Sitting Bull

By: Bill Yenne

Narrated by: Bill Fike

Length: 13 hrs and 8 mins

Publisher's summary

Sitting Bull’s name is still the best known of any American Indian leader, but his life and legacy remain shrouded with misinformation and half-truths. Sitting Bull’s life spanned the entire clash of cultures and ultimate destruction of the Plains Indian way of life. He was a powerful leader and a respected shaman, but neither fully captures the enigma of Sitting Bull. He was a good friend of Buffalo Bill and skillful negotiator with the American government, yet erroneously credited with both murdering Custer at the Little Big Horn and with being the chief instigator of the Ghost Dance movement.

The reality of his life, as Bill Yenne reveals in his absorbing new portrait, Sitting Bull, is far more intricate and compelling. Tracing Sitting Bull’s history from a headstrong youth and his first contact with encroaching settlers, through his ascension as the spiritual and military leader of the Lakota, friendship with a Swiss-American widow from New York, and death at the hands of the Indian police on the eve of the massacre at Wounded Knee, While Sitting Bull was the leading figure of Plains Indian resistance his message, as Yenne explains, was of self-reliance, not violence. At the Battle of the Little Bighorn, Sitting Bull was not confronting Custer as popular myth would have it, but riding through the Lakota camp making sure the most defenseless of his tribe - the children - were safe. In Sitting Bull we find a man who, in the face of an uncertain future, helped ensure the survival of his people.

The book is published by Westholme Publishing. The audiobook is published by University Press Audiobooks.

©2009 Bill Yenne (P)2019 Redwood Audiobooks

Critic reviews

"Yenne's book excels as a study of leadership." (The New Yorker)

"Indispensible to Native American studies. (Booklist)

"Stirring biography...remarkable, tragic portrait..." (Publisher Weekly)

A worthy tribute to a holy man

I am really impressed at the amount of research and the amount of true knowledge gained. This is a wonderful book and should be a part of every history class.

An Amazing Story of an Amazing Man

This book was well-written, interesting and educational. It achieved intensiveness and extensiveness in scope at the same time. A great read which made me more knowledgeable about Sitting Bull, The Lakota and the mid-late 1800s in North America.

Clear storytelling of a complicated figure

There were many interesting facts about the Lakota, Sitting Bull, and the ultimate end to a people’s way of living. Sad but inspiring at the same time.

Great History of Sitting Bull

I struggled to finish this. Although I had a desire to learn more about this great man, and it did give me incredible insight, it was laden with dates and other historical facts. It was more history book than memoir. In the end, I am glad I finished it and have an even greater respect for Sitting Bull and Native American people.

Sitting Bull and his life

awesome book to read lots of information of his life and what he is all about

Must-read of American History

First of all Bill Fike's narration is absolutely first rate (and I'm picky because a poor narration can kill even a good book). His skill in changing his voice/cadence/inflection as he impersonates the various personages quoted is absolutely astounding. Bill Yenne gives us deeply researched context for every individual, location and event in this story. Don't expect a novel, this is hard reading in some ways because of the subject, but it is nevertheless expertly written. I appreciate the way Yenne tones down the often inflamatory tone with which this difficult subject is handled. For instance he always refers European Americans as the Wasichu rather than "the white man.' In that way the Europeans are correctly portrayed as another tribe just as much as the Sioux (which also encompasses sub-tribes). I wasn't there and I am no expert but this is the most real sounding version of events I have read to date. At 69 I do know something of human nature which does not vary age to age or people to people. Only social mores and customs do and yes those difference give occasion for much misunderstanding and throwing in egotism or inflexibility and you have a recipe for disaster. This account makes sense, it doesn't condone, explain or excuse, it is honest, painful and hopefully as we read about these tragic moments we can all learn how to spot in ourselves duplicity, hot-headedness, self-interest, treachery or vainglory so we can check ourselves. All of these blights (and doubtless others) are on display in every human tribe and all of them lead to inevitable conflict, which in this tragic moment in History becamse a deadly conflict.

Pretty dry story, just OK.

I cringed each time the white narrator used a Native American accent. Yeah…just don’t do that.

It has problems

It’s one of the few history books that I didn’t finish. There are just too many errors regarding well known events for me to have faith in the rest of it. One of the most glaring that comes to mind is the assertion that Custer ordered Elliott to venture off during the Washita battle. No he didn’t. Elliott went off on his own, without telling his superiors, and Custer was not made aware of his absence until the entire command came under threat. Of all the controversy surrounding that battle, and there are many, the one thing everyone seems to agree upon is that Elliott was acting on his own.

The narration is good, except for when it’s bad. The emphasis given to the pronunciation of tribal band names, while perhaps correct in 19th century native usage, is silly and distracting, and I doubt that even tribe members today pronounce them that way. It’s like when on the talking heads on the evening news do a ridiculously emphasized pronunciation of a Spanish name because they think it makes them look cultured.

It is okay as an introduction to Sitting Bull for familiarization, but if you are only going to read one book about him or the Plains Wars, don’t pick this one. The Earth is all that Lasts, Utley’s Indian Frontier, and The Earth is Weeping will serve you much better.

Not a very engaging narrative. It is okay.

There is not much story here. It is more fact telling. From other biographies, I’ve found Sitting Bull’s story interesting. This version somehow makes the same facts and the same stories seem flat. It does a good job of getting the point across, but that is about it.