Customer Reviews

Last in Their Class: Custer, Pickett and the Goats of West Point

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"Last in Their Class" is about those West Pointers of the early- to mid-19th century who literally graduated last. Does this matter? The author makes a strong case throughout the book, especially in the final chapter, that heroism, capability, and duty, are not simply confined to the top students; in fact, those "goats" who graduated last seemed to think outside the box better and be as well, if not more, well-rounded than those who graduated toward the top of their class. What makes this book truly interesting is the interconnectivity of those "goats" throughout their careers. Robbins deftly ties in the Seminole, Mexican-American, and Civil Wars and contributions made by the "goats." Fully half of the book is devoted to the Civil War and any readers interested in that subject will find more than enough material. Robbins also follows through with Custer's Last Stand at Little Big Horn. Interspersed throughout the book are lessons from America's 19th century wars, including public opinion, congressional budgets, and wartime news coverage, that are particularly applicable today.

In over 400 pages, I found no weaknesses but only one omission. A list of all the Goats in the index would have helped keep track of them through the reading.

"Last in Their Class" was original, extremely well researched, the narrative flowed easily and the characters such as Custer, Pickett, and especially Henry Heth, were brought to life. This book is how history should be written.

Here is a fine military history that informs us about the United States, and how our country was shaped by those who "stood at the foot" in class rank at the US Military Academy. Robbins describes in excellent and interesting detail how much of our national history pivoted on the actions taken by the Goats of West Point, and how "...the crucible of West Point produced men of many and varied abilities, which were then tested in the arena of life." Robbins shows us the Seminole War (the "War Without End") and how the threads of national policy that were touched and sustained by USMA graduates like Ephraim Kirby Smith (the Goat of USMA 1826) run through Little Big Horn, where George Armstrong Custer (the Goat of USMA 1861) ended his brilliant but sometimes questionable and inexcusably savage career. Along the way Robbins tells about the court-martial of Cadet Jefferson Davis and his distinguished service in Mexico, washouts like Edgar Allan Poe and James McNeill Whistler, Manifest Destiny, heroic Zeb Inge (the Goat of USMA 1838) at Resaca de la Palma, George Pickett (the Goat of USMA 1846) in the lead at Chapultepec and on a long field at Gettysburg, and their achievements in building America, averting war, and reconciling a divided nation. Robbins does much more than tell the stories of these famous Goats and those like Powhatan Clarke (USMA 1884) and Charles Young (USMA 1889) who distinguished themselves but are less than famous. He tells us about the richness of character, courage in the face of danger, daring, mischievous tendencies and audacity that seem to characterize those who worked to stay just above the line as Cadets when it came to academics and discipline, but "who persevered to live extraordinary lives of service and sacrifice."

Just finished this book, and it was imho enthralling, very hard to put down..its takes us on a tour of West Point graduates ranked as "immortals" (those being the bottom 10 of their class) and the Goat, the last in their class.,..some famous names were goats or immortals; Heth, Pickett, Custer, Kirby Smith the Crittenden(s) Grant ( whose worst subject was..Infantry tactics go figure) among many others..... Great reading regards the Seminoles wars, Mexican-American War the Civil war......the trials and tribulations at West Point, their pranks and punishments etc....many great complimentary bios to be found here, Whistler, Poe et al...all wound up with stories of their military performance's and stories regards their paths criss-crossing in the Civil war etc....a comparative analysis as to why so many of the Immortals and Goats had an impact all out of proportion to the top 5 and their relative ranks, which in the end, means nothing...

"Last in Their Class" is wonderful book of popular history and a great read. Author James Robbins' greatest strength is how he can bring out the individual personalities of his subjects. Most of them are relatively minor figures of 19th-century American history with one common thread: each one graduated at the bottom of his West Point class. The "Class Goat" is the old West Point term for the man who graduated last in his class. Some of these men are well-known to most Americans, like George Armstrong Custer and Confederate General George Pickett of Pickett's Charge. Others will be readily recognized by history buffs, and some are relative unknowns. Each man's story is brought to life by the author. Also, by the time you finish this "Last in Their Class," you'll discover that you've covered a lot of ground in American history, some familiar and some not-so-familiar, from the Seminole Wars up to World War 1. I enjoyed this book as history, as biography, and also as a commentary on the nature of West Point and its system of education. Civil War buffs will especially enjoy the very human insights into several key figures on both sides of the conflict. "Last in Their Class" was recommended to me by other West Point graduates, and I recommend it highly to anyone who enjoys a good read in historical biography or military history.

A fascinating book about the men who graduated from West Point at or near the bottoms of their pre-Civil War classes. As the title implies, Custer and Pickett get the most coverage. However, the book is filled with interesting, insightful, and simply amusing stories about other soldiers. Some, like Whistler, achieved greatness in other fields. Others are not nearly so well-known but had extraordinary lives nonetheless. The writing is sometimes a bit choppy but generally well-done. This is a book for those interested in the Civil War and Frontier period. Even if you are a sophisticated and expert student of the field, there is something new to be found in this book.

Quite a different kind of history, since Mr. Robbins bounces around from before there was a West Point toward the end of the Indian Wars. He follows the personalities, not a timeline, and you can tell that a lot of time was spent sequencing the flow, which for the most part is outstanding. And along the way there is a lot of history - not necessarily important stuff, but very interesting and enlightening. Kind of like a Huckleberry Finn of history. For the more objective oriented, there are nuggets and short histories that fill in some of the less well-known corners of America's past. The cavalry and Gettysburg (esp. Custer's bit) was new to me, while the last stand is well covered, and Robbins' take on the 2nd Seminole War is particularly relevant to our conflict in Iraqi (so much so he doesn't have to mention it).

Overall, it is a quirky read, and well worth it. Not your basic research book. The basic info is all there, of course, but organized in an original manner.

I highly recommend this most inspirational literary work. The anecdotes of forgotten soldiers (officers and volunteers alike), men who shined but a moment on the pages of history, have touched me deeply. I empathize with their infamy at being named Last in their Class, yet these "rejects" rose to great heights of achievement due to other redeeming character traits. There's a lesson to be learned from these mini-biographies as one carefully reads each page, absorbing the intriguing stories line by line. This is a book to be savored, not rushed through. I am thoroughly enjoying my visit in the pages of this fine book. This seems to be the author's one and only work; here's wishing James S. Robbins future success in publishing.

This extremely well-written book tells the story of many of the men who were at the bottom of their graduating class from West Point: the Goats. Prime examples were Generals Pickett and Custer, among others. The theme of the book is to show that class rank does not necessarily translate into military success. Following the lives of several of these men was quite interesting, particularly the ones that are not so well known today. There is a breezy style of writing in this book, and it gives one pause to think about the current emphasis about class rank endemic all over the country. People should strive to be the best, but as this book reminds us, sometimes the best isn't what this country needs.

One of the most enjoyable books I have read in a long time. Makes you appreciate the quality officers that West Point has produced over the decades. I learned a lot of Civil war history that I had not read elsewhere!

"Last in Their Class" is easily one of the most accessible titles in the category of "Military History" that has ever been published. Having read numerous books on the Civil War, it is rare to find one that kept me interested from start to finish, AND that I would recommend to a casual reader of history without hesitation. Though much of the book centers around the proverbial Goats, it also dives deeply into the culture of West Point and life in 19th century America. Robbins engages the reader in tales of cadets sneaking out to the nearest bar, then deftly segues into the details of an obscure engagement on the western frontier, while never losing the narrative thread or the reader's attention. I would recommend this book to almost any reader; simply wonderful.