The History of the American Indians

This book is a great read, So much History that you don’t learn in School. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in true history.

James Adair's classic study of southeastern Native American culture of the late colonial period is one of the few primary sources from that era. The editor Kathryn E Holland Braund has written an excellent introductory essay and added extensive annotations to the text. She also tells the story of how Adair's manuscript was accepted by the leading London publishing house of Dilly and Dilly upon the recommendation of Benjamin Franklin.This is a book written by an amateur. It is a tragic tale of primitive tribes in a state of endless warfare, always in danger from deadly diseases, a colossal homicide rate, and runaway alcoholism, and caught up in the plots of the British, French, and Spanish to control the North American continent. Nearly half the book is formal argumentation that the American Indians are descended from the lost tribes of Israel. Since Adair's arguments don't support his case, it appears that he felt that book sales required catering to the romantic notions of his pre-scientific age.In recent years, several writers have suggested that Adair's book is one of the major sources of the Book of Mormon. In this day of sophisticated computer word print analysis, scholars may decide that the computers will have the last word on this subject. But in terms of common sense, the argument is a strong one. It would certainly be difficult to conclude that Alma chapters 48-53 in the Book of Mormon had any other source than the last chapter of Adair's book.Readers who have a special interest in Native American history, or in American religious history, should not miss this book.

A great source on the white mans slanted interperation of the Native American in the 1700's. The aurther spends a lot of text supporting his position that the Native Americans were the lost tribes of Israel; interesting theory but his observations to support his position demonstrate Native American Life that he encountered. Most of the tribes he encountered were desimated by small pox or tribal warfare shortly after the 1750's so the authors observations were a historical record of the eastern tribes who vanished with little documentation

excellent book for history

Buy with confidence.

My review is biased. The author is an ancestor, and we still use "James" and "Adair" as family names.

This is an indepth writing and historical record for someone to have accomplished at any time in history!

Started on page 177. More of a pamphlet than a book. I was leery of the description from the start but purchased anyway. Big mistake to purchase this version.