Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee: An Indian History of the American WestBury My Heart at Wounded Knee: An Indian History of the American West
Score Classic
What it's about
Dee Brown tells the history of the American West from 1860 to 1890 from the side of the Native Americans who lived there. Chapter by chapter, he follows the Navajo, Santee Sioux, Cheyenne, Apache, Nez Perce and other nations as treaties are broken, lands are taken and communities are destroyed, ending with the massacre at Wounded Knee in 1890. Much of it is told through the words of leaders like Red Cloud, Sitting Bull and Chief Joseph.
Why it's worth reading
It spent months at #1 on the New York Times list in 1971 and changed how Americans understood the West. It's a classic of American history.
You'll love it if you liked
Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI
Lonesome Dove
The Fire Next TimeGood to know
It's a grim, relentless book, full of massacres. Later historians have filled in and corrected parts of it.
By the numbers
- Readers86 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics59 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Bestseller71 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #21 of the 198 history books we rank
- #34 of the 762 classics we rank
- #119 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
True story, Moving
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Quick answers
Is Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee: An Indian History of the American West worth reading?
Yes. It spent months at #1 on the New York Times list in 1971 and changed how Americans understood the West. It ranks #119 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 86.1 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee: An Indian History of the American West about?
Dee Brown tells the history of the American West from 1860 to 1890 from the side of the Native Americans who lived there. Chapter by chapter, he follows the Navajo, Santee Sioux, Cheyenne, Apache, Nez Perce and other nations as treaties are broken, lands are taken and communities are destroyed, ending with the massacre at Wounded Knee in 1890. Much of it is told through the words of leaders like Red Cloud, Sitting Bull and Chief Joseph.
How long does it take to read Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee: An Indian History of the American West?
About 12 hours (482 pages), or about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee: An Indian History of the American West?
If you liked it, try Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI by David Grann, Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry or The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin.