The skulking way of war : technology and tactics among the New England Indians / Patrick M. Malone.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Malone, Patrick M.

Contributor:

Plimoth Plantation, Inc.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Indians of North America--Wars--New England.

Indians of North America.

Indians of North America--Material culture--New England.

Military art and science--New England--History.

Military art and science.

Guerrilla warfare--History.

Guerrilla warfare.

History.

Technological innovations--New England--History.

Technological innovations.

Indians of North America--Material culture.

Indians of North America--Wars.

New England.

Physical Description:

133 pages : illustrations ; 29 cm

Edition:

First paperback edition.

Other Title:

Technology and tactics among the New England Indians

Place of Publication:

Lanham, MD : Madison Books : Distributed by National Book Network, 2000.

Summary:

The Indians of southern New England understood the military importance of technology long before their first meeting with a white man. Their modes of limited warfare were well suited for their environment and culture. The arrival of Europeans, with their advanced weapons and ruthless concept of total war, impacted the Indian way of life and raised the human and economic costs of armed conflict. Native Americans adapted the military technology of Europeans to fit their own needs. Their proficiency in forest warfare, coupled with their rapid acquisition of firearms, took the colonists by surprise. Indians not only demonstrated superior marksmanship and tactics, but also learned to repair muskets, make gunflints, and cast bullets.

During King Philip's War (1675-1677), many New England Indians made a desperate attempt to preserve their culture and to take back their lands. The terrible struggle produced heavy losses on both sides and left numerous communities in ashes. The Indians' "skulking way of war" shattered the confidence of the colonists and forced them to adopt a new tactical doctrine for forest warfare. Lessons learned from Native Americans have significantly influenced the American military and the conduct of all its clashes, from colonial wars to twentieth-century conflicts. Combining first-hand accounts from colonial records with maps, engravings, and artifacts, The Skulking Way of War brings to life the turbulent events that changed the course of two cultures.

Contents:

A Few Words on Skulking 6

Chapter I The Aboriginal Military System 7

Chapter II The Arrival of the White Man 25

Chapter III The Arming of the Indians 42

Chapter IV Proficiency with Firearms: A Cultural Comparison 52

Chapter V Technology, Tactics, and Total Warfare 67.

Notes:

"Published in cooperation with Plimoth Plantation, Plymouth, Massachusetts"--T.p. verso.

Includes bibliographical references (pages [101]-129) and index.

ISBN:

1568331657

9781568331652

OCLC:

46343769