Sam Cooke got it right...don't know much bout history. In spite of having what many would consider a good education, I learned things in this book that I never learned in any school. It's a devastating read, but delivered with a tone that kept me going to the end of this necessary book.

This is closer to 3.5/5, if that distinction matters.

A book about Indian (the author's preferred term) relations with whites from first contact until present day, in Canada and the USA, written by an Indian. Thomas King certainly has a wry wit, which makes the first quarter of this book a bit less of a slog, but a slog none-the-less. My primary interest in reading this book was to get a better understanding of the history of Indian-White relations, as well as gain some insight into how some these issues might be resolved. King mentions near the beginning his refusal to use citations, and though I am willing to trust him, it is certainly vastly preferable to have references for a non-fiction work such as this. It doesn't even seem to be that difficult given the nature of his references.

Those complaints aside I would certainly recommend this book, if only to get the perspective of someone on the other side of the equation. There is no magic bullet, or recipe that the author posits to solve centuries of strife between indigenous people and the Europeans that settled in North America, but after reading the book I was more readily able to understand why that is.

A book on this topic could be thousands of pages, but King provides a succinct overview. I am already fairly familiar with a lot of the topics involved, but for someone who has little experience with them, this could be necessary reading.

Much easier to read thatn you might think, and in credible wiolrd view changing book. Highly receommended. IN fact everyone (at least in North America, with a heart) should read this.

This should be a text book in every high school in Canada. What a great look at the history of the Native people in North America.

I don't often award a 5 star rating but this book was stellar. Thomas King somehow manages to take a deep look at both Canadian and American Native histories and distill them down into something manageable, engaging and often funny. I had heard of the title and knew it was one that I needed to get around to reading but I didn't pursue it until I saw it sitting on a featured books shelf at my library. As I flipped through the prologue, I was struck and carried away by King's masterful use of language as he shared the various titles that he had considered.
This is an unbelievable tale but sadly it is all true. It is so important to know this long history of broken treaties, land taken out of settlement agreements and steady destruction of so many unique cultures. Over and over, we are shown that Whites are the real Indian Givers in North America and they have been unfaithful on every agreement made with Natives.
Although this review makes it seem like a heavy read, rest assured that King is a gifted story-teller who focuses on a few select accounts and it doesn't feel like you are in History class.
I am heading out to purchase my own copy because this needs to be read and re-read to understand the true weight behind it. Thank you, Thomas King.

A must-read for North Americans and anyone who lives in North America. Poignant, charming, funny and at time sarcastic, King approached a very difficult and very personal topic with facts, historical data, and a hopeful outlook. It's important for non-Indigenious people and all our friends and family to read this to understand the challenges and injustices our fellow Canadians and Americans still face today.

More of a rating on overall enjoyment and not a reflection of quality of content
3.5 for finding every appropriate moment to make a joke of very unfunny circumstances

King puts together an insightful book that manages to be both brutally honest and funny. The dry humour he applies aids the text in being accessible and entertaining when the difficult subject matter could otherwise drag the reader into an abyss of despondency. He presents a critical assessment of Indigenous and First Nations peoples in North America and subverts the history we think we’ve come to know. If only this was mandatory reading for all!

Oh the treatment of Native Americans in the US and First Nations in Canada by Westerners and Europeans is so messy. It’s appalling really. I grew up in Colorado, where the myth of the White Man still exists. I denied that myth decades ago, but I still learned a lot from this book. Is the author angry? Probably. But he should be. We all should be.

This author has such an easy going, approachable writing style which was fantastic given that the subject matter can be a hard one to approach. This book is also eye opening. The abuse, mistreatment, and chaos brought upon Native peoples of North America, the unfairness... If you want to be a knowledgeable and responsible resident of North America it is important to read this book.