Exploring with Custer: The 1874 Black Hills Expedition (Dakotas) (Paperback)

~ (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 300 pages
• Publisher: Golden Valley Press (June 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0971805318
• ISBN-13: 978-0971805316
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,030,309 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating photos and maps , December 21, 2004

By	Smallchief - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

I suppose one could criticize this book as an exercise in trivia, but interesting trivia it is! The infamous George Armstrong Custer and his 7th Cavalry undertook an expedition to the Black Hills of South Dakota in 1874. The authors have undertaken a meticulous reconstruction of Custer's route with topographic maps illustrating every step the great man and his troopers took.

That might be construed as pretty dry stuff, but about everybody with an interest in landscape should find the photos in this book fascinating. A photographer, William H. Illingworth, accompanied Custer and took several dozen photographs of the Black Hills. With amazing diligence, the modern day authors of this book tracked down the exact locations from where Illingworth took his photos and took photos from the same place. They publish the two photos, one from 1874 and the other from the present day, on facing pages. Thus, you have a time machine of sorts -- comparing what Illingworth saw in 1874 with what exists now.

It is gratifying that so much of the Black Hills hasn't changed much since Custer, although interestingly there are a lot more trees now than there were then. Moreover, the photos are beautiful in themselves.

You might not want to read this book from cover to cover unless you are really, really interested in Custer, but you will enjoy comparing the old photos and the new photos and the aesthetics of both.

Smallchief

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Stunning, March 19, 2007

By	Bomojaz (South Central PA, USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

This is an amazing book. Utilizing numerous diaries kept by soldiers on Custer's Black Hills Expedition of 1874 as well as the photographs taken by expedition photographer William Illingworth, the authors have retraced in minute detail the exact route taken by the unit. Using topo maps and even Long./Lat. coordinates (the first time I've ever seen this done - great for the modern GPS-equipped traveler of today), the authors detail the exact route and all the camping sites - the complete itinerary of the two month excursion made in a figure 8 from Ft. Abraham Lincoln to the Black Hills and back again. Complete driving instructions for anyone interested in seeing for himself are also included. The maps are fantastic. In addition to all this, the authors include Then-and-Now photos of many of the location photographs taken by Illingworth; how the authors were able to find the exact camera locations of many of Illingworth's photos is incredible. The book, published on slick, durable paper, is an eyeful as well as a storehouse of information. It makes the explorer-history buff want to head for the Black Hills as soon as possible. It's history examined with a microscope, and for this reader, fascinating and endlessly rewarding. A great book.

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book, January 12, 2009

By	Marissa M. Alwag (Chatsworth, CA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Exploring With Custer: The 1874 Black Hills Expedition (Hardcover)

The book is very classy, arrived in great condition, and was signed by the contributing Photographer! The pictures are great and the content is very interesting. It was a gift and the recipient was thrilled! Thank you!