"This stunning history of the Catawbas—and their black and white neighbors—sets a new standard for the field. Merrell's book bristles with new insights and skilled decoding of difficult evidence. After reading this book, all those involved in teaching early American history should want to alter their perspective." —Gary B. Nash, University of California, Los Angeles"The Indians' New World is closely argued from an astonishing amount of evidence, and it is lucidly written.... It emphasizes the ingenuity and strength of will by which the Catawbas coped with disaster and preserved their identity as a people. Only a genuine scholar and fascinating writer could have paid tribute as James Merrell has done." —Francis Jennings, Director Emeritus, D'Arey McNickle Center for the History of the American Indian, The Newberry Library James H. Merrell is professor of history at Vassar College and the author of (Norton), winner of the Bancroft Prize.