A well-researched book about the Indian wars after the Civil War which was led by General Sherman. He was given the overall command and like his other tasks as a General, he set out to do the job. The author Brands used Sherman Dairy on many occasions to convey what his thoughts were at different times. I also felt that Brands does a good job at describing the odds and the loss of the Indian way of life. When certain leaders from different tribes were killed or captured took away hope and the spirit from the people as a whole. Chief Joesph and some other Chiefs thought they were helping and saving their people and their land only to be sent away. Others fought until either death or were captured but still killed in captivity. Avery through looking into this period which I have always found sad. A good book and one worth reading.

A well-researched historical account of the Indian War and the shaping of America’s western territory. Brands is an exceptional historian, providing authentic and non-bias accounts of history. This is a great book diving into the familiar characters from American 19th century history and weaving in stories to keep me engaged.

ARC was provided by NetGalley and Doubleday Books in exchange for an honest review.

Brands has done it again! I eagerly await each of his new books and he certainly delivered with The Last Campaign. I highly recommend to Civil War buffs who are interested in how General Sherman shaped the west for decades after the Civil War

The title of the book is a little misleading as only the last part of the book details the fight with Geronimo and the Apaches. It is a good overview of the actions taken against the American Indians after the civil war. It includes Cochise, Santana, Sitting Bull, Crazy Horse, Chief Joseph and Geronimo. There are a number of more detailed books written about each of the above for those who are interested in a more thorough coverage of their lives and campaigns.

I received a free ARC of this book courtesy of Net Galley and the publisher with the understanding that I would post a review on Net Galley, Goodreads, Amazon, Facebook and my nonfiction book review blog.

What a great book by Brands on the Indian War in the US. Brands is, in my opinion, our best Historian/Author and his books a filled with accurate research, and this book is just an example of this. Here he turns his eye on the Indian Wars, and he is no revisionist, which he accurately notes were going on for hundreds of generations before Europeans came to the US. He even says when the tribes from Europe (meaning England, French, Spanish, etc.) came to the new world they merely joined into the war that was already waging! See what I mean, accurate history and writing. Anyway, Brands looks at the expansion of the US and the many Indian Wars fought by our military. George Tecumseh Sherman, after the Civil War, was made the head of the US troops and did what had to be done. You see notes from his diary, along with speeches he made, the conflict between how he felt and the job he had to do. Also, many chapters deal with Native American tribes and the battles. It really was a war of attrition that ended in the Northern Plains with the surrender of Chief Joseph, and finally the capture and surrender of the Apaches and Geronimo. As is pointed out, there were good and there were bad among the soldiers, the settlers, and the Indians. And I really came away with a well-rounded view of these wars. Brands goes out of his way to be fair-handed, something you rarely see lately, and is not afraid to point out the good and the bad in all sides of this campaign. Read this with an open mind and you will be surprised at the history of the Indian Wars. A fast-paced, action packed journey to the frontier and all the names we are familiar with (and some unknown until now) this is just another example of why H.W. Brands is our best American Historian!