historical study

Not just maps, but a concise enclopedia of the North American Indian, with brief but comprehensive coverage of history, culture, languages, lifeways, the impact of the European explorers and the subsequent deterioration of native American life.
As conflict characterized the Indian experience in historical times, wars are treated in considerable detail, with basic sympathy to the natives' position but with a welcome avoidance of stereotyping and sentimentality.
With Facts On File's usual excellent maps, bibliography, and index, and useful appendices with a chronology, historical and contemporary locations, reservations, museums, and more.
Essential for anyone interested in the Indian experience, and highly recommended for the reference shelf of the general reader.
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It's actually hard, finding good books on American Indian topics that work in the classroom (I teach at a medium-sized public university). There are plenty of out-of-date books. Lots of terrible "pc" books. But few that actually convey information in an attractive and interesting fashion. This is definitely one of the latter type. The maps are clear, the illustrations accurate, and the amount of information presented is surprising. There's a tremendous amount of material packed between the covers of the "Atlas"---and it's a good deal more than a collection of maps. This is one of those books that some students---especially those planning on becoming teachers---may actually decide to keep. My own copy is well-worn from use, and often consult it to clear up questions both large and small. The best comprehensive source I've seen for this kind of money.

Great maps explained by easy to understand text passages are the hallmarks of this user friendly and highly informative, not to mention interesting, book. I'm very impressed by Carl Waldman's work, which is characterised not by fawning apologias but by respectful insightful investigatory analysis.