In the Spirit of Crazy Horse

By: Peter Matthiessen

Narrated by: Mark Bramhall

Here is the story of Leonard Peltier and the FBI's war on the American Indian Movement.

On a hot June morning in 1975, a fatal shoot-out took place between FBI agents and American Indians on a remote property near Wounded Knee, South Dakota, in which an Indian and two federal agents were killed.

Eventually, four members of the American Indian Movement were indicted on murder charges in the deaths of the two agents. Behind this violent chain of events lie issues of great complexity and profound historical resonance, brilliantly explicated by Peter Matthiessen in this controversial book.

©1980 Peter Matthiessen (P)2009 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

"A giant of a book...Indescribably touching, extraordinarily intelligent." ( Los Angeles Times)
"The first solidly documented account of the U.S. government's renewed assault upon American Indians that began in the 1970s." (Dee Brown, author of Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee)

Excellent research of a heart breaking situation.

The injustice! And the fact that Leonard Pelletier was JUST allowed to return home. Finally.

Good story

Would you listen to In the Spirit of Crazy Horse again? Why?

Yes. It's a compelling history of government abuse of power

What does Mark Bramhall bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Local feel of desolation and the rough hewn life.

Interesting part of American history

The narrator’s voice is steady and listenable in this retelling of important AIM events in the 1970s. This book also tells the story of Leonard Pelletier, who has been imprisoned for the deaths of two FBI agents in a standoff and subsequent shootout on Pine Ridge reservation. From testimonies in this book, it sounds like no one knows for sure who actually caused the agents’ deaths, but the FBI was determined to have someone stand for the crime.

The book is very detailed and gives a good account of those events.

what atrocities our government continues to perpetuate

this story horrified me. to this day this man remains imprisoned because our government refuses to admit they lied. the players in this lack of justice actually admit that they are okay with lying because they think they are right. this white misogynistic attitude continues because they will not admit that they stole this country from another culture. calling it for the greater good. there is no such thing. we would have been a better country if we had learned from our Indian brothers and sisters.

Everyone needs to know this story!

This is the story of Leonard Peltier and his conviction for a crime he didn't commit. It's important for all of us to know the underhanded tactics used by the FBI and others that led to his conviction. He must be released from prison!