The Lance and the Shield

I've read this book several times, and am amazed each time. Utley is a terrific writer and historian, as he provides the reader with a complex and vivid "picture" of Sitting Bull and his times. Drawing on a variety of sources, both Indian and white, we come to understand Sitting Bull's struggle for his people through witnessing his childhood, relationships with his fellow Lakota (both Hunkpappa and other tribes), conflict with the whites, travels with Buffalo Bill (his sympathy for poor whites he encountered in the eastern cities is esp. telling), and his murder at the hands of Indian police and a paranoid Indian agent. One of the best biographies I've read.

One of the best written biographies I have ever read, and certainly one of the best ever written about any of the central figures of the Indian wars of the late 19th century. I plan on picking up a copy of Mr. Utley's biography of Custer, as well.This book is a moving, and sympathetic portrait of a man who fought an impossible war against the forces of manifest destiny that were set against his people. I felt I really got to know Sitting Bull as a man, and as a leader. His spirit of resistance is unquestionably admirable. This is a must read for anyone who wishes to understand just how much was lost by the Lakota, and the Indian people, in the rush of white's towards the "frontier". The spirit of the Lakota leader is on par with any of the great "white" heroes of western european history. Sitting Bull is perhaps, along with Crazy Horse and Chief Joseph, one of the greatest leaders, and Americans, that this country ever produced. Mr. Utley's portrait of him paints his life's picture with pretty vivid colors, and textures. The tragic circumstances of his last years, and his death, are heartbreaking.Definitely worth the read if you love the American West, and the American Indian people.

Robert Utley, a noted historian, has written an excellent biography on this famous Lakota titled The Lance and the Shield: The Life and Times of Sitting Bull. Utley's monograph depicts Sitting Bull as an influential Lakota, true to his people and his culture. Before The Lance and the Shield, Stanley Vestal's book, Sitting Bull: Champion of the Sioux, was the premiere work. However, as Utley expresses, Vestal's work is often more literary than historical. Given today's trends in historiography, students needed a new text, one with thorough documentation and a more clear writing style. Utley has created an exceptional text that equals his previous writing successes. Utley uses two metaphorical approaches to chronicle Sitting Bull's life--the Lance and the Shield and the Four Cardinal Virtues. Utley suggests that Sitting Bull's life can be easily viewed in two different roles, a defensive one (shield) and an offensive one (lance); careful and concise description shows how Sitting Bull continually sought to defend and protect his people, militarily and politically. The Lakotas value Four Cardinal Virtues above all others: bravery, fortitude, generosity, and wisdom. Sitting Bull personified these ideals through his dealings with family, friends, and even enemies. Because Sitting Bull lived such a virtuous life, he achieved great influential power among his people and even among other Plains nations. Utley's bias clearly lies with the Lakota people. However, his writing style is clear and factual, so usually the reader does not get the impression of overwhelming bias toward the Native Americans, after all, we hear of their faults and shortcomings too. Utley says that this more realistic image of Sitting Bull reveals his greatness because of what he represented, the spirit of the Lakota people. (Rebecca McMurrin)