Paul Pessolano's Reviews > The Heart of Everything That Is: The Untold Story of Red Cloud, An American Legend

“The Heart of Everything That Is” by Bob Drury and Tom Clavin, published by Simon & Schuster.

Category – American History Publication Date – November 05, 2013

I can remember the name Red Cloud from my college history books, and if I am not mistaken he received a total of 3 or 4 paragraphs, if that. The reason he has not received the notoriety that he deserves was that he was an American Indian and that he defeated the United States Government. In fact, he is the only American Indian to defeat the United States Army in a war. He forced the United States Government to sue for peace in what is known as the “Red Cloud War”. It’s amazing how we hide our failures. The book though is more than the story of Red Cloud, it is the story of the Plain Indians. It details their lives, how they lived, how they fought, and how they were screwed by the United States Government. The Plain Indians consisted of several tribes that for the most part fought among themselves until Red Cloud was able to consolidate them into a unified fighting unit. Red Cloud was also smart enough to fight an unconventional war that continually defeated the U.S. Army in battle. The Indians instilled great fear in their foes because of the atrocities they committed on their enemies, including but not exclusive to scalping and mutilation. Why did Red Cloud go to war? It wasn’t because he hated the white man, it was because he was taking away his land. A land that provided him everything he needed to survive, water, food, and shelter. Not only was his land being taken away but the U.S. Government reneged on all the conditions of the treaties made with the Indians, leading to poverty, starvation, and death.

A great read for both those who enjoy history and those who are looking for a good true story.