As a child in Minnesota, Beck (history, Wisconsin Lutheran College) learned that Inkpaduta, who died about 1879, was a madman whose only passion was murdering white settlers. As a scholar, he learned that Dakotas of Inkpaduta's time and his own consider him a leader who refused to sell his tribal lands and fought to protect them, a loving father, and a man who could act recklessly at times but mostly remained at peace with whites, and who just wanted to live in traditional ways. He tells as much of the leader's life as he can find evidence for. Annotation ©2008 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)