Additional information
by Marilyn Dear Nelson (Author), Chris Nelson (Author)
In the summer of 1871, JW Dear met Red Cloud, the leader of the Oglala, who at that time was probably the most powerful and respected Indian chief in America. For the next twelve years the two men lived alongside each other on the vast Northern Plains. This was one of the most turbulent, violent, and controversial periods in the history of the American West. The end of the Civil War saw tens of thousands of emigrants brave the 2,000-mile journey across Indian territory in search of a better life in California and Oregon. It saw the coming of the trans-continental railroad across Indian land; the wanton slaughter of millions of buffalo the Indians depended upon for survival; the end of the fur trade; the emergence of cattle barons and open range ranching; the discovery of gold in the Black Hills of Dakota; the Great Sioux War of 1876; Custer's last stand at the Battle of Little Bighorn; and the forcing of the Lakota onto reservations.
This book is about two men caught up in these momentous events--Red Cloud, whose life has been well researched, and JW Dear, whose story has never been told. It is a story about the opening-up of the West and the process of nation building, driven by great vision, sacrifice, and human endeavor. But it is also a story of mismanagement, avarice, corruption, bigotry, extreme violence, and injustice.
Author Biography
Marilyn Dear Nelson was born in California and moved with her military family to army posts and embassies around the US, South America, and Europe. Her international marketing career took her to Europe, South Africa, Australia, and Hong Kong, where she met her husband, Chris. Marilyn grew up with stories, artifacts, and stereotype images from her great-grandfather's life in the Wild West. When she and Chris retired to London they started to research his extraordinary life and to translate Marilyn's hazy recollections into reality.
Chris Nelson was born near London. After university he initially worked in the UK, but most of his career was spent overseas, first in Hong Kong and then in the Middle East, where he was the CEO of multinational corporations. He has always been fascinated by American history and the opening up of the West, and Marilyn's connections provided the perfect project for them to pursue their interests.
