Code Talker: A Novel About the Navajo Marines of World War Two

Book Description

The United States is at war, and sixteen-year-old Ned Begay wants to join the cause—especially when he hears that Navajos are being specifically recruited by the Marine Corps. So he claims he's old enough to enlist, breezes his way through boot camp, and suddenly finds himself involved in a top-secret task, one that's exclusively performed by Navajos. He has become a code talker. Now Ned must brave some of the heaviest fighting of the war, and with his native Navajo language as code, send crucial messages back and forth to aid in the conflict against Japan. His experiences in the Pacific—from Guadalcanal to Iwo Jima and beyond—will leave him forever changed.

Customer Reviews:

Great Book!!.......2007-10-10

This is a great book. Not much else to say. 5 stars!! especially if you are into fictional stories based on real historical events!

Terrific book.......2007-09-28

Bruchac has created a terrific historic novel that has enough action for young male adults and enough history and research to appeal to an adult audience. Bruchac does a wonderful job of giving a sense of the complexities of growing up on a Navajo reservation in the first half of the book. The irony of a nation trying to wipe out the Navajo language but using it as a crucial means of communication during 20th century wars should not be lost on the reader while reading the second half of the book. Bruchac's narrator tells this tale in an even-keeled, even-tempered manner. The reader is allowed to gain his own sense of injustice our nation has inflicted upon its Native American population. Bruchac's description of the progression of America's involvement in World War II's Pacific campaign is well laid-out and dramatically presented. Highly recommended.

Fantastic book to read aloud.......2007-09-25

We read this book aloud while on a driving vacation through Navajo country in New Mexico and Arizona. My children (girl 10, boy 8 and girl 5) were completely enthralled with both the story and the insight into the Navajo people. Although a work of fiction, the book reads very convincingly as a memoir. The author succeeds admirably in relating the cultural challenges faced by patriotic Native Americans serving in the military as well a giving a non-romanticized portrayal of the realities faced by the soldiers who waged battle in the Pacific. We particularly appreciated the lighter moments -- one tale of boot-camp swimming "lessons" had the kids screaming with laughter. A great read pure and simple, but also one with good lessons to be learned.

The Code Talker Review.......2007-04-06

This book is a great part of history that makes you want to read more and more after every chapter. It teaches you about the Navajo marines of World War 2. Two words; spontaneous and action packed. I loved it when it was talking about the Kamikaze airplanes, atomic bomb, and the Pearl Harbor attack. I give it a 4 out of 5 stars.

A Good Book All Around!.......2007-03-08

I suggest reading this book if you are interested in the Navajo Code Talkers. I would rate it as 4 out of 5. The book has somewhat of a language conflict, because of the different languages spoken. To completely understand the book, you will want to read it twice.

The book tells of a Navajo who was forced to learn English as a young child. He was assigned an English name and was never aloud to speak Navajo. As he aged and went through High School the Japanese were starting a war with the United States. Because the Japanese would intercept all of the Americans messages there was no way to communicate. The U.S. started to recruit Navajo's because of the language they spoke: Navajo.

The author tells us of his journey through WWII and his heroic story of courage and bravery while fighting to communicate with the "Main land". As the story progresses the author meets new friends and finds buddies from home. He describes war very thoroughly. He also describes the loss of a friend and how devastating it can be, especially during war.

There is a long introduction to the book (about 70 pages) in which reads very slowly. After you get past the beginning it is a page turner. I have recommended this book to my whole class because of the authors stunning ability to compel thoughts and emotions during war and hard times.

This is a short read with lots of interesting facts that have never been aloud to be spoken. The book would be considered Historical-Fiction because of its small amount of fictional content. I liked this book a lot and think that you would too. If you like anything to do with history, I would suggest that you read this book.

Land, Wind, and Hard Words: A Story of Navajo Activism

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Compelling and beautiful storytelling
Amazingly accurate and insightful
Dazzling

Land, Wind, and Hard Words: A Story of Navajo Activism
John W. Sherry
Manufacturer: University of New Mexico Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0826322816

Book Description

In the early 1990s anthropologist John Sherry lived with Leroy Jackson and Adella Begaye, leaders of DinÃ© CARE, a Navajo organization dedicated to protecting the environment and its links to Navajo culture. Land, Wind, and Hard Words is his account of the founding, activities, and evolution of DinÃ© CARE, whose original mission was to protect the Navajo forest from the ravages of industrial logging. SherryÂ's intimate account of the daily lives of this group of activists reminds us of the threats facing local communities and the people trying to defend them. Not least among these threats are the many demands of the Â“outside world.Â” From meetings with lawyers or do-gooder environmentalists to the cutthroat world of fundraising, every encounter with outsiders affects the work, draining time and resources away from direct participation with the community and even affecting the way activists think.

Because of his friendship with the Jacksons, Sherry was on the scene during the aftermath of the mysterious death of Leroy Jackson in 1993. His vivid account of the resulting journalistic feeding frenzy and heightened conflict on the reservation adds an unusual dimension to this intimate and unpretentious story.

Customer Reviews:

Compelling and beautiful storytelling.......2005-04-04

This is a beautifully crafted personal account of the early years of the Navajo environmental justice organization Dine CARE (Citizens Against Ruining our Environment), which has worked for more sustainable forestry practices, protested the siting of toxic waste dumps near native communities, and fought for restitution for Navajo uranium miners. The author demonstrates an admirable awareness of the feelings and motivations of the community and individuals he is describing, while remaining conscious of the limitations inherent in his perspective as a white outsider.

"Land, Wind, & Hard Words" interweaves the narrative of how members of this community came together to found Dine CARE (including descriptions of some of their early struggles against government and industries) with excerpts of Navajo legends and more academic commentary on topics such as the disconnect between such grassroots groups and the fundraising system that claims to want to support them.

Anyone interested in the environmental justice movement will find this book a rich source of information on its potential and challenges. Anyone interested in native issues, Navajo history, or the Southwest in general, will find it a compelling story. I encourage everyone to buy this book - all royalties go to support the ongoing work of Dine CARE.

Amazingly accurate and insightful.......2002-05-30

Dr. Sherry's unique humor and his insighful wit made this book a pleasure to read. It's obvious that Dr. Sherry is a man of values, courage, and spontaneity. I applaud Dr. Sherry for his efforts in really bringing to light the activism portrayed in the chronicle. While Sherry's other works were "farcicle," this one has all the makings of a gem.

My only concern is that this book is repetitive and obligatory at times. Dr. Sherry, you might want to be aware of this in future publications.

Dazzling.......2002-05-09

Excellent read on fascinating topic. Kudos to Mr. Sherry on writing a book that is academically rigorous yet accessible at the same time.

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Navajo History in a nut shell!
Interesting, BUT . . .
Navajo history, at last!
A Sweeping History of a Remarkable People

Dine: A History of the Navajos
Peter Iverson
Manufacturer: University of New Mexico Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Americas | History | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 082632715X

Book Description

This comprehensive narrative traces the history of the Navajos from their origins to the beginning of the twenty-first century. Based on extensive archival research, traditional accounts, interviews, historic and contemporary photographs, and firsthand observation, it provides a detailed, up-to-date portrait of the DinÃ© past and present that will be essential for scholars, students, and interested general readers, both Navajo and non-Navajo.

As Iverson points out, Navajo identity is rooted in the land bordered by the four sacred mountains. At the same time, the Navajos have always incorporated new elements, new peoples, and new ways of doing things. The author explains how the DinÃ© remember past promises, recall past sacrifices, and continue to build upon past achievements to construct and sustain North AmericaÂ's largest native community. Provided is a concise and provocative analysis of Navajo origins and their relations with the Spanish, with other Indian communities, and with the first Anglo-Americans in the Southwest. Following an insightful account of the traumatic Long Walk era and of key developments following the return from exile at Fort Sumner, the author considers the major themes and events of the twentieth century, including political leadership, livestock reduction, the Code Talkers, schools, health care, government, economic development, the arts, and athletics.

Monty Roessel (Navajo), an outstanding photographer, is Executive Director of the Rough Rock Community School. He has written and provided photographs for award-winning books for young people.

The most complete and current history of the largest American Indian nation in the U.S., based on extensive new archival research, traditional histories, interviews, and personal observation.

Customer Reviews:

Navajo History in a nut shell!.......2007-09-08

Peter Iverson has one of the best ways of delivering the Navajo history to the public. He is a storyteller from way back and relates the History of the Navajos from the beginning to present day (1400's to present). A thoroughly interesting and entertaining way of presenting the Dine' story. If you are interested in Native American History, if you are interested in the History of the Navajo tribe in particular, then this is the book for you. They have a rich history and beautiful culture and it is easy to see (once you read the book) how they have survived and grown to 300,000 people overtime. It is absolutely amazing how they have become the largest Native American tribe in America.

Interesting, BUT . . . .......2007-04-19

This is only readable if one already has some knowledge of Navajo history. The photos are fabulous. The actual text gets more intersting later in the history process, but the first chapter is just impossible unless one is already versed in the history.

Navajo history, at last!.......2007-02-07

A coherent, cogent and lengthy history of the Navajos was much needed. Well worth purchasing and reading. The average American does not know much about our native peoples unfortunately. I wish all schools would really teach more authentic history so that every citizen can bring to bear pressure on Congress to help all tribes with their needs and problems. We are always giving to other people in far away places, while our own are neglected.

A Sweeping History of a Remarkable People.......2003-07-28

"Dine'" is the story of the largest Native American tribe/nation in North America. Peter Iverson's narrative takes us from the emergence of the Navajo in the Four Corners area of the Colorado Plateau to the very recent past. Along the way we learn about the Dine' origin stories, the archaeological evidence for how they may have interacted with the Puebloan peoples that they encountered on the Plateau, and their settlement in the area (Dinetah) bounded by the four sacred mountains. Iverson takes us through the oftimes traumatic interactions between the Dine' and the governments of Spain, Mexico, and the United States. He pays particular attention, as he should, to the Long Walk, when, in 1864, the Dine' were forcibly removed from their land and marched hundreds of miles to the east to Fort Sumner and the miserable "reservation" at Bosque Redondo, where thousands died. Four years later, having signed a treaty with the United States, the Dine' returned to Dinetah, sadly one of the few instances where displaced First Americans were able to reclaim their ancestral homeland.

The balance of Iverson's book involves the key developments that have occurred since the late nineteenth century, in particular the evolution of Navajo tribal government, the often stormy relationship with the United States, and the changes that the Dine' have undergone in the last hundred or more years. One theme that the author returns to again and again is the resilience of Dine' culture, and the ability of the Navajo to incorporate new cultural elements and people into their lifeways.

Book Description

A page-turning epic with life lessons from a Navajo shepherd

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Carl Gorman's World
Henry Greenberg , and Georgia Greenberg
Manufacturer: Univ of New Mexico Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Kit Carson: Indian Fighter or Indian Killer?

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Presentism Fails Again

Kit Carson: Indian Fighter or Indian Killer?

Manufacturer: University Press of Colorado
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Customer Reviews:

Presentism Fails Again.......2007-08-30

In the historical profession the term "Presentism" denotes writing a history book or article using the values of the present to judge the events of the past. For instance, apologists for the Confederacy--called neo-Confederates--have attempted to rewrite Civil War history. They attempt to prove--from their modern perspective--that slavery was wrong and had nothing to do with the outbreak of the Civil War because the "noble" leaders of the Confederacy could not have fought for so evil a cause. Much better to claim that they fought for states rights. Similar attitudes damn Presidents Washington and Jefferson for holding slaves despite the fact that abolition was an idea that had barely appeared in the American consciousness of their time. Similarly, other "presentists" damn the whites for taking land from the Indians at a time when taking land from aboriginal inhabitants any where in the world was then the norm. One wonders what sins our generation will be condemned for two or three centuries in the future because we did not have the wisdom to see that far ahead.

In this vein, R.C. Gordon-McCutchan, as editor of "Kit Carson: Indian Fighter or Indian Killer" has collected essays from modern scholars who have done their best to place Carson in his correct time and place. In short these authors have tried to let Carson live by the standards of the mid-19th Century rather than those of the 20th (the book was published in 1996).

Carson lived in a time and place where, since 1607, the Navajo raided first the Spanish, then Mexicans and finally the Americans. During this long period the Navajo also raided the resident Hopi, Pueblo, and Zuni, whose urban-agricultureal life produced a wealth worth stealing. There is some irony in the fact that both the archaeological and historical evidence clearly shows the Navajo were themselves invaders of the area.

The Americans were simply another group to raid as were any other non Navajos of the area. Kit Carson, as a man of the 19th Century, was in reality just carrying on an established pattern, and he did it, according to the research in this book, in a remarkably--for the time-- humane manner. The Navajo rendidtions of his cruelty are mainly, according to this book, legends that were spawned in the 1970 through the 1990s. They were not part of the Navajo opinion of the 1860s,

Timothy R. Roberts Ph.D (Univesity of Missouri 1976)

The Broken Circle: A True Story of Murder and Magic in Indian Country

Average customer rating:

as good as its' review
one of the best non-fiction books I have read
the Broken Circle
the Broken Circle
Compelling story of racial tension in Navajo Indian country.

The Broken Circle: A True Story of Murder and Magic in Indian Country
Rodney Barker
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Criminology | Crime & Criminals | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0671741462

Book Description

"As gripping a true-crime book as you're likely to read all year....Read[s] almost as if [it] had been written by Tony Hillerman."
CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
In Farmington, New Mexico, a town that borders a Navajo reservation, the tensions between whites and Native Americans reached an all-time high in 1974, when three white teenagers brutally tortured three helpless victims to death. Their punishment by the court was light, but in this extraordinary true-crime story, the curses of the Navajo on the boys may have wrought justice where the laws of the white man would not....

Customer Reviews:

as good as its' review.......2003-05-04

I read a review of this book some years ago when it first came out. It sounded like a fascinating story so I made a mental note to keep an eye out for it at the book stores. Time went on and I still hadn't come across it so I ordered it off Amazon.com. When I got the book I was a little aprehensive at first. The subtitle, "A True Story of Murder and Magic in Indian Country" made me wonder if I was going to get the facts or the myth. When I started reading the first few pages, I was worried that I was going to get a skewered perspective of the events. As it turned out, none of my concerns were realized and, instead, I got an excellent review of a sordid event in recent history.

The main events of this story take place in the early 1970's. Three Native Americans were brutally murdered by three White teenagers in Farmington, NM. The author introduces us to the story through his own eyes as he discovers the tense aftermath of the murders and the reaction to the light sentencing that the youthful murderers received. Although just passing through Farmington, Rodney Barker finds himself suddenly involved in the turmoil. The events are etched in his mind and, when he dicovers more about it some years later, he decides to investigate the whole story.

Mr. Barker does a very good job in telling the story and trying to do so from all available perspectives. He is sensitive to the Navajo's point of view and goes to great lengths to bring that perspective to the reader. Yet, despite his partisan introduction to the story, he seems to have done a pretty good job of getting the "Anglo" perspective as well. There are times when there doesn't seem to be a reasonable response to some of what has happened. Yet the author often brings us just such a response. He follows the lives of the perpetrators and we find ourselves actually starting to care about them in their later lives. He leaves not with answers but with an awareness instead.

People not familiar with the tension of communities that border Native American reservations will find these events hard to believe. For that matter, so will those who do live in such communities. I read a Native American columnist once who said that the worst racism against Native Americans can be found in those communities that border reservations. Mr. Barker's book is an example of that statement at its' worst. Unfortuanately, while it makes us aware of this problem, it leaves an emptiness as we look for a solution to the problem. Why was it that the teenage activity of "rolling" intoxicated Indians in Farmington was allowed to happen? Was the author's explantion of the problem overstated or was the community's response to it understated? I live near an Indian reservation and I can attest to stereo-typing and tension between the races. However, it is nothing like the description of the situation in Farmington. Thus I am wondering about many things as a result of reading this book. The success of this book is that it has made me thing about things that need to be thought about.

one of the best non-fiction books I have read.......2001-04-08

Very well written, gripping, and entertaining despite the gravity of the subject matter. Well worth reading.

the Broken Circle.......2000-04-11

The book has been interesting since its inception.The author conjured it from a mass of interviews during a summer some years later. Granted, the book is haunting, tragic and disturbing. The text, failed to understand the horror and confusion of the Anglos. I am well aware of this. Ronny Haynie, 3601 Sunset Ave. 1974....Farmington, New Mexico

the Broken Circle.......2000-04-11

Compelling story of racial tension in Navajo Indian country........1997-05-13

Set in Farmington, New Mexico during the early 1970's, this book tells the story of a brutal triple homicide committed by three white teenagers against local Navajo Indians. Almost as cruel as the crimes themselves, was the fact that the boys received extremely light sentences. This book sets forth the moral dillema of this tense period of Southwest history in light of the cultural differences which existed between the Navajo way and the non-Indian world. The book is fast-paced and hard to put down. Perhaps most interestingly, the book tells a true story. If you enjoyed the movie, Incident at Oglala, you will love this book

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Navajo history: The land and the people
Bill P Acrey
Manufacturer: Rio Grande Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

General | Americas | History | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0873801296

Average customer rating:

Good, easy read
Highly recommended
Is This Really How the Navajos Did Things?
A much-needed account of an amazing people
Historically Accurate and Dynamic

The Book of the Navajo
Raymond Friday Locke
Manufacturer: Mankind Publishing Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0876875002

Customer Reviews:

Good, easy read.......2007-04-19

This is an easy, engaging read. But, it doesn't cover the last few decades of history, which are really very interesting. Definitely a nice introduction to the Navajo history.

Highly recommended.......2007-03-17

If you want to really learn about the Navajo culture, history, and issues, this book is probably the best on the market. It is dense with information and well written. Highly recommended.

Is This Really How the Navajos Did Things?.......2006-08-10

I'm sorry folks, but I thought it was boring. I know I fell asleep in the beginning of the afternoon one day while I was reading it. Sure, the facts about the Navajo that the author researched, were researched very well. And I had a sense that the Author was going to let me in on just how much he researched, even if most of what he had to say was very subtle. I can take subtle from an author for just a short time, and then I go and look for a good Romance.

A much-needed account of an amazing people.......2005-10-01

Historians may argue over the reasons for much of what the Navajo have experienced--over the Long Walk, over the Navajo-Hopi Land Dispute, and over the infamous livestock reduction. They may argue about where the Navajos came from, and what their culture needs to survive and thrive, but no one can argue that they're not a fascinating culture deserving of documentation.
Because they are.
The Navajo Indians have lived in the area that's now the United States for centuries--probably since shortly after A.D. 1400--and may have migrated here from Asia, via Alaska and northwestern Canada, though there are other valid theories as well.
The word "Navajo" is a Spanish corruption of a Tewa Indian phrase that meant something like "those who farm the canyons," but "Diné" is the Navajos' name for themselves, and translates simply as "the people."
The Navajo Nation is the modern-day Navajo homeland. It was formed in the early-1900s, to better allow the tribe to deal with American oil companies wishing to lease Navajo land, and is America's biggest Indian reservation, literally a country within a country. The Navajo Nation has its own Bill of Rights, its own flag, a President, its own police force, freedoms and laws unique to the Navajo tribe, and levels of government known as agencies and chapters. Today it's home to about 300,000 Navajo individuals, and covers 25,000 square miles of Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, and Colorado--a reservation larger than the states of Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and New Hampshire combined.
The Navajos are a major American culture, and they deserve books that are as well-researched and as fascinating to read as this one. It's a priceless research tool, and aside from the sad episodes it documents, it's a pleasure to read.

Historically Accurate and Dynamic.......2002-06-06

This book is very dynamic in its broad spectrum of education. For the student of the Navajo culture or th historian wanting to know the insides and motivation of the Native Americans known as Navajos, this book is the best.

Detailed, historical and filled with details on the "white mans" conquest. Their habits, traditions, dreams, beliefs, goals, society and place in the history of the New Americas.

A must read for anyone wanting to learn about a society that has been opposed, oppressed and often forgotten. They are a brilliant culture.

Book Description

In her first book for the Dear America series, acclaimed historical fiction writer Ann Turner brings readers the deeply affecting story of a Navajo girl on the long walk.

Customer Reviews:

Great but sad story .......2006-06-24

I enjoyed the story greatly. It was fun learning about tbe Navajos. I liked Sarah a lot. The Long Walk was completely heart breaking.

The Book that Chased Away Sorrow.......2006-03-16

I loved this book. It is about a young Navajo Girl who travels on the Trail of Tears. This book is a great story showing a followable example of courage, optomisticity (Is that a word?), strength, integrity, and individual worth. It also gives a lot of interesting information. I enjoyed this book because it was easy reading but it was exciting the suspensive at the same time.

Whites vs. Navajos.......2006-03-08

This book is about Sarah Nita and her sister . It starts out In their home a normal day. After coming back from the forest, herding their sheep closer to home, the sisters find that their family has been taken by the white men. Sarah Nita tells Sister that they need to head to tseyi, that they have family there. They travel many days and nights then finally arrive in tseyi, met by a miracle, their fathers family. Sarah Nita endures trouble as the white men come to round up the Navajos again. Everyone in the canyon is moved out for the long walk to the white mans fort. Along the way the book tells of the troubles that Sarah Nita and her family encounter, also of love stirring between her and High Jumper. When they arrive at the white mens fort they are treated with very little food and harsh conditions. I won't give away the ending for you.
I liked the book because it showed what really happened to the Navajos and so many Native Americans like them. I also liked Sarah Nita's stories and her courage too.

Whites vs. Navajos.......2006-03-08

Beeee Swazy.......2004-05-27

TheGirl Who Chased Away Sarrow is a change in emotions that switches throught the story. The begining started out very slow and borning so we did not have any interest in it.So it draged until the middle. My friends say the middle was getting intesting and we read more about when sara nita,kaibah,silver coat, and their fathers side of the clan family got captured and put through the intense feeling of sarrow. I did not inpreticular like the part of the story when the white soilders mistreated the Dine.While the Dine travled many miles to reach nothing.

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