The Heart of Everything That Is -by Bob Drury and Tom Clavin

The Heart of Everything That Is by Bob Drury and Tom Clavin --414 pages

On December 21, 1866 a force of eighty-one U.S. soldiers were entrapped and wiped out by over 2,000 Sioux, Cheyenne, and Arapaho warriors in the bloodiest episode of what became known as "Red Cloud's War."  The subtitle of the book is "The Untold Story of Red Cloud, an American Legend," and it graphically recounts a war that has been overshadowed by the Battle on the Little Bighorn in 1876. Red Cloud managed to organize a multi-tribal alliance and (briefly) achieve a strategic victory in forcing the U.S. to close the Bozeman Trail along the tribes' last hunting grounds on the Wyoming/Montana border. Other historic figures such as Crazy Horse, and Jim Bridger played roles in this conflict between two cultures that were completely alien to one another. To today's reader, it is difficult to sympathize with either side because of their level of cruelty. (The title refers to the Lakota Sioux name for the Black Hills of South Dakota.)

The Heart of Everything That Is: The Untold Story of Red Cloud, An American Legend by Bob Drury and Tom Clavin

The Heart of Everything That Is:  The Untold Story of Red Cloud, An American Legend by Bob Drury and Tom Clavin - 432 pages

The Heart of Everything That Is tells the story of a lesser known, but very important, Native American chief. Red Cloud was a Oglala Sioux chief and warrior leader. In his youth, Red Cloud participated in raids against the Americans. As a middle-aged man, he planned and led full-scale military actions against settlers and army posts, most notably in the Power River Country against Fort Phil Kearney and it's commander. As part of these roles, we see how Red Cloud rose to his position and worked with other chiefs and warriors, including the more famous Crazy Horse. In his later life, Red Cloud sued for peace. As a counterpoint, we see how the Americans responded to Red Cloud's actions. These included building additional forts to protect the Bozeman Trail that ran through the Powder River Valley; sending soldiers inexperienced with Indian fighting Westward; generals who did not fully comprehend the situation and left local commanders with little room to act as situations arose; and settlers who took their changes, often to ill-fated results. 

Overall, I found the book to be well-researched and a good overview of the Native American situation in general in addition to its aim. The first few chapters recount the early United States responses to the situation and their effects, including how the tribes were pushed further west causing conflict inter-tribal conflicts. This is then used to springboard into Red Cloud's life as it was also conflict filled.