Reviews for Geronimo's Story of His Life

The average rating for Geronimo's Story of His Life based on 2 reviews is 4.5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2015-12-21 00:00:00 Katie Smith This edition of Geronimo's life story has a fascinating introduction by Frederick Turner that provides background not only for Geronimo's life, but for the shameful attitudes held by the white man towards the Apache and other Native Americans. Geronimo was only convinced to share his life story after hearing that then-President Theodore Roosevelt approved of S. M. Barrett's idea. Barrett had met Geronimo and become friends with him during the warrior's captivity at Fort Sill Oklahoma, where he spent his final years. Barrett had wanted to publish the stories Geronimo had told him in private, but Geronimo refused permission. So Barrett wrote a letter to Roosevelt saying that the war chief had never had the opportunity to tell his own story and he asked Roosevelt for permission to publish. And when he explained to Geronimo that the President wished to hear about his life, Geronimo agreed at last. So in a way this book came into being because of yet another deception on the part of a white man in Geronimo's life. How ironic. Geronimo begins with an outline of the Apache creation stories, then tells of his childhood, his marriage, and how he became a warrior. We learn about trips into Old Mexico, not always raiding, sometimes the people went to trade. During one trading journey, the men had gone into town to do business and while they were away Mexican troops slaughtered most of the Apache who had remained in camp, including Geronimo's mother, wife, and three children. From that day on Geronimo had an intense hatred for the Mexican people, and they all suffered his thirst for revenge. The Americans of the era were not much better towards the Apache, and he learned not to trust them. He never gave up trying to live as an Apache should. So was he a barbarian or a patriot? I cannot review this book objectively. I have lived in the area Geronimo was most familiar with; I have felt the echo of Apache spirits in their desert homelands. My sympathies are completely with Geronimo, from beginning to end. He had reasons for everything he did, even his decision to tell his story was ultimately an appeal for himself and his people to be allowed to return home. The final sentence of the book: If this cannot be done during my lifetime ~~ if I must die in bondage ~~ I hope that the remnant of the Apache tribe may, when I am gone, be granted the one privilege which they request ~~ to return to Arizona.

Review # 2 was written on 2020-02-15 00:00:00 Michael Heffer An extraordinary and heartbreaking book, well worth the read