Kottmann, Rainer Die großen Häuptlinge der Apachen. Mangas Coloradas - Cochise - Victorio - Geronimo

Who does not know Winnetou, the noble chief of the Apaches? Karl May and numerous television and cinema films have made him popular - and at the same time created a powerful distorted image. But who were the Apaches really and who were their most important leaders? After an introduction to the world of the Apaches, we will see how their lives unfolded in the 19th century, first under Spanish, then Mexican and finally US rule.

Four Chiricahua Apache chiefs in particular stand up to the foreign rulers: Mangas Coloradas, Cochise, Victorio and Geronimo. Their biographies tell of broken promises, land theft and betrayal. But the Apaches also rob, kidnap and murder. Nevertheless, there are also respectful encounters between the enemies, occasionally even friendships.
In the end, however, the Apaches have to give up their free life and resign themselves to an existence on the reservation. The Chiricahua pay for their resistance with more than 20 years as prisoners of war. The Apaches experience only a nightmare of the much-vaunted American dream. The history of the Apaches is excitingly told through the biographies of their four most important chiefs.