Covington chronicles the 300-year history of the Seminole Indians in Florida. His account of their plight moves from their migration from Georgia and Alabama, through the three wars against the whites and forcible removal to Oklahoma Indian Territory of 90 percent of the survivors in 1858, to the current life of the descendants of the people who refused to relocate or surrender. Using manuscript and published sources, Covington (history, Univ. of Tampa) writes a comprehensive history of these elusive Native Americans. Despite the existence of comparable books (Edwin McReynold's The Seminoles , Univ. of Oklahoma Pr., 1975, reprint; J. Leitch Wright Jr., Creeks and Seminoles , Univ. of Nebraska Pr., 1987), this book will stand as the definitive monograph until a Seminole chooses to offer a Native American perspective. Highly recommended.-- Susan Hamburger, Univ. of Virginia Lib., Charlottesville (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

The Seminoles were not native to Florida but were Creeks who migrated from Georgia in the 1700s. They had 100 years of peace before their land wars with the whites and their removal to Oklahoma. About 400 escaped into the Everglades, and today's Florida Seminoles number approximately 1,500. But the old ways are in peril, not from federal or state governments but from the white life-styles--and impatience with reservation ways--of younger Seminoles. A sturdy history. (Reviewed June 1993)0813011965John Mort

Covington offers a survey of Florida Seminole history, from the first 18th-century Seminole migrations into Florida through their present efforts to revitalize their economic status via agriculture and other business enterprises. Covington focuses most intently on two periods: the Seminole Wars and Removal (1812-60), and missionary efforts, primarily in the 20th century. The latter is by far the more interesting as Covington relates the conflicts that arose when the goals of various factions of Christian, governmental, and civic reform groups collided with the multiple factions and ambitions of Seminole bands and individuals. The study suffers, however, from a number of weaknesses, most notably the lack of a coherent thesis. The author frequently loses control of his narrative, repeatedly interjecting material only marginally germane to the subject at hand. More seriously, the narrative spends inordinate amounts of time on the behavior and motives of whites (especially in the chapters on Seminole conflicts with the US). This is due in large part to Covington's almost exclusive reliance on white documents and white assessments of Seminole motivation. In fact, there is little evidence that the author either interviewed living Seminoles or seriously analyzed Seminole oral traditions for insights not available from Western observers. Finally, the study covers, as its title indicates, only the Seminoles of Florida; the history of those Seminoles who ended up in Oklahoma still remains to be written. Advanced undergraduate; graduate; faculty. R. L. Haan; Hartwick College