When the Mississippi Ran Backwards: Empire, Intrigue, Murder, and the New Madrid Earthquakes was written by Jay Feldman. Born in Brooklyn, New York, Feldman was in a band while attending Brooklyn College around 1963. He received his Bachelor of Arts in speech and theater; Moving from New York to California, Feldman was a big supporter of free speech at the time and became involved in a movement that intended to bring about change. Feldman later earned his master's degree and worked toward completing his doctorate. Soon after, he started his writing work in 1980. Feldman wrote three more books and published a few articles in major companies such as The New York Times and a few others. Say no to plagiarism. Get a custom essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get the original essayThe book “When the Mississippi Ran Backwards” features tons of twists and turns that include the murder of working slaves hard, trade, war, colonies between rivals and seized territories. Prominent historical figures include President Madison, Alexander Hamilton, George Morgan, Tecumseh, Andrew Jackson and many others. The chapter I was assigned to review is chapter thirteen, The Field of Slaughter. The uniqueness of the book shows how brutal and greedy people are. It is a competition between who can kill the most and the amount of land obtained in the process. What I like about this book is that it reveals the backstage of our history; the minor details that are overlooked while educating students in school. This is probably the first book I've read that has so much detail about the violence involved, the images my mind created are something a comic book would probably illustrate. Feldman found a way to bring together a large majority of the story into a collage where all the pieces fit together perfectly, as if it were a puzzle. Each piece has its own story to tell but it is so important that it is woven together as a whole. Early in the book, I remember an Indian chief, Tecumseh, giving a speech to his brothers to remind them that white men are not their allies. Tecumseh wanted his men to recognize the damage, suffering, and loss they suffered because of inconsiderate people who planned to take what was not theirs. Tecumseh wanted to reassure his people that his prophecy, in this case the earthquake, will forever impact everyone's lives. Additionally, the chapter includes the Lewis brothers, also known as the nephews of Thomas Jefferson, who, for unclear reasons, brutally murdered a seventeen-year-old boy. This affair did not go unnoticed since the earthquake revealed in one way or another the true monsters that were the Lewis brothers. Not only did the earthquake affect the lives of the Lewis brothers, but it also affected the lives of the entire region. The series of earthquakes during this period led to our nation's expansion, corruption, failure, success, fear, loss, and power. What I learned from reading the book, I felt like the author didn't want the reader to be afraid to learn what the story was like. It's a way to open your eyes to the difficulty of living in the past. The brutality, the hostile environment, the war for land/territory, discovery and prosperity are exactly what makes us a nation today; a way of using our past as a guide to distinguish what is,.