A native of Kansas City, John H. Monnett has long been intrigued with the Battle of Beecher Island. He first wrote about the Indian Wars when he was professor of history at Cochise County Community College in Arizona. He now teaches Western and Colorado history at the Metropolitan State College of Denver. This is his fourth book on the history of the American West. He lives in Boulder, Colorado, with his wife, Linda and son, Darren.