DOC Autumn of the Black Snake: The Creation of the U.S. Army and the Invasion That Opened the West by William Hogeland in History

Review

0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Five StarsBy BlackwaterI liked it.18 of 20 people found the following review helpful. Surprisingly Dull Book On A Dramatic Topic; Washington As Villain Is A StretchBy SeverianI like Hogeland's book on the Whiskey Rebellion; and don't mind seeing uncomplimentary portrayals of the Founding Fathers where such info is relevant to the subject being discussed.Here though; Hogeland seems overly preoccupied with the fact that G Wshington owned lots of Western land and wanted to see it developed. The rather tabloidesque thesis here is that ol GW approved of a war against the Old NW Indian tribes because he wanted to see his investments prosper. Well; be that as it may; the burden on a historian advancing such a thesis is to show that some more objective Chief Executive would _not_ have undertaken a similar policy were personal interest factored out. This is where Hogeland stumbles; as any President of the era would undoubtedly have approved the same policy that Washington did. Westward expansion and development was the zeitgeist of the day; and the rights of the natives were pretty much ignored as any sort of impediment. If Washington never existed or if he didn't own an acre of Western land; I think it's clear the exact same events would have played out.For the reader; the tragedy here is that the dozens of pages spent explaining Washington's land acquisition and development strategies are dull as paint drying. So a shaky thesis is supported by lots of tedious detail that does not necessarily prove a thing.The other issue for those seeking a lively exposition on the topic is that Hogeland is no military historian at all. His descriptions of battle and strategy are vague and brief; and those seeking blood and thunder need to look elsewhere. Hogeland portrays characters well; but when the generals take the field; the story gets disjointed quickly. Sword's book on the topic from 1985 is a lot more entertaining and lively.Hogeland's cynical and militarily vague take on Federalist history worked well when he dealt with the Whiskey Rebellion as the wheeling and dealing of Al Hamilton was both more apparently unscrupulous there and also had a lot more impact on events. The "perfidious" Washington here does not ring as true as even a disinterested President would probably have mobilized the troops to clear out the Northwest. And the Whiskey Rebellion also worked out better as a Hogeland topic as there was no actual campaign there; just a mobilization that cowed the tax evaders with no actual conflict. The Indian war that is theoretically the main subject of this later book is less well served by Hogeland's skill set.All in all; a well written and occasionally entertaining read; but the central thesis is flawed; and due to a mix of focus on land sales and development and a de-emphasis of battles and warfare; this is not a very engaging read.24 of 27 people found the following review helpful. America's Untold First WarBy Eric BogosianThe first American war no one ever talks about - against the Native Americans! I had never heard this story before and it is told here in clear; fresh prose. This is the narrative of "Mad" Anthony Wayne; George Washington and the great Native American leaders Blue Jacket and Little Turtle. This is the first chapter of America's expansion and it is a riveting story. I will never look at a map of the United States the same way again.