Great Chiefs Volume I and II chronicle the lives of the legendary chiefs who led their tribes through the westward expansion of white settlers in North America. Each volume contains six biographies of chiefs who became legends in their own time and remain so today for their varied accomplishments in preserving their culture and guiding their people through turbulent times. In Volume I, Hollihan tells the stories of Sitting Bull, Chief Joseph, Quanah Parker, Red Cloud, Louis Riel and Sequoyah. Both volumes are tributes to these leaders not only as extraordinary individuals but as visionaries and heroes among their people. Hollihan re-creates their lives in a narrative form. Rather than dryly relate the details of each chief's life, he has woven together dialogue and events to tell the intriguing "story" of each leader. Each story begins with one of the most significant events of the leader's history and then flashes back to the childhood of the leader and follows the chief as he attains his leadership position. Although the author includes a disclaimer that the dialogue is authentic and is fictionalized as little as possible, the books do read as easily as a good book of fiction which is to Hollihan's credit as a storyteller and historian.

In an authentic and convincing manner, Hollihan introduces each leader as a compelling historical figure and encapsulates the meaningful events, accomplishments, inventions, crusades and battles of his life. These are excellent books for the academic or the casual reader who enjoys history and wishes to experience the life of a legend. With 26 b/w/ photographs, 5 maps.