Robert J. Conley is one of the most acclaimed writers of the American West and of his own people, the Cherokee, having won myriad fans with his moving historical novels about the Real People. In "Spanish Jack," he brings to vivid life one of the most complicated figures in one of the most difficult times in Cherokee history. Jack Spaniard-- known as "Spanish Jack"-- was a Chickamauga, the Cherokee faction that sided with the British during America's Revolutionary War. After the British lost the war, the Chickamauga moved west to the Arkansas territory. Reorganized as the Cherokee Nation West, they were forcibly absorbed into the Cherokee Nation by the U.S. government after the Trail of Tears. Spanish Jack, however, was not going to go quietly. He continued to fight against the Osage (longtime enemies of the Cherokee), against the Cherokee Nation, against the U.S. government, and against the tide of time. Spanish Jack was revered as a hero by some, reviled as a brigand and murderer by more, and hunted by many. Both a patriot and a killer, a loyal friend and an implacable enemy, Spanish Jack lived a life that is stuff of legend, becoming one of the most famous and idolized outlaws of the West.

Author Biography

Robert J. Conley is the author of more than thirty novels, including his much praised "Real People" novels about the Cherokee. Three-time winner of the Spur Award among many other honors, Conley is a Cherokee and lives in Tahlequah, Oklahoma.