What reviewers are saying:
"The smallpox scourge that swept the upper Missouri tribes in 1837-38 altered the course of history in many ramifying ways. Robertson's treatment of this profoundly significant episode, laid against the backdrop of the disease since first introduced by European colonists, is an important and readable contribution to Indian and western American history." -- Robert Utley
"The term Rotting Face refers to the confluent pustules that were a common symptom of the variola major strain of smallpox in Native American communities. Robertson, a retired businessman and veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps, examines how this horrifying desease decimated Native American populations in the Americas by telling its story in two parts: The odd-numbered chapters examine in sobering detail an outbreak of smallpox on the Upper Missouri River in 1837-38 that killed an estimated 20,000 Native Americans, most of whom were Arickaras, Blackfeet, Hidatsas and Mandans. The even-numbered chapters broadly assess the impact of smallpox throughout the Americas. . ."
A "recommended work." --Library Journal, Oct. 1, 2001