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    The Heart of Everything That Is: The Untold Story of Red Cloud, An American Legend
    The Heart of Everything That Is: The Untold Story of Red Cloud, An American Legend
    The Heart of Everything That Is: The Untold Story of Red Cloud, An American Legend
    Audiobook12 hours

    The Heart of Everything That Is: The Untold Story of Red Cloud, An American Legend

    Written by Bob Drury and Tom Clavin

    Narrated by George Newbern

    4.5/5

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    About this audiobook

    This acclaimed New York Times bestselling biography of the legendary Sioux warrior Red Cloud, is “a page-turner with remarkable immediacy…and the narrative sweep of a great Western” (The Boston Globe).

    Red Cloud was the only American Indian in history to defeat the United States Army in a war, forcing the government to sue for peace on his terms. At the peak of Red Cloud’s powers the Sioux could claim control of one-fifth of the contiguous United States and the loyalty of thousands of fierce fighters. But the fog of history has left Red Cloud strangely obscured. Now, thanks to the rediscovery of a lost autobiography, and painstaking research by two award-winning authors, the story of the nineteenth century’s most powerful and successful Indian warrior can finally be told.

    In this astonishing untold story of the American West, Bob Drury and Tom Clavin restore Red Cloud to his rightful place in American history in a sweeping and dramatic narrative based on years of primary research. As they trace the events leading to Red Cloud’s War, they provide intimate portraits of the many lives Red Cloud touched—mountain men such as Jim Bridger; US generals like William Tecumseh Sherman, who were charged with annihilating the Sioux; fearless explorers, such as the dashing John Bozeman; and the memorable warriors whom Red Cloud groomed, like the legendary Crazy Horse. And at the center of the story is Red Cloud, fighting for the very existence of the Indian way of life.

    “Unabashed, unbiased, and disturbingly honest, leaving no razor-sharp arrowhead unturned, no rifle trigger unpulled....a compelling and fiery narrative” (USA TODAY), this is the definitive chronicle of the conflict between an expanding white civilization and the Plains Indians who stood in its way.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherSimon & Schuster Audio
    Release dateNov 5, 2013
    ISBN9781442367500
    Author

    Bob Drury

    BOB DRURY, the recipient of several national journalism awards, is a three-time National Magazine Award finalist as well as a Pulitzer Prize nominee. Drury honed his investigative skills writing for all four New York City newspapers as well as a variety of national publications. His journalism career has arced from sports to crime to adventure travel to foreign correspondence. He is also the author, co-author, or editor of ten non-fiction books, including Blood and Treasure, Valley Forge, and Lucky 666.

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    Reviews for The Heart of Everything That Is

    4.5/5

    149 ratings13 reviews

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    • 5/5
      Excellent history lessons!
      I want to rename the Mountains, counties and cities named after the white conquerors.
      We took everything from the Native American. We can at least give them back their names.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 4/5
      Excellent portrayal of Red Cloud and the Indian fight against the white mans encroachment into Indian lands.
    • 5/5
      This is a well written book that tries to stay neutral while still presenting the emotions on both side. While still being focus on red clouds life. As someone who has Lakota heritage but not taught the Lakota ways or history I enjoy listening to books like this.
    • 1/5
      Audio is clear and well produced but there are a lot of mispronunciation of names etc. This book takes a lot of liberties with people’s thoughts and actions and is over the top with its claims.
    • 5/5
      This is one of the best accounts of the history of Native Americans in North America and their remarkable achievements in their struggle with the U.S. government.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      This was an absolutely amazing weaving together of the strands that would come to make up Red Cloud's contribution to American history. My heart was in my throat for the entire narration. As we Americans hold our collective breath in November 2020, wondering what our way forward will be, maybe we can take the opportunity to undo some of the harm to, and to learn to respect, native Americans like Red Cloud and their connection to and love of the land.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 4/5
      As a student of history, I have found that biographies, many times, are the best way to assess historical events. I am in the midst of reading a string of biographies, some of which are too scholarly for my taste while others read a little too simple. This book on the life of Sioux warrior Red Cloud probably suffers from having followed Rebel Yell, a biography on the life of Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson, which I found to be outstanding. While this book did not measure up to that biography, it was nevertheless a well written and educational piece of work. I must confess that my knowledge of the mid-late 19th century Indian Wars on the American Plains was, and is extremely limited. In fact, while I am passingly familiar with Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse, the Battle of the Little Bighorn is about the extent of my knowledge. In fact, until reading this work, I had never heard of Red Cloud, who the author proclaims was the greatest Native American warrior of the 19th century. According to the author, his relative obscurity is explained by the fact that much of his prowess was achieved at the expense of other tribes in the area of the Black Hills.This book outlines the early life of Red Cloud and his ascendance to the pinnacle of Sioux leadership, despite a number of handicaps. It follows him through the Civil War years and those immediately following, in which Red Cloud was successful in uniting the various Plains tribes (his most impressive feat) to wage war on the encroaching American settlers and United States army troops along the Bozeman trail. It culminates in the Fetterman massacre, in which Red Cloud virtually wiped out an Army regiment at Fort Phil Kearney in present day Wyoming. The battle itself was not impressive in itself, as Red Cloud outnumbered the American soldiers fifty to one, but the leadership required to unite the competing tribes and the strategy employed led to a success that rocked the Army establishment and led to a temporary withdrawal from the area. Red Cloud knew that the long term prospects of his people were poor and soon thereafter ceded leadership of the Sioux warrior class to his understudy Crazy Horse. As I said, this biography does not rise to the level of some I have read, but it served its purpose well, giving me a better understanding of how the Sioux nation was organized and describing well some of the initial clashes between the Sioux and the immediate post-Civil War American Army.
    • 5/5
      An instant classic. Simply one of the best histories of the American West I have ever read. Make room on your shelf next to “Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee”.
    • 1/5
      Evidently well researched, probably the best book treating the Red Cloud part of the Indian Wars of the 1860s...but, it's boring. A biography of a tribal leader of historic importance should provide the subject's side of the story--the authors fail on Red Clouds side of the story. The book covers in detail, many battles between the Americans and the various Indian tribes outlined--right down to the number of cartridges supplied by the Quartermaster. Further, the book gives short shrift to the second half of Red Cloud's life, treating it only as epilogue. I'm still waiting for the definitive book about Red Cloud.
    • 4/5
      The life of Red Cloud, let alone his name or accomplishments, were unknown to myself until seeing this book. I did not know what to expect about how the authors would treat both the Native and Settler sides of history nor did I know if it would be a readable narrative. After finishing the book, I found that Bob Drury and Tom Clavin did a wonderful job in producing an engaging life story of Red Cloud along with describing the context of the times he lived in.I feel it important early in my review to note that I don’t believe that Drury and Clavin were 100% accurate in everything, in particular with Lakota society, though without that knowledge myself I cannot critique it. Another important thing is often cited Red Cloud autobiography, which turns out to be more a second-hand oral history than an actual autobiography as explained in the “Notes and Bibliography” section. While these issues do take away something from the book, they don’t undermine it.Drury and Clavin recount Red Cloud’s life in a very engaging way first by setting the stage for the events leading to the conflict between the Lakota-Cheyenne-Arapaho coalition and the United States Army, then piecing together Red Cloud’s early life as well as a history of the Lakota and “Sioux” nation. Then the text details the events beginning in 1851 that led to the conflict known as “Red Cloud’s War” with particular attention paid to the military events during 1866 in the Powder River region. Although they are chronicling the life and achievements of one man, they don’t make him out to be a flawless human being they make it out to be a man of his culture, society, and time.The authors are not shy about showing the very cringe worthy cultural clashes of Natives and Settlers during the time frame, there are no purely good or purely evil individuals characterized in the text there are just normal humans. The atrocities committed by both sides are told in detail as well as how the popular press at the time either sensationalized the events or barely noted it, depending on who the victims were. The authors also noted that when a victory was won by a Native tribe it was described as a “massacre” when Whites won a victory it was called a “battle,” in reality the two terms could be reversed the vast majority of the time. This is not a 21st-century politically correct whitewash of history; this is a full color slap in the face history.The Heart of Everything That Is might not be absolutely perfect and accurate; however Drury and Clavin do a justice service to the life and times of Red Cloud along with numerous other individuals both Native and Settler who interacted with him. The authors show that the settling of the American West wasn’t the clear-cut Hollywood version of history, but a bloody clash of two utterly different cultures. In the end nothing could stop American expansion across the Great Plains, but the authors showed that for a time it was stymied because of the actions by one man.Disclaimer: Received copy through Goodreads First Reads program.
    • 5/5
      The authors Bob Drury and Tom Clavin's have written a well researched and engaging biography of the great Qglala leader Red Cloud. Their research takes us on a journey that starts with a very brief history of the native American tribes and their movements and politics. With this background we are introduced too Red Clouds life starting with his birth and following his life until his death. The narrative is so well written and fascinating that you will find your self turning pages far beyond any reading time you may have set aside. You are intrigued if not enticed too read what happens next in this epic journey of the life of Red Cloud. The research is so meticulous that the authors are able to not only share the very interesting life of this biography but also the details of various subject matter of the time not directly tied to the subject, yet very interesting and appropriate.Though Red Cloud left an unfinished autobiography; if not for this book the life of this natural and gifted leader may have vanished from our history or be a footnote in what we today call history books. The book is thorough in not only letting us into the life of Red Cloud, both the good and bad, but also the way of life of his people and their interactions with those the came across. This is a must read book.
    • 4/5
      ARC provided by NetGalleySitting Bully, Crazy Horse, Geronimo...their stories have all been told. But Red Cloud, the most powerful Indian commander of the Oglala Sioux, has been lost to the times of history. Until now. In this well researched and well written book, Bob Drury and Tom Calvin have lifted the veils of time to bring Red Cloud's story to light.So often when we read the history textbooks or hear about the history of the west, we're told how savage the Indians were. But as you dig deeper into it you discover there's a greater truth that we try to bury, that they just wanted to be free. In this book we learn about the history of Red Cloud, the only Plains Indian to defeat the US Army and one who could lay claim to 1/5 of the US. These two authors weave together a powerful story, one that's been waiting years to be told.Native American history is one of my passions. In one way it's depressing that we've lost this culture, these lives and histories due to our own arrogance believing that we were the better and less savage group. But it gives me hope that books like this one on Red Cloud are being researched and are being published by major publishers, because people have an interest in learning the truth and that perhaps it isn't too late.I'd highly recommend this book, whether they have an interest in history, culture, or just want to know more about this story of this great Sioux Chief. I give the book 4 out of 5 stars
    • 4/5
      Bob Drury and Tom Clavin come together in The Heart of Everything That Is to tell the tale of a forgotten man. Red Cloud, a member of the Oglala Lakota peoples, was born near the Platte River in 1821. In the beginning, he was trained as a superb warrior, fighting against other nations, namely the Pawnee and the Crow. But then gunfire came across the Great Plains. Gold rushers, homesteaders, and the US military blazed trails into the newly created states of Missouri, Arkansas, and Iowa. But, when settlers threatened to rob the Powder River Country in Wyoming and Montana of its resources and new forts emerged with new enemies, Red Cloud, with the help of the Cheyenne and Arapaho nations, fought back. The nation had just ended the Civil War the previous year, but was again at odds with people in its own borders. The authors’ telling of Red Cloud’s War, including the Fetterman massacre, and the Great Sioux War after that is rich and thoroughly engaging. You can’t help but be drawn in by a history of the American West. Many of the events recounted here inspired great tales like Larry McMurtry’s Lonesome Dove. It’s very hard to believe that few full biographies have been written about Red Cloud. At his height, he controlled territory stretching from Iowa to Idaho and from Southern Canada to Oklahoma. Drury and Clavin are unflinching in their depictions of military engagements, tactics, and outcomes. Both sides fought their hardest for their cause, but in the end, nation-building triumphed over nation-saving. The legacy of the American Indian is limited to a few great figures, but it’s nice to see one of them get their day in the sun. A sweeping and magnificent read.