First published 2017
Paul Andrew Hutton chronicles the 25-year Apache struggle for their homeland in the American Southwest from 1861 to 1890. The author centers his account on Mickey Free, the mixed-blood warrior whose childhood kidnapping sparked this extended conflict. Hutton traces the war through the perspectives of key figures on both sides: Apache leaders Mangas Coloradas, Cochise, Victorio, and Geronimo; military commanders Kit Carson, George Crook, and Nelson Miles; scouts Al Sieber and Tom Horn; and warriors like the female fighter Lozen and the White Mountain scout Alchesay. The narrative follows Mickey Free as he navigates between Apache and American worlds, trusted by neither side yet essential to both. Hutton examines how these individuals shaped the violent history of the southwestern borderlands, where the Apache people made their final stand against American expansion. The book offers readers a comprehensive view of this brutal campaign through the lived experiences of those who fought it.
Genres: historical-fiction, 20th-century, american, military-history, 19th-century, american-history
Vibes: atmospheric, emotional, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, fish-out-of-water
Setting: American Southwest
Period: 1861-1890
528 pages · Paperback · Crown
Content warnings: violence, war