In this biography, David Edmunds examines the life of legendary Shawnee leader Tecumseh and his pivotal role in defending the Native American way of life. Edmunds is the Anne and Chester Watson Chair in History Professor at UT Dallas. Edmunds' area of specialization at UT Dallas is History of Native American People and History of the American West. Edmunds has written other Native American books, Pocahontas, the Shawnee Prophet.
             Tecumseh and Quest for Indian Leadership is an informative bibliography of the life of the great Shawnee chief Tecumseh. Tecumseh was born to Puckshinwa and his wife Methotaske in March, 1768, in what many historians think was Chillicothe, Ohio. Tecumseh had many siblings, Chiksika, Tecumapease they were his oldest brother and sister. Next came Sauwaseekau who was brother to Tecumseh and another sister named Menewaulakoosee, after her Tecumseh was born, after that two more sons were born and after that the set of triplets that included Tenskwatawa, the Shawnee Prophet.
             The book Tecumseh and the Quest for Indian Leadership written by R. David Edmunds is very well written. I recommend that every history class be assigned to read this book, or sections from this book. The writing puts the oppression of Indians into a perspective that most Americans wouldn't normally view it from. This book places the reader on the side of the Shawnee Indians in the time period just before the revolution and up to the middle of the War of 1812. Through this book, you realize the unjust actions taken toward the Shawnee Indians of the Ohio Valley. Edmunds begins the book by introducing a Shawnee warrior, Cornstalk, and then travels back in time to the first humans in the Ohio Valley area. Edmunds uses great detail in describing the Fort Ancient people and their culture and lifestyle. They were the predecessors and ancient relatives of the Shawnee, and they were a skilled people.
             In 1774, Cornstalk knew t...