7The Snake War is one of the least known of the many clashes of culture that occurred in the American West during the 19th century. People have long relished tales of the underdog and celebrated lost causes. We appreciate and praise those who have fought the good fight. The classic imagery of the Indian wars focuses on the war-bonneted horsemen of the Great Plains. Most Americans have heard of famous chiefs, like Sitting Bull, Red Cloud, Geronimo, Cochise, and Crazy Horse. Few have heard of Paulina, Weahwewa, Howluck, or Ocheho, and to most people, Winnemucca is simply the name of a lonely stop on the Nevada Interstate. These were the men who led their people in a fight for survival in the Great Basin between the Rockies and the Sierras. Gregory Michno, author of several critically acclaimed books on America's Indian wars, gives readers the first comprehensive look at the natives, soldiers and settlers who clashed on the high desert of Idaho, Nevada, Utah, Oregon and Northern California in a struggle that over a four-year period claimed more lives than any other Western Indian War.