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First People: An Illustrated History of American Indians
First People tells the story of American Indians-from their arrival on the continent 10,000 years ago to their search for identity in the modern world. Avoiding standard clichés and easy generalizations, the book presents each tribe as an individual, evolving culture, with its own history, artwork, and traditions. With a wealth of modern and historic images, innovative page layouts, and compelling first-person accounts, this is an eye-opening look at the richness and variety of North American tribes, and a moving account of the European conquest.
192 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2008
About the author
David C. King
126 books8 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
David has written--and published--more than 70 books, primarily nonfiction in American history and biography; there have also been about 20 studies of other cultures, including Taiwan, Rwanda, Bosnia-Herzegovina, and the United Arab Emirates. While most of his books have been for young-adult readers, many have been cross-overs, directed to both adult and young-adult audiences.
A former teacher of both English and History, David has also been a consultant to the State Department of Education, UNICEF, UNESCO, the World Bank, Lincoln Center Institute for the Arts in Education, Public Broadcasting Corporation, and several state departments of education.
"I love to write," he explains, "and my goal is to make encounters with history and culture as interesting, dramatic, and colorful as possible."
In his book on Taiwan, King explained why he felt comfortable writing about countries he has never lived in or even visited: "The important thing in writing about any other culture is to research your subject thoroughly and to develop a sensitivity for the people and their way of life. A good example is the classic study of Japanese culture, The Sword and the Crysanthemum. It was written by Ruth Benedict, who had never been to Japan."
David and his wife Sharon live in the picturesque Berkshires, surrounded by historical sites and cultural events. Sharon provides David with vital research assistance and is also the author of a young-adult novel--A Secret Star--now in its third printing. They have worked together on several projects, including an award-winning history of the Statue of Liberty.
(source: http://authordavidcking.com/index.php)
David has written--and published--more than 70 books, primarily nonfiction in American history and biography; there have also been about 20 studies of other cultures, including Taiwan, Rwanda, Bosnia-Herzegovina, and the United Arab Emirates. While most of his books have been for young-adult readers, many have been cross-overs, directed to both adult and young-adult audiences.
A former teacher of both English and History, David has also been a consultant to the State Department of Education, UNICEF, UNESCO, the World Bank, Lincoln Center Institute for the Arts in Education, Public Broadcasting Corporation, and several state departments of education.
"I love to write," he explains, "and my goal is to make encounters with history and culture as interesting, dramatic, and colorful as possible."
In his book on Taiwan, King explained why he felt comfortable writing about countries he has never lived in or even visited: "The important thing in writing about any other culture is to research your subject thoroughly and to develop a sensitivity for the people and their way of life. A good example is the classic study of Japanese culture, The Sword and the Crysanthemum. It was written by Ruth Benedict, who had never been to Japan."
David and his wife Sharon live in the picturesque Berkshires, surrounded by historical sites and cultural events. Sharon provides David with vital research assistance and is also the author of a young-adult novel--A Secret Star--now in its third printing. They have worked together on several projects, including an award-winning history of the Statue of Liberty.
(source: http://authordavidcking.com/index.php)
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
December 11, 2009
4th and up
King did a wonderful job with all of the illustrations that he used in this book. Every picture had relevance to the text on each page. There were many different colors present vivid colors, to neutral colors, to even the usage to black and white. He also used maps, photographs, old paintings, and even different objects. The text was very small but it was spaced well on each page. There was no white space present, but it looked as though he did use other colors for the negative space. Each picture had notes to explain what it was and sometimes where it could be located or how old it was. Children would love this book because it is very interesting and also full of facts about Native Americans. I think that any of them can relate to this book because a lot of people do have Native American in them somewhere.
History/ Language Arts
After reading this book I would have the students tell me in a one page paper what they thought was the most interesting part of the book and why.
King did a wonderful job with all of the illustrations that he used in this book. Every picture had relevance to the text on each page. There were many different colors present vivid colors, to neutral colors, to even the usage to black and white. He also used maps, photographs, old paintings, and even different objects. The text was very small but it was spaced well on each page. There was no white space present, but it looked as though he did use other colors for the negative space. Each picture had notes to explain what it was and sometimes where it could be located or how old it was. Children would love this book because it is very interesting and also full of facts about Native Americans. I think that any of them can relate to this book because a lot of people do have Native American in them somewhere.
History/ Language Arts
After reading this book I would have the students tell me in a one page paper what they thought was the most interesting part of the book and why.
March 21, 2026
Excellently written, unbiased, with detailed, factual accounts of the pathetic and dark side of American history. This should be a textbook for our public schools. Highly recommended for those who are interested in the American indigenous history and cultures.
March 22, 2009
Excellent resource with fabulous photos! Not only does this book provide information on many tribes, it continues the story to discuss modern issue from the American Indian Movement, through legal struggles, and the role of casinos in current prosperity for many tribes. A book that is not only an excellent resource for reports but a great read in it's own right.
November 22, 2015
This was a beautiful book with a lot of great information, wonderful photos, and it was very comprehensive, but the editors needed to do a better job. Sentences were cut off in the book, there were typos, and some of the facts contradicted each other. (3.5/5 stars)
January 23, 2016
Just browsing, but very detailed.
October 26, 2013
Nice overview of Native American history and culture, certainly better than the DK version.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews