Ben Nighthorse Campbell: An American Warrior

Campbell overcame a childhood ravaged by the illnesses of a tubercular mother and an alcoholic father to become a Colorado Democratic state legislator, a representative in congress and, in 1992, a U.S. Senator. He first came to wide attention as a member of the four-man 1964 Olympic judo team. The 1960s also marked his increasing interest in his father's Native American ancestry (Apache, Pueblo and Cheyenne). A horse breeder and jewelry designer, Campbell turned to politics in the early '80s. Flamboyant and individualistic, he has taken controversial stands, including casting a vote against Operation Desert Storm. Viola ( Diplomats in Buckskin ) wrote this biography at Campbell's request, and his overly sympathetic attitude towards his subject is a serious detraction from a book that is further marred by poor organization and stilted prose that ill serve the subject's interesting life. Photos not seen by PW . (Nov.)