Life of Sitting Bull - Good Old Reads

Life of Sitting Bull - Johnson - First Edition - 1891

W. Fletcher Johnson - Life of Sitting Bull — W. Fletcher Johnson

If you have a chance to read Sitting Bull and the Indian War, don’t.

High Point: The cover is one of the best you’ll ever see.

Low Point: It’s repetitive, sensationalized, inaccurate and haphazard.

Author: W. Fletcher Johnson

Publication Date: 1891

Genre: History

Sitting Bull in 1890 — Portrait of Sitting Bull by Caroline Weldon (1890)

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Published in 1891, W. Fletcher Johnson’s Life of Sitting Bull and History of the Indian War of 1890-91 brought the promise of a then-current glimpse at key events in the US during the 19^th century. These looks at history are usually fascinating since they are unfiltered by the vast cultural and social shifts that have occurred over the last 130 years.

Unfortunately, this book only disappoints.

While uncluttered by 21^st century viewpoints, this 587-page volume is instead cluttered with repetitive accounts of the same events. And Johnson relates one sensationalized story that had been discounted years prior to the book’s publication. That story might make the reader question the credibility of the remaining narrative.

The structure of the book comes across as haphazard. It follows no clear or logical timeline or sequence. It seems to skip from place to place, and you don’t know where it might land next.

The best feature of this book is the cover. It’s a striking design easily one of the most attractive I’ve seen from that period.

But in the end, Life of Sitting Bull is a miss. Or, perhaps more accurately, Life of Sitting Bull is amiss.