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U.S. Landmark Books #81
Geronimo: Wolf of the Warpath
Presents the life of the Native American Apache chief notorious for his campaigns against the whiteman in Arizona during the nineteenth century. Simultaneous.
192 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1958
3 people are currently reading
154 people want to read
About the author
Ralph Moody
61 books194 followersRalph Moody was an American author who wrote 17 novels and autobiographies about the American West. He was born in East Rochester, New Hampshire, in 1898 but moved to Colorado with his family when he was eight in the hopes that a dry climate would improve his father Charles's tuberculosis. Moody detailed his experiences in Colorado in the first book of the Little Britches series, Father and I Were Ranchers.
After his father died, eleven-year-old Moody assumed the duties of the "man of the house." He and his sister Grace combined ingenuity with hard work in a variety of odd jobs to help their mother provide for their large family. The Moody clan returned to the East Coast some time after Charles's death, but Moody had difficulty readjusting. Following more than one ill-timed run-in with local law enforcement, he left the family home near Boston to live on his grandfather's farm in Maine. His later Little Britches books cover his time in Maine and subsequent travels through Arizona, New Mexico, Nebraska, and Kansas—including stints as a bust sculptor and a horse rider doing "horse falls" for motion pictures—as he worked his way back toward Colorado while continuing to support his family financially.
Moody's formal education was limited, but he had a lifelong interest in learning and self-education. At age 50, he enrolled in a writing class, which eventually led to the publication of Father and I Were Ranchers. In addition to the Little Britches series, Moody wrote a number of books detailing the development of the American West. His books have been described as crude in the language of the times but are highly praised by Moody's readership and have been in continuous publication since 1950.
After a period as livestock business owner in rural Kansas, Moody sent to Massachusetts for his former sweetheart, Edna. They married and moved to Kansas City. They had three children.—Source
After his father died, eleven-year-old Moody assumed the duties of the "man of the house." He and his sister Grace combined ingenuity with hard work in a variety of odd jobs to help their mother provide for their large family. The Moody clan returned to the East Coast some time after Charles's death, but Moody had difficulty readjusting. Following more than one ill-timed run-in with local law enforcement, he left the family home near Boston to live on his grandfather's farm in Maine. His later Little Britches books cover his time in Maine and subsequent travels through Arizona, New Mexico, Nebraska, and Kansas—including stints as a bust sculptor and a horse rider doing "horse falls" for motion pictures—as he worked his way back toward Colorado while continuing to support his family financially.
Moody's formal education was limited, but he had a lifelong interest in learning and self-education. At age 50, he enrolled in a writing class, which eventually led to the publication of Father and I Were Ranchers. In addition to the Little Britches series, Moody wrote a number of books detailing the development of the American West. His books have been described as crude in the language of the times but are highly praised by Moody's readership and have been in continuous publication since 1950.
After a period as livestock business owner in rural Kansas, Moody sent to Massachusetts for his former sweetheart, Edna. They married and moved to Kansas City. They had three children.—Source
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
March 29, 2015
Classic Moody style: clear, friendly, direct and truthful. We learned a considerable amount about the last Native American war resistance to the white man. This was thoroughly enjoyable to read and will be revisited again.
May 4, 2023
This volume was definitely one of the most well-written of the series I have read so far, and, despite some "dated" terms, treated its subject with far greater respect than many of the other books in the series I've encountered. That's perhaps not surprising, considering its well-known author, who has penned 17 novels and autobiographies about the American West, despite being born in the east. He grew up in Colorado, actually, apparently hearing stories about the Old West in childhood and beyond. His most famous books include the "Little Britches" series, but he also wrote a book on Seabiscuit and the riders of the Pony Express.
The subject of this capable offering was the incomparable Goyaale, AKA "Geronimo," although that latter moniker was given to him later in life, reportedly derived from a petition for aid from St. Jerome by Mexican soldiers, although the truth of this account is somewhat disputed. Geronimo was one of the few famous renegade indigenous people to live to old age. He subsequently became one of the most renowned somewhat-folk heroes in US history - a symbol of freedom and the unconquerable American spirit to some, but a villain and a vicious murderer to others. He was thus arguably the most famous Native American to have ever lived, and his is still something of a household name, but, sadly, not nearly to the degree that it was in previous generations.
Much of the information known about him was apparently based on Geronimo's autobiography, and information he provided about himself after his final surrender. In 1905, Geronimo recounted his life story to a superintendent of education in Lawton, OK, but refused to answer any questions, and essentially dictated a prepared narrative given in Spanish. Many have thus called into question the veracity of his self-reported exploits, including of his formative years - as the book notes, it was common to embellish one's own deeds, which he apparently had a talent for, even in childhood.
This admittedly-astonishing man was apparently something of a prodigy from early childhood, as the book notes. Born in 1829, prior to the massive westward expansion which would come in subsequent decades, in southern Arizona, it seems that much of his early life was heavily shaped by his warrior father, the son of a great chief in his own right. Even his own people recognized Geronimo's fierceness, prodigious memory - and ruthless ambition. According to his own account, he was envied and hated by many of his boyhood peers, even though he often led them to greatness. The book notes the story of how he "purchased" his first wife, after a seemingly-impossible raid which resulted in the looting of 50 horses to pay her bride price, more than twice what her father had demanded. Alope was apparently the first of NINE wives, however. Two of his known children included Chappo and Dohn-say; a woman named Azul was his last wife.
The book does an admirable job of describing Geronimo's many exploits with more or less accuracy, noting in particular his indomitable spirit and his unmatched ability to persevere under unimaginable conditions. He also excelled at learning the ways of his enemies, and became adept at setting traps and ambushes for even experienced and formally-educated and trained soldiers, and then escaping without a trace into the rugged terrain he had known since boyhood. He was also a skilled politician, even among his own people, which earned him admiration from some, and occasionally fear and loathing by his adversaries and rivals, even among his own tribe. In fact, that may have ultimately proved his eventual undoing.
Unfortunately, however, Geronimo is also known for unprecedented cruelty and shocking savagery and butchery of men, women and children, which he wrought on civilians who were caught up in his campaigns. The Apache had been raiding Mexican settlements for decades before they turned to the American ones, but the raids often initially, at least, simply entailed the theft of horses and cattle. Geronimo's attack on Mexican settlements intensified in both frequency and atrocity with the slaying of his wife and three young children by a company of 400 Mexican soldiers in 1851.
The book doesn't note much about what Geronimo's life was like after he was shipped away from his homeland, along with many of his people. After multiple escapes, he finally realized, about age 50, that it was useless to continue to resist: almost all of his people had surrendered and were living on government reservations, and had no desire to do otherwise. They had no wish to continue to war against the US and Mexican governments, seeing the misery and death it had brought them, and wanted to live in peace while being supplied with provisions from the government. Sentiment had thus turned against Geronimo and his renegades for making life more difficult for them with his continued attacks on and pillaging of civilian settlements.
Finally, after many twists, turns and escapes, Geronimo surrendered and was shipped off, ironically, along with the very scouts who had helped to track him and his renegade band down, as prisoners to San Antonio, Texas, where they remained for about six weeks, and then on to Pensacola, Florida. His family was sent to St. Augustine. The mass deportation resulted in the deaths of many of the exiles. Hundreds of the reservation children were also shipped off to an "industrial school" in Pennsylvania, where more than a third died from tuberculosis. The remaining Chihuahua Apache were held at an army facility in Alabama, where about another quarter of the population died of tuberculosis. Those who remained were then relocated to Fort Sill, OK, in 1894.
Geronimo was given a land grant there where he became a farmer, but, ever the shrewd trader and "entrepreneur," realized that his renown could make him a far greater return than farming, so he went as a part of a delegation to an international exposition in Omaha, Nebraska. As a result of his somewhat-surprising popularity, he remained in demand as an attraction at many fairs, including the Pan-American Exposition at Buffalo, NY, in 1901, and the St. Louis World's Fair in 1904, but he always appeared under guard. He also featured in a Wild West show for a time, and even in Theodore Roosevelt's 1905 Inaugural Parade, where he rode on horseback down Pennsylvania Avenue with five chiefs in full headgear and ceremonial regalia. Geronimo reportedly later met with President Roosevelt, requesting that his people at Fort Sill be pardoned and their status as prisoners of war revoked, so they could be allowed to return to Arizona, a request which Roosevelt refused.
As the book notes, Geronimo's later years did not enjoy the dignity and respect that he had so commanded in his early years. He was often seen as little more than a tourist attraction, although it did make him fairly wealthy. Unfortunately, he used much of it to indulge in his drinking habit. He died at age 79 after falling from his horse in February, 1909, after he lay until he was found by a friend. He died of pneumonia several days later, still retaining the status of a prisoner at Fort Sill. He reportedly stated to his nephew, with his last words, that he should never have surrendered, and should have fought until he was the last left alive. He is now buried at Fort Sill in the Apache Cemetery.
Geronimo's mighty legacy continues, however, in his descendants: his great-great-grandson Harlyn Geronimo reportedly lived and taught the Apache language at the Mescalero Reservation in southern New Mexico until his death in 2020. Geronimo has three towns named after him, in Arizona, Oklahoma and Texas, as well as the SS Geronimo, a WWII ship. He is also featured on a postage stamp, issued in 1994. His likeness has featured in multiple films and serials, so his legacy is likely to continue, although hopefully in a more respectful manner in the modern day than he has been represented in the past. This book is written from a surprisingly respectful perspective, which is somewhat surprising considering the time period (1958), when indigenous people were often caricatured in both film and TV shows of the day, which saw something of a golden age of Westerns. This is perhaps because the author had a genuine affinity for his subject, and, despite the havoc and misery Geronimo brought to many, writes of him with genuine admiration.
The subject of this capable offering was the incomparable Goyaale, AKA "Geronimo," although that latter moniker was given to him later in life, reportedly derived from a petition for aid from St. Jerome by Mexican soldiers, although the truth of this account is somewhat disputed. Geronimo was one of the few famous renegade indigenous people to live to old age. He subsequently became one of the most renowned somewhat-folk heroes in US history - a symbol of freedom and the unconquerable American spirit to some, but a villain and a vicious murderer to others. He was thus arguably the most famous Native American to have ever lived, and his is still something of a household name, but, sadly, not nearly to the degree that it was in previous generations.
Much of the information known about him was apparently based on Geronimo's autobiography, and information he provided about himself after his final surrender. In 1905, Geronimo recounted his life story to a superintendent of education in Lawton, OK, but refused to answer any questions, and essentially dictated a prepared narrative given in Spanish. Many have thus called into question the veracity of his self-reported exploits, including of his formative years - as the book notes, it was common to embellish one's own deeds, which he apparently had a talent for, even in childhood.
This admittedly-astonishing man was apparently something of a prodigy from early childhood, as the book notes. Born in 1829, prior to the massive westward expansion which would come in subsequent decades, in southern Arizona, it seems that much of his early life was heavily shaped by his warrior father, the son of a great chief in his own right. Even his own people recognized Geronimo's fierceness, prodigious memory - and ruthless ambition. According to his own account, he was envied and hated by many of his boyhood peers, even though he often led them to greatness. The book notes the story of how he "purchased" his first wife, after a seemingly-impossible raid which resulted in the looting of 50 horses to pay her bride price, more than twice what her father had demanded. Alope was apparently the first of NINE wives, however. Two of his known children included Chappo and Dohn-say; a woman named Azul was his last wife.
The book does an admirable job of describing Geronimo's many exploits with more or less accuracy, noting in particular his indomitable spirit and his unmatched ability to persevere under unimaginable conditions. He also excelled at learning the ways of his enemies, and became adept at setting traps and ambushes for even experienced and formally-educated and trained soldiers, and then escaping without a trace into the rugged terrain he had known since boyhood. He was also a skilled politician, even among his own people, which earned him admiration from some, and occasionally fear and loathing by his adversaries and rivals, even among his own tribe. In fact, that may have ultimately proved his eventual undoing.
Unfortunately, however, Geronimo is also known for unprecedented cruelty and shocking savagery and butchery of men, women and children, which he wrought on civilians who were caught up in his campaigns. The Apache had been raiding Mexican settlements for decades before they turned to the American ones, but the raids often initially, at least, simply entailed the theft of horses and cattle. Geronimo's attack on Mexican settlements intensified in both frequency and atrocity with the slaying of his wife and three young children by a company of 400 Mexican soldiers in 1851.
The book doesn't note much about what Geronimo's life was like after he was shipped away from his homeland, along with many of his people. After multiple escapes, he finally realized, about age 50, that it was useless to continue to resist: almost all of his people had surrendered and were living on government reservations, and had no desire to do otherwise. They had no wish to continue to war against the US and Mexican governments, seeing the misery and death it had brought them, and wanted to live in peace while being supplied with provisions from the government. Sentiment had thus turned against Geronimo and his renegades for making life more difficult for them with his continued attacks on and pillaging of civilian settlements.
Finally, after many twists, turns and escapes, Geronimo surrendered and was shipped off, ironically, along with the very scouts who had helped to track him and his renegade band down, as prisoners to San Antonio, Texas, where they remained for about six weeks, and then on to Pensacola, Florida. His family was sent to St. Augustine. The mass deportation resulted in the deaths of many of the exiles. Hundreds of the reservation children were also shipped off to an "industrial school" in Pennsylvania, where more than a third died from tuberculosis. The remaining Chihuahua Apache were held at an army facility in Alabama, where about another quarter of the population died of tuberculosis. Those who remained were then relocated to Fort Sill, OK, in 1894.
Geronimo was given a land grant there where he became a farmer, but, ever the shrewd trader and "entrepreneur," realized that his renown could make him a far greater return than farming, so he went as a part of a delegation to an international exposition in Omaha, Nebraska. As a result of his somewhat-surprising popularity, he remained in demand as an attraction at many fairs, including the Pan-American Exposition at Buffalo, NY, in 1901, and the St. Louis World's Fair in 1904, but he always appeared under guard. He also featured in a Wild West show for a time, and even in Theodore Roosevelt's 1905 Inaugural Parade, where he rode on horseback down Pennsylvania Avenue with five chiefs in full headgear and ceremonial regalia. Geronimo reportedly later met with President Roosevelt, requesting that his people at Fort Sill be pardoned and their status as prisoners of war revoked, so they could be allowed to return to Arizona, a request which Roosevelt refused.
As the book notes, Geronimo's later years did not enjoy the dignity and respect that he had so commanded in his early years. He was often seen as little more than a tourist attraction, although it did make him fairly wealthy. Unfortunately, he used much of it to indulge in his drinking habit. He died at age 79 after falling from his horse in February, 1909, after he lay until he was found by a friend. He died of pneumonia several days later, still retaining the status of a prisoner at Fort Sill. He reportedly stated to his nephew, with his last words, that he should never have surrendered, and should have fought until he was the last left alive. He is now buried at Fort Sill in the Apache Cemetery.
Geronimo's mighty legacy continues, however, in his descendants: his great-great-grandson Harlyn Geronimo reportedly lived and taught the Apache language at the Mescalero Reservation in southern New Mexico until his death in 2020. Geronimo has three towns named after him, in Arizona, Oklahoma and Texas, as well as the SS Geronimo, a WWII ship. He is also featured on a postage stamp, issued in 1994. His likeness has featured in multiple films and serials, so his legacy is likely to continue, although hopefully in a more respectful manner in the modern day than he has been represented in the past. This book is written from a surprisingly respectful perspective, which is somewhat surprising considering the time period (1958), when indigenous people were often caricatured in both film and TV shows of the day, which saw something of a golden age of Westerns. This is perhaps because the author had a genuine affinity for his subject, and, despite the havoc and misery Geronimo brought to many, writes of him with genuine admiration.
May 11, 2015
Ralph Moody sure has a way of captivating my boys with his stories. They begged to keep reading this. I thought Moody did a great job of showing how complicated and volatile Western life was for the Native Americans and the American settlers. And Geronimo's life was unbelievable.
We had so many great discussions, but the ones that stuck out were about the dangers of pride and hate, how to be an effective leader, and the importance mothers.
We had so many great discussions, but the ones that stuck out were about the dangers of pride and hate, how to be an effective leader, and the importance mothers.
March 27, 2024
This book demonstrated 1 Pet. 1:18 very well. "You were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers." The Apaches had a futile way of life. They could neither defend themselves from evil white men, or contain their own violent men like Geronimo. They were nomadic hunters, which is basically another way of saying using the most land for the least profitable end. Evidence was put forth in this book that much of the work fell to the women, and the men simply hunted and held councils, not like the biblical perspective, where men work by the sweat of their brow. While their whole way of life depended on the horse, they never bred their own, but rather depended on stealing from the Mexicans. As Geronimo's own life showed, they repeated prized boasting rather than humility, superstition rather than logic, and quick-talking and conniving rather than planning and thinking long term into the future. No one can say the Indians had an equally good way of life to other cultures influenced by the Bible after reading this book.
August 22, 2025
I’ve heard two different stories of Geronimo - a brief history in school and a museum’s interpretation. The afterward in this book explains the two opposing stories I’ve heard. “He was a great leader and warrior who held both the US and Mexican governments at bay…and an uncontrolled and selfish renegade who used terror and violence to the detriment of his own people.” I still have more questions to be answered as I feel like each time I read one Native American narrative, I need to keep reading more.
I did really like learning more about Apaches through this book especially as it relates to fiction I have read.
I did really like learning more about Apaches through this book especially as it relates to fiction I have read.
January 6, 2019
Every book I have read by Ralph Moody was well written, and this is no exception. Great portrayal of the life, the motives, the everyday.
November 20, 2020
Read this aloud to 13-year-old son. He gives it 4.5 stars.
April 23, 2022
Details the intensive training given to young warriors. Describes geronimo exceptional abilities but also character flaws.
May 4, 2016
I was looking for a copy of Little Britches on one of my favorite discount book sites and this popped up instead. I'm glad I bought it. It's not a comprehensive biography as it's only 192 pages and written for young readers. However, it was very well written and the story is just riveting.
I will reserve my final opinion on Geronimo and the Apaches until I've read a lot more about them. In this book we learn that there were many good Apaches, and that it's possible that Geronimo wasn't one of those. Due to his boastful ways and his tendency to consistently cause trouble he never was very popular with a majority of his people. And YET... I just can't help admiring his indomitable spirit. His stubborn, unrelenting resistance to the white people taking over his homeland.
The book speaks highly of the Apaches who lived peacefully. Yes, it was good that they stopped raiding against the Mexicans and the settlers. But their survival was at the mercy of whoever happened to be the agent of the reservation at the time. If he was a man of integrity things went well, but if he was a crook - and this did happen a few times - then they faced starvation due to the fact that the deer and elk had been hunted out of existence. Then they would resort to raiding again to provide for their families.
This was a fascinating book and I do recommend it. The Apache culture is very interesting. Their toughness and ability to survive in the desert was awe-inspiring. Geronimo was an extraordinary man, there's no doubt about that. It's said that when he died his last words were, "I should have never surrendered. I should have fought until I was the last man alive." I honestly can't say I blame him.
I will reserve my final opinion on Geronimo and the Apaches until I've read a lot more about them. In this book we learn that there were many good Apaches, and that it's possible that Geronimo wasn't one of those. Due to his boastful ways and his tendency to consistently cause trouble he never was very popular with a majority of his people. And YET... I just can't help admiring his indomitable spirit. His stubborn, unrelenting resistance to the white people taking over his homeland.
The book speaks highly of the Apaches who lived peacefully. Yes, it was good that they stopped raiding against the Mexicans and the settlers. But their survival was at the mercy of whoever happened to be the agent of the reservation at the time. If he was a man of integrity things went well, but if he was a crook - and this did happen a few times - then they faced starvation due to the fact that the deer and elk had been hunted out of existence. Then they would resort to raiding again to provide for their families.
This was a fascinating book and I do recommend it. The Apache culture is very interesting. Their toughness and ability to survive in the desert was awe-inspiring. Geronimo was an extraordinary man, there's no doubt about that. It's said that when he died his last words were, "I should have never surrendered. I should have fought until I was the last man alive." I honestly can't say I blame him.
December 23, 2015
Moody was commissioned by Sterling Publishing to write a biography of Geronimo that would be accessible to young readers. This he does in spades in just under 200 pages. But, alas, he neglects to include his sources!
Apache child rearing could perhaps be likened to that of the Greek Spartan state. Much attention was given to athletic ability and in fact their endurance and strategic skills far outreached that of their Mexican and Anglo neighbors.
As the story unfolds one sees the devastating effects of the misuse of power, of greed, and of political alliances based on these. One might consider what comprises a successful leadership style and what character traits might well be avoided.
Overall this book is thought provoking, informative, and fair in the handling of personalities and historical events.
Apache child rearing could perhaps be likened to that of the Greek Spartan state. Much attention was given to athletic ability and in fact their endurance and strategic skills far outreached that of their Mexican and Anglo neighbors.
As the story unfolds one sees the devastating effects of the misuse of power, of greed, and of political alliances based on these. One might consider what comprises a successful leadership style and what character traits might well be avoided.
Overall this book is thought provoking, informative, and fair in the handling of personalities and historical events.
May 17, 2007
If I ever find this book in a bookstore somewhere, I will be happy to pay whatever they want for it. I can still tell you the exact location this book lived in the library at my elementary school. I probably read it 5 or 6 times during my first two years of school. I wanted to be Geronimo. Or at least be allowed to take my bow and arrow to school. Neither of which ever came to pass. I will admit that the 4 stars may be pushing it a little. I probably wasn't very discriminating at age 7.
January 18, 2008
My favorite book as a kid! By the author of "Little Britches".
Read
November 20, 2008AI J970.3
May 7, 2010
Geronimo was an outlaw Apache who terrorized wagon trains and early American settlers in the Arizona area. He had hopes of becoming a chief of his people, but they rejected him for his cruel ways.
June 26, 2010
Too one-dimensional.
July 3, 2011
Addresses the Spanish capture of Indians for slaves.
Offers a look at the American West.
Includes map and index.
Offers a look at the American West.
Includes map and index.
June 30, 2016
Very slow going book. Interesting historical fiction, but a slow read. I would not recommend to anyone under 12 because of content, but the historical factor is a must for everyone else.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews