Riding with Cochise: The Apache Story of America’s Longest War

“The Apache Wars are a tragic story of a people who fought long and hard to keep their homeland and their culture despite decades of betrayal by enemies who never really wanted or seriously tried to understand them,” writes journalist Price (The Horse Catalog) in this well-intentioned yet disorganized history. Focusing on five legendary chieftains—Cochise, Victorio, Nana, Geronimo, and Mangas Coloradas—Price documents numerous battles and conflicts between the Apache peoples and the American government between 1849 and 1886 and vividly describes the Southwestern landscape where these clashes took place. While the pairing of each chieftain with his American counterpart offers insights—for example, Geronimo’s pursuer Gen. George Crook “did his best to destroy the Apache culture while at the same time harboring a growing sympathy for the very victims he created from that destruction”—chapters recommending “Places to See” feel out of place and Price’s frequent repetitions (the kidnapping and murder of Cochise’s family members by Lt. George Nicholas Bascom is covered multiple times) make for a disjointed reading experience. Readers will appreciate the thoroughness but wish it came in a more polished package. Illus. (May)