Cochise: The Life and Times of the Great Apache Chief

Master strategist| spellbinding orator| religious| political| and moral leader. This was Cochise| the most revered warrior of the embattled Apaches| and one of the pivotal figures in the history of the American West. A powerful and sophisticated leader after years of fighting| Cochise was the only Native American leader to win a war against the white Americans after they wrested the southwest from Mexico in 1848. In this rare biography| distinguished author and historian Peter Aleshire provides the first Apache view of a crucial period in American history?and offers an intimate glimpse of the intriguing man behind the legendary warrior.

Drawing from a range of sources to create an account that is both historically accurate and culturally authentic| Cochise presents a rich and unique blend of voices| including accounts of historians and anthropologists and firsthand descriptions of Apache life| attitudes| and beliefs. The result is an exploration of the internal politics of the Apaches| showing how the leaders derived their authority from spiritual power. This book examines the complex relationship between the Apaches and the Mexicans?as well as the bewilderment of Apache leaders in dealing with a confusing| contradictory| and| in the end| incomprehensible white world.