The Three-Cornered War: Native Peoples, Union & Confederate Forces, and the Struggle for the American West

Gweithir: Rarely do I read an academic history book and think "wow, couldn't put that down!"--and reading academic history books is a beloved part of my job. The narrative skill the author employs in this is truly uncommon in high-quality historical works, let alone in works that delve into complex, primary source poor areas like anglo-Indigenous relations during the Civil War.
As an Indigenous person, I am especially grateful of how well the author was able to portray the stories of the Indigenous nations and individuals caught up in the conflict --and how both the Union and Confederacy wanted to steamroll them into submission or extermination for their own profit.
There are some nuances left out, and a few areas I wish the author had mentioned or put more into, but I imagine doing so would have made this book less approachable. As a primer on the Southwest at the time of the Civil War, or as merely an interesting read for someone who's into history, this book is top-shelf. 12/10 highly recommended.

United States on Jan 01, 2024

Sewmanybikes: I struggled to keep places and names straight in the beginning but it's worth staying with. I have a much better understanding of what was going on in the Southwest during the Civil War. The use of primary sources including diaries and journals to paint the details helped to hold my interest. The inclusion of significant women and their stories was also appreciated. Not just history about dead white guys!

United States on Sep 20, 2023

Richard Carlson: This fascinating book shows how the conflicts of the Civil War began the integration of Arizona and New Mexico into the U.S. Confederate attempts to grab this territory forced the Union army to enter it and ultimately pacify it. Apaches and Navajos were caught in the conflict, and ultimately forced to submit to federal control. After submission, and years of misery in New Mexico, the Navajo regained their land and substantial independence.

United States on Dec 31, 2021

Jennifer: Bought this is a gift for my mother-in-law. She is a huge civil war buff. She even writes articles for the newsletter of a civil war group she is in. She's a very hard person to buy for, But it was her birthday and I really didn't want to just hand her a gift card. So I did a lot of research on civil war books. I had to be sure that it was something she hadn't read and possibly even some new information. She was shocked and actually learned new information from it. She loved it so much her next article for the newsletter is about The Three Corned War!

United States on Mar 15, 2021

seamus: Great read. Well researched anyone interested in the civil war in the southwest a must. Loved it.

United Kingdom on Jun 25, 2020

tommygee: I am a native of West Texas/New Mexico and have visited sites, read a lot and written a little about the Civil War in New Mexico (a subject that was strangely never even mentioned during my school days). Dr. Nelson's "Three-Cornered War" was an absolute delight to read. Her "narrative" style made it read like a novel, and it was a real "page-turner". It now occupies a prominent space in my little library, and will be used for future reference in my studies. Definitely recommend, whether you are a student of the Civil War era or someone just looking for a good read about the American Southwest.

United States on Mar 24, 2020