Audiobooks by Peter Cozzens

Deadwood: Gold, Guns and Greed in the American Westz

"Sifting through layers and layers of myth and legend, Peter Cozzens - the award-winning author of The Earth is Weeping - unveils the true face of Deadwood, South Dakota, the storied mining town that sprang up in early 1876, and was made famous by the HBO series of the same name. Built on land brazenly stolen from the Lakotas, Deadwood was not merely a place where outlaws lurked, but was itself an outlaw enterprise, not part of any US territory or subject to its laws or governance. This gave rise to the gunslinging, stage-coach robbing, whiskey-guzzling, rampant prostitution and gambling that has come to epitomise the town through the legendary figures of 'Wild Bill' Hickok and Calamity Jane. But this foundation also bred a self-reliance and a spirit of cooperation unique on the frontier, which made it an exceptionally welcoming place for Black Americans and Chinese immigrants at a time of deep-seated discrimination. The first book to tell this complex story in full, Deadwood reveals how one frontier town came to embody the best and worst of the West-enduring truths about humanity's eternal quest for creating order from chaos, a greater good from individual greed, and security from violence."

Peter Cozzens (Author), Jason Keller (Narrator)

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A Brutal Reckoning: Andrew Jackson, The Creek Indians, And The Epic War For The American South

"Beginning with the invasion by Spanish Conquistadors in the sixteenth century, A Brutal Reckoning tells the story of the encroachment on Native American territory in the deep south by the US republic 150 years later, which culminated in the devastating Creek War and the rise of Andrew Jackson. It was a conflict that led to the Trail of Tears, costing the entire Creek people as well as the neighbouring Chickasaw, Choctaw and Cherokee nations their homelands - and left the way open for the conquest of the West. Wonderfully told and brilliantly detailed, this is a sweeping history of a crucial period in the destruction of America's native tribes. 'Cozzens is a master storyteller.' - The Times"

Peter Cozzens (Author), William Hope (Narrator)

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The Warrior and the Prophet

"Shawnee chief Tecumseh was a man destined for greatness - the son of a prominent war leader, he was supposedly born under a lucky shooting star. Charismatic, intelligent, handsome, he was both a fierce warrior and a savvy politician. In the first biography of Tecumseh in more than twenty years, Peter Cozzens thoroughly revises our understanding of this great leader and his movement, arguing that his overlooked younger brother Tenskwatwa, the 'Shawnee Prophet', was a crucial partner in Tecumseh's success. Until Tecumseh's death in 1813, he was, alongside Tenskwatawa, the co-architect of the greatest pan-Indian confederation in history. Over time, Tenskwatawa has been relegated to the shadows, described as a talentless charlatan and a drunk. But Cozzens argues that while Tecumseh was the forward-facing diplomat, appealing even to the white settlers attempting to steal Shawnee land, behind the scenes, Tenskwatwa unified their people with his deep understanding of Shawnee religion and culture. No other Native American leaders enjoyed such popularity, and none would ever pose a graver threat to colonial expansion than Tecumseh and Tenskwatawa. Bringing to life an often-overlooked episode in America's past, Cozzens paints in vivid detail the violent, lawless world of the Old Northwest, when settlers spilled over the Appalachians to bloody effect in their haste to exploit lands won from the War of Independence. The Warrior and the Prophet tells the untold story of the Shawnee brothers who retaliated against this threat - becoming allies with the British army in the process - and reveals how they were the last hope for Native Americans to preserve ways of life they had known for centuries. “Cozzens is a master storyteller; his books weave a wealth of intricate detail into gripping historical narrative.” THE TIMES “Marvellous... One of the best pieces of Native American history I have read.” S.C. GWYNNE, bestselling author of Empire of the Summer Moon"

Peter Cozzens (Author), Jeff Harding (Narrator)

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The Darkest Days of the War: The Battles of luka and Corinth

"During the late summer of 1862, Confederate forces attempted a three-pronged strategic advance into the North. The outcome of this offensive, the only coordinated Confederate attempt to carry the conflict to the enemy, was disastrous. The results at Antietam and in Kentucky are well known; the third offensive, the northern Mississippi campaign, led to the devastating and little-studied defeats at Iuka and Corinth, defeats that would open the way for Grant's attack on Vicksburg. Peter Cozzens presents here the first book-length study of these two complex and vicious battles. Drawing on extensive primary research, he details the tactical stories of Iuka, where nearly one-third of those engaged fell, and Corinth, which was fought under brutally oppressive conditions, analyzing troop movements down to the regimental level. He also provides compelling portraits of Generals Grant, Rosecrans, Van Dorn, and Price, exposing the ways in which their clashing ambitions and antipathies affected the outcome of the campaign. Finally, he draws out the larger, strategic implications of the battles of Iuka and Corinth, exploring their impact on the fate of the northern Mississippi campaign, and by extension, the fate of the Confederacy."

Peter Cozzens (Author), Don Hagen (Narrator)

Audiobook