Notes
First published in 1970, this extraordinary book changed the way Americans think about the original inhabitants of their country. Beginning with the Long Walk of the Navajos in 1860 and ending 30 years later with the massacre of Sioux men, women, and children at Wounded Knee in South Dakota, it tells how the American Indians lost their land and lives to a dynamically expanding white society. During these three decades, America's population doubled from 31 million to 62 million. Again and again, promises made to the Indians fell victim to the ruthlessness and greed of settlers pushing westward to make new lives. The Indians were herded off their ancestral lands into ever-shrinking reservations, and were starved and killed if they resisted. It is a truism that "history is written by the victors"; for the first time, this book described the opening of the West from the Indians' viewpoint. Accustomed to stereotypes of Indians as red savages, white Americans were shocked to read the reasoned eloquence of Indian leaders and learn of the bravery with which they and their peoples endured suffering. With meticulous research and in measured language overlaying brutal narrative, Dee Brown focused attention on a national disgrace. Still controversial but with many of its premises now accepted, Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee has sold 5 million copies around the world. Thirty years after it first broke onto the national conscience, it has lost none of its importance or emotional impact. --John Stevenson
Books and Book Collecting
Books have been an undisputed favourite and a prominent source of information for individuals with a thirst for knowledge. Beginning with the advent of written language and the zest to document our history, books still are the first physical means of communication beyond spoken language and are synonymous with education the world over. Books act as a tutorial to millions around the world owing to the diverse subjects they encapsulate. Reading books quiet simply transforms a layman to a proficient speaker with an impeccable vocabulary and fairly good general knowledge skills.
Book collecting is a hobby thats passionately pursued by voracious readers, or as their famously termed ‘bibliophiles and is constantly evolving as a trend. With libraries, bookstores and book sellers feeding this need to read; people now have an endless choice and can avail of books catering to different genres. One can find fiction, sci-fi fiction, mysteries, fables, biographies, documentaries, fairy tales and fantasy stories as categories to name a few. As readers involve themselves in the aspect of book collecting, they learn of different genres and tend to choose a niche most suitable to their reading pleasure.
With the advent of the internet, online booksellers and virtual book collecting in digital formats, the domination of book collecting is gradually fading in the background as people turn to quicker means of data acquisition. However, for many avid readers, the significance of book collecting is perpetual and will live through the ages. The exclusive element of possessing rare books is an exhilarating feeling in its own right.
Books are the core of information as they bring an array of insights and facts to the table and throw light on different genres. Depending on various genres, books can be used to suit many purposes. Book collecting gives people the opportunity and choice to acquaint themselves with knowledge from various spheres in life and broaden their horizons of understanding.
