Synopses & Reviews
In the days following the Battle of Birch Coulie, the decisive battle in the deadly Dakota War of 1862, one of President Lincolns private secretaries wrote: “There has hardly been an outbreak so treacherous, so sudden, so bitter, and so bloody, as that which filled the State of Minnesota with sorrow and lamentation.” Even today, at the 150th anniversary of the Dakota War, the battle still raises questions and stirs controversy. In Birch Coulie John Christgau recounts the dramatic events surrounding the battle. American history at its narrative best, his book is also a uniquely balanced and accurate chronicle of this little-understood conflict, one of the most important to roil the American West.
Christgaus account of the war between white settlers and the Dakota Indians in Minnesota examines two communities torn by internal dissent and external threat, whites and Native Americans equally traumatized by the short and violent war. The book also delves into the aftermath, during which thirty-eight Dakota men were hanged without legal representation or the appearance of defense witnesses, the largest mass execution in American history. With its unusually nuanced perspective, Birch Coulie brings a welcome measure of clarity and insight to a critical moment in the troubled history of the American West.
Review
“Birch Coulie is a great re-telling of a great story. Birch Coulie accurately captures not only the events leading up to this historic battle, but also the emotions of its participants. Christgau seems to understand the depth of Dakota frustrations that produced one of the most determined Native attacks on US troops in all of American History.”—Carl Colwell, LTC U.S. Army (Ret.), director of the Renville County (Minnesota) Historical Society and director of the Minnesota Valley History Learning Center
Review
"[Birch Coulie is] a dramatic narrative that students of frontier and Minnesota history will wish to read closely."—Gilbert Taylor, Booklist
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"Christgau's book is essential reading on the 150th anniversary of the largely forgotten, under-taught war that he describes as "a brutal collision of two worlds and cultures." —Curt Brown, Minneapolis Star Tribune
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"With its unusually nuanced perspective, Birch Coulie: The Epic Battle of the Dakota War brings a welcome measure of clarity and insight to a critical moment in the troubled history of the American West, the deadly Dakota War of 1862."—Bob Edmonds, McCormick Messenger
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"John Christgau has captured the facts of the 1862 war and the battle at Birch Coulie in a way that brings them alive to the reader."—Gary Revier, Minnesota's Heritage
Review
"John Christgau has a knack for finding riveting slivers of history hidden in complex events. He pumps fresh blood into long-forgotten characters and does it with crisp, simple writing."—Curt Brown, Minneapolis Star Tribune
Review
“Incident at the Otterville Station is an amazing story of a state divided over the issue of slavery and a group of Minnesota soldiers who performed their duties not only as soldiers but as men with high morals. Christgau enlightens the world to a little-known story that was one of many during the Civil War. The people of southeast Minnesota should find pride in the history of their soldiers in this book.”—Dustin B. Heckman, executive director of the Mower County (MN) Historical Society
Review
“While President Lincoln delivered his Gettysburg address, thirty-six Minnesota enlisted soldiers languished in a Missouri jail. Their crime of conscience to implement Lincoln’s ‘new birth of freedom’ for a group of runaway slaves would soon be the mission of the entire Union Army.”—Stephen Osman, retired senior historian, Minnesota State Historical Society
Review
“A very informative tribute to ‘the Minnesota boys in blue who carried ‘the state flag and protected our nation during the great War between the States. This narrative further enhances the legend of the troops from Minnesota—especially those from the southern part of the state—primarily Mower County. It makes you proud to be a Minnesotan and live in the United States.”—Polly Jelinek, historian and lifelong resident of Mower County, Minnesota
Review
"The wheel, the printing press, the light bulb, the airplane, the space ship, the jump shotand#8212;the progress of man can be measured by leaps into the void. This fascinating look at the athletes who changed basketball by jumping into the air and creating, when such a thing was taboo, is about sport and competition, but most of all it is about what Christgau describes as and#8216;the spirit of originality.and#8217; I couldnand#8217;t put it down."and#8212;Rick Telander
Synopsis
While elated Northerners were celebrating victory at Gettysburg and toasting Abraham Lincoln as the Great Emancipator, Missourian Charles W. Walker was rousing his thirteen slaves in the dark of night. In defiance of a standing Union order prohibiting the transfer of slaves among states, he intended to ship his slaves by train to Kentucky, where they would be sold at auction. What ensued was one of the most gripping—and until now, mostly forgotten—events of the Civil War.
In Incident at the Otterville Station, John Christgau relates the true story of the rescue of Walkers thirteen slaves by soldiers of the Ninth Minnesota Regiment and the soldiers subsequent arrest for mutiny. The controversial incident became national news, with President Lincoln ultimately sending Secretary of War Edward Stanton to investigate. Christgaus compelling narrative of the Otterville Station rescue and its aftermath illustrates the complex process of emancipation during the American Civil War, particularly in border states such as Missouri. The end of slavery was the product of many actors, from Union soldiers to the president and Congress to abolitionists and the enslaved themselves. This detailed account examines the critical role that individuals played in determining the outcome of emancipation and the war.
Synopsis
Before the jump shot, basketball was an earth-bound game. In fact, inventor James Naismith did not originally intend for players to move with the ball. The inspired invention of the dribble first put the ball handler in motion. The jump shot then took the action upward. But where, when, and how did the jump shot originate?and#160;Everybody interested in basketball knows the answer to that question. Unfortunately, everybody knows a different answer. John Christgau delves into basketballand#8217;s evolution, following the supposed inventors of the jump shot to the games in which they first took to the air. He discovers that a number of pioneer players, independently but from the same inspired possibility, can each claim credit for inventing the jump shot.
About the Author
John Christgau is the author of several books including Spoon, winner of the Society of Midland Authors Best Fiction Award. He played basketball for three years at San Francisco State University and was named to the All-Conference team twice.