cultures from which they sprang.