500 Nations: An Illustrated History of North American Indians

This stunningly illustrated companion to a forthcoming CBS television series (produced by Kevin Costner, James Wilson and Jack Leustig) stands on its own as a stirring introduction to hundreds of distinct Native American nations that once blanketed the North American continent. Largely a story of conquest, displacement, betrayal, genocide and forced assimilation, the book wondrously fuses an eloquent text and more than 450 illustrations, most in color, to convey a sense of each tribe's culture, social structure and struggle to survive in the face of white settlers' encroachments. Distinguished historian Josephy (The Patriot Chiefs) has written an extraordinary work focusing on a Native American viewpoint, which ranges from the ancient Maya and Olmec civilizations of Mexico to Hopewellian mound-builders of the Ohio Valley who forged a continent-wide trade network before A.D. 500, to the democratic Nez Perces of Idaho, Washington State and Oregon, nearly exterminated by 1880. 100,000 first printing; History Book Club main selection; BOMC alternate. (Nov.)