Description
Book SynopsisTold by a colonial governor, a Creek military leader, Native Americans, and British colonists, each account of Acorn Whistler’s execution for killing five Cherokees speaks to the collision of European and Indian cultures, the struggle to preserve traditional ways of life, and tensions within the British Empire on the eve of the American Revolution.
Trade ReviewPocahontas. Sacajawea. Sitting Bull. Crazy Horse. Acorn Whistler? This Creek Indian's life will never put him in the pantheon of renowned Native Americans. But it is his death, not his life, that matters--or, rather, it is the stories that colonists and Creeks made up about his demise. Unpacking and untangling those tales,
Joshua Piker's fine book reveals nothing less than 'the way life in colonial America worked.' -- James H. Merrell, author of
The Indians' New WorldPiker is an excellent storyteller, and
The Four Deaths of Acorn Whistler is an intriguing tale--told in four different ways--that showcases his dazzling historical detective work. He skillfully uses Creek Indian history as a window into early America. -- Jenny Hale Pulsipher, author of
Subjects unto the Same King: Indians, English, and the Contest for Authority in Colonial New EnglandAs American historians contemplate how best to reintegrate narrative into our work,
Piker provides us with a model. Not only is
The Four Deaths of Acorn Whistler beautifully written, it also considers the nature and impact of storytelling, suggesting that in the end we are who we are because of the tales we tell to ourselves and to others. -- Ari Kelman, author of
A Misplaced Massacre: Struggling over the Memory of Sand CreekJosh Piker follows his superb first book,
Okfuskee, with a sharply observed and deeply researched analysis of a bloody conflict and its tangled--and ultimately murderous--aftermath. His examination of the multiple narratives of Whistler's death forces us to consider the nature of documentary evidence and story-telling in early North America. -- Peter C. Mancall, author of
Fatal Journey: The Final Expedition of Henry Hudson
