Customer Reviews

Custer and the Little Bighorn: The Man, the Myth, the Mystery

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A large book well armed with pictures of not only Custer, his family, but also of key major military personnel, Forts, leading confederates and best of all, great Indian leaders. Besides the large presence of photographs, the book provides a nice compressed history of Custer from Birth to his postmortem. It's an accelerated read with direct references to historical events without gratuitous detail. In reference to his CW career, Donovan is a little light on Custer in the valley in 1864 as Custer has some conflicts with colleagues over such things as who earned the captured flags versus who actually took them. In addition, Custer's role at Five Forks is a bit large in contrast to the infantry's 5th Corps who crushed the isolated Confederate left. Overall, it's a pretty good overview of Custer's Civil War and pre- LBH western career. I do note that pictures sometimes fill in voids such as the destruction of Lt. Kidder's command and Custer's meeting with Satanta, which are missing from the narrative. The best part of the book deals with the LBH and the author pulls no punches in explaining what he thinks happened. His theory reflects Michno's "Lakota Noon" primarily in that he theorizes that Custer held his battalion on the east side of the river waiting for Reno and Benteen to rally to him to squeeze the Indians his battalion and theirs. But of course that does not happen and the command is destroyed. The author captures all the personal conflicts in command such as Reno's fitness and Benteen's pouting causing his leisurely stroll. The after the LBH evaluation is also quite good recognizing that several elements caused Custer's defeat, not just Custer's brashness, Reno's ineptness or Benteen's bitterness but the loss of surprise, the pressure to attack, the confidence of the Indians, their stubborn resistance capitalizing on the fractured commands and collapse and the primary fact that they didn't run like everyone perceived. Other elements include Crook's stepping out of the campaign with his 1300 men after the battle of the Rosebud the week before against smaller numbers then Custer. But also it's noted that Custer preferred the standard morning surprise attack but after discivering Indians on his back trail, he felt the need to attack immediately with reconnaissance done while on the move. Many forget that Colonel Reynolds inder Crook was nearly Court Martialed for botching the March Powder River attack. Although not mentioned directly, all commanders were under pressure to attack before the Indians dispersed. Terry's and Crook's subsequent post LBH campaigns attest to the Indian mobility challenge. The latter part of the book deals with the Custer legend based on writings, movies and historical hindsight that are based on the culture at the present, WWII era versus post Vietnam. This latter portion reminds of Hutton's great book the "Custer Reader" which is also worth a very good look since it also deals with participant' writings and fellow historians. This is a good book for those looking for a pretty good capsule on Custer that includes excellent pictures and an argument. Then they can venture into the books with greater analysis and detail and of course a greater feel for why the battle is so controversial.

Custer and the Little Bighorn was simply a great read! Not only are the illustrations and photos absolutely gorgeous - giving the reader a perfect visual context for the fascinating and tragic story of George Armstrong Custer, but once I started reading I couldn't put it down! The author obviously knows his history AND knows how to grab the reader's interest from the get-go and not give it up until after the final, bloody battle. This is a great coffee table book - with it's multitude of great photos, illustrations and maps. I think it's a terrific gift for any history buff - male or female, of any age. I'm keeping the first one I bought for myself, but it's also a definite on my gift-giving list for family and friends!

This is a concise, complete and well researched account of Custer's military career. The photos and maps are fantastic! I finished this book in one day. This is a great book for anyone interested in Custer, but uninformed. It's all here in a succinct well written and beautifully illustrated book.

BOOK REVIEW

CUSTER AND THE LITTLE BIG HORN THE MAN THE MYSTERY AND THE MYTH

Jim Donovan Voyageur Press

Most illustrated coffee table books are studiously bucolic, but once in a while a book will arrive that involves subjects with real meat. What could be better than the true story of a flamboyant American warrior of a glorious time long ago, a time before neighborhood associations?

Surprisingly, the Custer and the Little Bighorn story has never been collected and presented in a large illustrated book, and neither has the biography of George Custer, who was in many ways the original role model for Theodore Roosevelt, George Patton, and Douglas McArthur.

The central question "Why was his death such a big deal in 1876?" is resoundingly answered in this beautifully written and well-organized book, that is actually two books, a biography, and the definitive work on the Custer massacre and it's important aftermath.

The biography is surprisingly interesting, and details Custer's incredible Civil War record. He went from a green West Point grad to General in less than four years, accumulating a shoe box full of commendations for bravery, gallantry under fire, and achieving one key breakthrough after another.

His unprecedented, almost ridiculous clothes and leadership style, and above all his combat results, seem impossible for one man to have achieved and survived.

Donovan treats Custer's civil war biography with the depth, detail, page count and comprehensive photo collection that this part of the story deserves. He uses several quotes from men around Custer, including his soldiers, which add depth and insight to the biography. The myth that Custer was reckless and foolhardy is dispelled by the men who observed him in combat, men who realized that initiative and momentum are what win battles.

Donovan provides wonderful detail level of Custer's storybook romance with Libbie, that includes silly, touching lines from their voluminous letters and a photograph of them together in 1865 that says it all.

The compilation and presentation of the many photographs, paintings, lithographs, and pictographs in the book are fascinating and placed with detailed captions that link them to the story. The six crude pictographs drawn by Red Horse and others include details that dramatically affected the outcome of the Little Bighorn battle. The use of lances is seen clearly, a tactic that helped turn the tide of battle, and every rifle carried by a native American is a repeating rifle, one of the many haunting little ironies of this story. Custer's men were issued a single-shot rifle notorious for jamming, and were a bastard child of pork politics.

Outbreaks of peace are disaster for the warrior. The book illuminates the almost complete disintegration of the army after the civil war and follows Custer through his many postings in the dusty hellholes of the American frontier, where desertion rates ran high, flogging was common, and the adage "Beatings will continue until moral improves" was no joke.

The book deftly adds important information on the historical and political context of the timeframe. This helps to explain the attitudes and decisions that were taken, and helps answer the many questions that were raised in the aftermath of the massacre.

Donovan skillfully accomplishes the hat trick of not writing concrete answers to the big questions surrounding the massacre, instead providing enough convincing historical detail for the reader to arrive at points of conclusion that are inescapable.

The book offers what must be the most complete collection of photographs and descriptions of the many important native Americans in the battle, on both sides, with brief characterizations that reveal the mysticism and clairvoyance that was so much a part of the Native American culture. There is a very powerful picture of the legendary Crazy Horse. He not only forecast the battle, but the disastrous aftermath, and this own death, in vivid detail.

Custer had a complement of Crow scouts, who's warnings he ignored, and who wisely took him up on the offer to leave the doomed position. There is a large photo of four of them standing over Custer's grave 36 years later, in 1913, still armed, still stoic. Perhaps they were the first consultants to be ignored, a trend which continues to this day.

Delivering on the subtitle's promise to cover the myth, Donovan includes artwork from the many books, movies and Wild West Show re-creations of the massacre. Wild Bill Cody closed his Wild West show to avenge Custer. He killed and scalped Cheyenne warrior Yellow Hair in 1876, then used the scalp in re-creations in his show.

The newspaper coverage was sensational and sparked a nasty debate about the advisability of feeding and clothing Native Americans already on the reservations. The outright suggestion of genocide was only a few typewriter strokes away.

As in the Titanic story, the ultimate fault was with the leader, who ignored repeated warnings from reliable sources, cut off debate among subordinates, underestimated the power of his adversary, counted on help to arrive that wouldn't arrive, and was silently pursued by irony.

The book is one of those picture books you end up reading, and learning a great deal about a fascinating man of destiny and his leading role in the pivotal event of the sad and sordid story of the American Indian wars.

Dan Baker

Since I saw "They Died with Their Boots On" when I was just a kid, Custer entered as a great hero into my inner pantheon.
Then I grew up and as a young adult I saw "Little Big Man" where the same Custer was presented as crazy psycho.
Which was the real Custer then? I put the question aside but always keep an alert eye to any bit of info about him.

When I saw at Amazon, where else? "Custer and the Little Bighorn" I thought "Aha here is my disambiguation book".
It certainly is! Mr. Donovan has performed an ample and documented investigation giving way to an equilibrated portrait of General George Armstrong Custer.
The book tells Custer's life story and follows it since his birth, thru his fortunate entrance to West Point, his falling in love with Libby, his astoundingly brilliant Civil War career, his dubious "Indian fighter" performance, till his mythical Last Stand.

The book will satisfy different kind of readers. The casual ones who want to have a coffee table object with excellent graphic presentation. Those who want to have a quick sight of Custer's life without having to read too much will profit from the wide margin texts, which function as an educated compendium of the whole book. Finally those interested in a more detailed and comprehensive story may enjoy the full text.

Mr. Donovan summarizes the different points of view about the origins and responsibilities of the tragedy and present well balanced conclusions.
The photo gallery is outstanding presenting a varied Custer's iconography, of his friend and foes as well as reproductions of great artists depicting the Last Stand.
The book ends with a bonus chapter regarding poems, films, pictures and books inspired by Custer's life and death.
Enjoy!

Reviewed by Max Yofre.

A friend showed me a copy of Custer and the Little Bighorn, and the photos in this book really struck me. Custer's wife Libby was *gorgeous*! That's pretty amazing for the 1800s. And Gen. Custer himself was a chameleon--he looks like a different person in every photo. And after reading the really wonderful text, his different looks made sense. He was a man in lots of very different circumstances trying to look heroic. This book was so well written and researched. And unbiased, too. Donovan did a good job of showing Custer's virtues and strengths as well as his big flaws in his personality and judgment. It's a really good book, and I'm getting two more copies just to give to my dad and my father-in-law. It's a dad kind of book.

The most thorough and well-researched book I've ever read on Custer. The beautiful illustrations, supporting historical documents, and Dononvan's insightful analysis evoke the myth that is our American West. Custer embodies that myth. Donovan succeeds in humanizing this compelling, tragic man while celebrating his immortality. The author does an exceptional job of establishing and explaining the legend of Custer and why his last battle seized the imagination of the American public. Securing not just a place in American history, but in our culture.

Custer and the Little Bighorn was simply a great read! Not only are the illustrations and photos absolutely gorgeous - giving the reader a perfect visual context for the fascinating and tragic story of George Armstrong Custer, but once I started reading I couldn't put it down! The author obviously knows his history AND knows how to grab the reader's interest from the get-go and not give it up until after the final, bloody battle. This is a great coffee table book - with it's multitude of great photos, illustrations and maps. I think it's a terrific gift for any history buff - male or female, of any age. I'm keeping the first one I bought for myself, but it's also a definite on my gift-giving list for family and friends!

This was fun to read for the most part. There really is nothing new and I do take issue with the claim that this is" the first major illustrated work" on Custer. Lawrence Frost's book, The Custe Album, holds that distinction