John & Mary Lou Missall

Our Books on the Seminole Wars

Most of our books are available on Amazon.com.

These and many other titles are also available from the Seminole Wars Foundation.

For signed, personalized copies, please send us an e-mail at info@missall.net

The Seminole Wars: America's Longest Indian Conflict

Out of Print; Replaced by "The Seminole Struggle"

A comprehensive overview of all three Seminole Wars and the political, social, and economic forces that drove them. Intended for a general audience, the book covers not only the wars, but the genesis of the Seminole Nation, the periods leading up to the wars, and the factors that brought on these tragic conflicts. The tale of a long, bitter confrontation between cultures, the Seminole Wars teach us lessons that are surprisingly relevant in today's world.  

From the University Press of Florida, 2004.

265 pages, with illustrations and maps

ISBN # 978-0-8130-6243-3

The Seminole Struggle

A History of America's Longest Indian War

The Seminole Struggle: A History of America's Longest Indian War is a completely revised edition of our best-selling The Seminole Wars: America's Longest Indian Conflict, first published in 2004. Covering the entire Seminole War period (1812-1858), the book examines what would become America's longest and costliest war against Native Americans. Totally restructured and with new material, the book features expanded chapters on the Third Seminole War. 

From Pineapple Press, 2019

Hardcover, 398 pages, with illustrations and maps, $35.00

ISBN # 978-1-68334-059-1

History of the Third Seminole War, 1849-1858

Co-authored with Dr. Joe Knetsch.

An extensively researched, detailed history of the final war against the Seminole Indians of Florida, the History of the Third Seminole War is a tragic tale of heroic struggle and human perseverance. The U.S. Government, determined to remove the remaining handful of Indians from Florida, attempted diplomacy, bribery, and eventually military pressure, but the Seminole people steadfastly refused to leave their ancestral homeland. Using numerous first-hand accounts from Florida officials and federal officers, many of whom would later gain fame in the Civil War, the authors have brought forth a rich history not only of the military actions of the war, but of the harsh and unforgiving conditions that people on both sides of the conflict were forced to endure. 

From Casemate Books, 2018

Hardcover, 271 pages, $32.95

ISBN #978-1-61200-576-8

What We Have Endured: A Novel of the Seminole Wars

Co-Authored with Willie Johns

The Seminole Wars told through the perspective of a Seminole woman. Narrated primarily in the first person, the book follows Aheedja's life as she tells her story to a young Seminole girl. From her first encounters with white Americans as an adolescent in 1812, she recounts the grueling hardships and painful losses she suffered as the army relentlessly pushed her people south, from comfortable homes in North Florida to primitive camps in the Everglades. Covering a period that spans almost fifty years, this is a tale not only of burnt homes and loved ones sent away or slain, but of the determination and resilience of the Seminole people. 

Co-Authored with Willie Johns, Tribal Historian and Chief Justice of the Seminole Tribal Court System, the book not only focuses on the Seminole experiences during the wars, but also on the customs and traditions of Florida's native people. Also included is a 15-page timeline of the Seminole Wars. 

From the Florida Historical Society Press, 2020.

Softcover, 292 pages, $24.95.

ISBN # 978-1-949810-06-6

Elizabeth's War: A Novel of the First Seminole War

Winner of the 2016 Patrick D. Smith Award for Best Florida Fiction

Elizabeth’s War is a tale inspired by the real-life story of Elizabeth Stuart, the lone female survivor of the Scott Massacre of 1817. The young wife of a soldier serving on the frontier border with Spanish Florida, Elizabeth is among seven women accompanying forty-one soldiers ascending the Apalachicola River. When their boat is attacked by vengeful Seminoles, only a handful of soldiers escape the slaughter, and Elizabeth is taken prisoner by the Indians. With little chance of a quick rescue, Elizabeth must use her wits to stay alive among a people who have good reason to want her dead. Also included is a factual history of the Scott Massacre and an overview of the First Seminole War. 

From the Florida Historical Society Press, 2015.

Softcover, 465 pages, $24.95.

ISBN # 978-1-886104-83-9

Hollow Victory: A Novel of the Second Seminole War

Winner of the 2012 Patrick D. Smith Award for Best Florida Fiction

Hollow Victory traces the tragic Second Seminole War from beginning to end. Col. William Wooster is a seasoned army officer who must match wits with Kachi-Hadjo, a dedicated and defiant Indian leader. For seven years the two sides wage a frustrating, bitter war that neither can win, facing bullets, disease, and self-serving government officials, all while trying to survive the punishing Florida environment. 

From the Florida Historical Society Press, 2010.

Softcover, 350 pages, $19.95.

ISBN # 978-1-886104-45-7

His Country Has Called Him

U.S. Army Officers Who Served in the Civil War and Seminole Wars

His Country Has Called Him introduces us to some of the most remarkable men of nineteenth century America. Although all were military men, many were better known for their accomplishments when the guns were silent. Meet some of the great explorers of the West and the man who brought the first professional observatory to this country. There are famous artists whose works are still collected today, along with the man who introduced the playing of “Taps” at military funerals. You’ll be introduced to the doctors who revolutionized battlefield medicine and the physician who stood at the deathbeds of two assassinated presidents. Includes a list of those who also served in the war with Mexico.

From Bodkin Books, 2023.

Softcover, 328 pages, $19.95.

ISBN # 9798863297842

This Miserable Pride of a Soldier:

The Letters and Journals of Col. William S. Foster in the Second Seminole War

An insightful compilation of the writings of one of the senior officers of the Second Seminole War. Colonel Foster served directly under the war's foremost leaders while seeing action in most of the war's decisive battles. The editors have filled in the history behind and between the colonel's offical writings and have included many letters to his wife Betty, making for a tale that carries the reader not only through the details of a brutal war, but through the struggles of those most closely affected by it. 

From the Seminole Wars Foundation and the University of Tampa Press, 2005.

Hardcover, 200 pages, with illustrations and maps, $29.95.

ISBN # 978-1-879852-04-4

The Army Is My Calling

The Life and Writings of Major John Rogers Vinton

The Army Is My Calling traces the life of a career army officer who served with distinction in both the Second Seminole War and the Mexican War. Using Vinton’s letters and journals, the authors tell the tale of a man who devoted his life to God, country, and family, often having to make hard choices between the things he cherished most in life. A gifted artist and philosopher, Vinton shows us a side of early nineteenth century life that is rarely seen and little appreciated. 

From the Florida Historical Society Press, 2017.

Softcover, 350 pages with color section, $24.95.

ISBN #978-1-886104-91-4

This Torn Land:

Poetry of the Second Seminole War

A collection of over seventy-five poems written during the Second Seminole War. Penned by anxious and grieving family members, soldiers in the field, or concerned citizens, these verses allow us a glimpse into the emotions brought on by one of the nation's most desperate conflicts. 

From the Seminole Wars Foundation, 2009.

Hardcover, 260 pages, $29.95.

ISBN# 978-0-9821105-2-2