Customer Reviews

The Battle of the Little Bighorn

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

A small compact book that covers the history of the Little Bighorn battle including a good representation of the Native American point of view. Lapses in my mind is the belief that Custer was seeking the Presidency with a flamboyant attack, that Benteen was telling the absolute truth that he was to go valley hunting to infinity and that the native Americans fought with command signals moving almost as troops. She does make an interesting point that due to the officers gathered at Custer Hill at the time of their death, that units may have fought as platoons instead of companies. The book is a bit naive to think that Custer did not have a workable plan and to think that it was unreasonable to assume that calvary units working together could defend agianst large numbers. Albeit in this case the numbers were very large, the terrain was against Custer and he received no support from his other wing commanders. Beechers Island and McKenzies attack aginst Dull Knife and his 1500 followers later that year indicate the possibilities.
A lot more analysis has occurred in 25 years and I would recommend a more up to date book.

As much as I have enjoyed other Mari Sandoz books, I cannot recommend this one, a work published after her death. I have seen it claimed that her name was used, but most of the writing was done some anonymous scrube. I hope this is true, because the intellectual dishonesty in this slender volume only sullies Ms. Sandoz's reputation. To give a few examples of the distortions filling this history of the Little Big Horn battle. Sandoz (or the anonymous true author) repeatedly makes it appear that Custer's command was only a relatively small scouting force working with a much larger column led by General Terry; in fact, Custer's column was substantially larger than that accompanied by Terry. It is claimed that Major Reno did not use trumpets to signal his men in the timber in the river valley because Custer had forbidden him to use them -- a truly stupid notion since such an order would to serve only to prevent the noise of the trumpets from alerting the Indians that soldiers were in the vicinity, and by this point of the battle, Reno had been fighting the Indians for the better part of an hour. Custer is presented as trying to score a quick victory to capture the 1876 Democratic nomination for President with the groundwork already laid by his political allies; research has proven that there was no such political maneuvering underway. Conversations between participants in the battle are invented and thoughts placed in the minds of people long dead. The level of hate -- I can find no better word for it -- directed at Custer by the author of this book is extraordinary. At every possible opportunity, he is depicted in the worst possible manner. There were many decades of lies told about the American Indians, but lying about their white opponents is not justice, merely dishonesty.

Save your money on this one and buy something good by Sandoz instead, like "Cheyenne Autumn" or "Crazy Horse". Or buy a good, balanced history of the battle of the Little Big Horn.

People who would make Custer a posthumous pope-like figure will hate this book. Yet, they do not own history. Along with reading the pro-Custer books and the anti-Custer books and the books just based on the facts, Jack, read Mari Sandoz's "The Battle of the Little Bighorn." It'll make you wonder, and ask questions, about those who pulled the strings, about those whose strings were pulled.

I'm not a Custer or Army or western Americana buff, but as many others have, I have been fascinated by this episode. What I found in Sandoz's book, moreso than in others, is that my visual cortex seemed to be working better, based on the vivid descriptions. I was able to picture the layout and scenery better than before, the visual imagery. That said, Sandoz does have a somewhat peculiar style of writing, in this work. Possibly, as someone else noted herein, it was ghost written based on her notes. Anyway, reading this book will chill anyone who can identify with the losing side, what it must really be like to stare death in the face, before actually dying. Diximus.

Sandoz has given us a first hand version of the famous battle. Although written primarily from the viewpoint of the 7th Cavalry, Sandoz captures the emotion from all points of view. Obviously Sandoz has done extensive research into the various "eyewitness" accounts to piece together a story that grabs the reader from the very beginning and keeps you turning the pages. At some point the author has to make some assumptions and present her own theories as she follows the final minutes of Custer and his men. While there will be those that question the accuracy of these assumptions, if the reader suspends that doubt for the time being, you will feel the fear that Reno and his troops felt as death crept closer and closer. You will begin to picture the various stages of the battle unfolding as you follow the fate of the different companies of the 7th. Sandoz does a masterful job of crafting her words. To me it brought the battle to life in the best descriptive format that I have ever read. I came away not only feeling like I knew the battle better, but I also felt like I knew the people involved at a deeper level as well.

The previous reviewers are quite correct that this is a very short volume about the defeat of Custer at the Little Big Horn.
Mari Sandoz died shortly after writing this book. I don't diagree with some of the author's comments about the massacre of Indians at other battles and the possibility of Custer seeking the Presidency. I think historical facts show these to be true.
Sandoz shows the battle from both sides. Since she knew some of the participants in this battle (Indians) she vividly recreates what the battle must have been like. Recent digs at the site have concluded some soldiers did indeed flee down toward the river before they were massacred. Custer is shown as a man seeking fame. I think it stupid that he went into battle after dividing his command in the face of a huge number of foe. One wonders what he was thinking of when he did this. The pursuit of fame had to be the chief cause. The result was the death of 265 men.
A good book to read. Some facts are debateable, but this is a quick easy read and one which presents one side of Custer.

Mari Sandoz vividly re-tells the Battle of Little Bighorn. A must for all history buffs.