Chief Seattle and the Town That Took His Name

October 15, 2017
Historian Buerge says that he researched this book on Chief Seattle for 20 years; the result is a remarkably thorough account of the history of Puget Sound and the influential role Chief Seattle played in its early growth. Seattle was born in 1786 to a Suquamish father and a Duwamish mother. When he was a young child, his village was visited by Captain Vancouver and the HMS Discovery. This initial meeting of whites and natives perhaps foretold the conflicts in which Seattle would become enmeshed over the next 60 years. Buerge meticulously recounts the many skirmishes between local tribes and the encroaching settlers, especially during the 1840s and the relentless western expansion. Buerge portrays Seattle as a ruthless war leader, a single-minded impresario, an influential head chief, and a Christian convert who successfully navigated the transformation of his world. More for the serious than the casual reader of history, Buerge's study is a valuable and erudite portrayal of this influential chief and the tumultuous times in which he led his people amidst the onslaught of manifest destiny.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)