Philbrick, Nathaniel. The Last Stand: Custer, Sitting Bull and the Battle of the Little Bighorn.
The tragedy that occurred June 25, 1876 has long been the subject of historical reenactments, movies, television programs and even jokes and works of satire. However, they are not based on completely uncontested facts given aftermath evidence and the lack of survivors. Fortunately, Philbrick is both a storyteller and an historian and thus able to mix the true and possible together into a gripping story. Lt. Col. George A. Custer is portrayed as an eccentric social animal who once organized a cavalry regiment according to horse color and was not largely respected by his soldiers contrary to fictional depictions. Custer's discovery of gold in the Black Hills (now South Dakota) was among the chief factors leading to the Little Bighorn confrontation. Philbrick speculates that the drunkenness of one of Custer's officers and the lateness of another well may have contributed to the massacre. A possible irony is that Custer's widow Elizabeth campaigned to clear his name (aided by Buffalo Bill Cody) even though the Colonel probably cheated on her.
Also by Nathaniel Philbrick at Merrick Library:
In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex
Mayflower: A Story of Courage, Community and War
Revenge of the Whale: The True Story of the Whaleship Essex (in Young Adult section)
Reviewed by Librarian, Bob.
No comments:
Post a Comment