Book Description
The death of George Armstrong Custer, and over half of his 7th Cavalry Regiment in the valley of the Little Big Horn on 25 July 1876, has become the most celebrated battle of the Indian wars. It was the greatest, and the last, victory of the Native Americans over the United States military. Disobeying orders, Custer followed a trail to a large encampment of Indians and, without determining the numbers he faced split his command into three groups and attacked. In the resulting chaos Custer and more than half the troops under his command were killed.
Customer Reviews:
Very Well Done.......2007-09-07
This is a series book from a collection outlining famous battles through history. Little Big Horn 1876...by Peter Panzeri delivers a thorough, well illustrated and tight description of what was known as Custer's Last Stand (before the PC police got a hold of this piece of the American experience).
This book was written after wildfires burned the brush at Little Big Horn National Military Park. This is important to understand because the denudation of the landscape led to the exposure of many battle-era artifacts. The resulting archaeological work led to a better understanding of the battle and troop movements and dispositions. This book takes advantage of the new information.
The author lays out very concisely the campaign plan, battle movements and likely (based on evidence) final disposition of Custer's troopers on and in the vicinity of Last Stand Hill. The full battle is portrayed with equal relevance given to the Reno/Benteen fight and defense five miles away from Custer. The splitting of Benteen and Reno's troopers as well as personality conflicts and vignettes on the major players on both the Indian and Cavalry sides are provided. The Indian side is well covered and I learned a lot about how and why the tribes gathered there as well as their war fighting tactics and practices that gave me a much fuller understanding of the battle than I had before.
The 3-D maps showing troop movements are very well rendered. Having visited the battlefield, the 3-D presentation is important to understanding the battlefield. It is a very hilly area with major views obscured at many points and battle sounds cordoned off by hills and obstructions. The geography had a major impact on the fighting and outcome of this battle.
This is a thin book, but well worth the cost. Its value is in a thorough rendering and illustration of the essentials of the battle. A great start to understanding "Custer's Last Stand."
Excellent review of the Little Big Horn.......2005-07-22
The maps, narrative and pictures provide a concise outline of the battle. It does not provide much detail, however, as to how the authors reached the conclusions they did regarding the movements of and how the battle unfolded for the regiments that were completely wiped out (ie. it does not address battlefield archeology to any degree). Nonetheless, it is an excellent overview and should be read in conjunction with books that do address the archeology.
Condensed but Accurate History But Maps Are Killer: 3-D.......2003-12-14
I spotted Panzieri's book while on a tour of the Little Big Horn in the hands of a tour attendee and I had to have a copy. The best and most unique thing about this book are the maps. Large color overall campaign maps in several stages but the ultimate are the 3 dimensional maps of different phases of the Little Big Horn battle. These color topographical maps not only give you positions of the combatants with time interval notations but the terrain features are excellent. If you have never been there, you will now appreciate the difficulty of the terrian, the high bluffs, the coulees (large drainages) Weir Point etc. which contributed to the difficulty in communications, the effects it had on visualizing the village and the advantages it gave the Native Americans. You can hold the several 2 page maps in your hands at the battlefield and have one of the best guides literally in hand. Also, the condensed history is excellent with a wealth of pictures and it pretty much follows Fox's theory as well as heavy contribution apparently by Gray's time sequence estimates. Fox's theory that Custer was still in the offensive mode which was why his battalion was split with one wing waiting for Benteen when all hell breaks loose does make sense. This is the best condensed version of the campaign but it's all about the maps, they are the best, particularly the 3-D battle maps. The maps alone are worth the purchase.
A Fine Overview.......2003-09-14
Peter Panzeri's "Little Big Horn 1876 " presents a good solid portrayal of Custer's Last Stand. There are several high points to the author's work: The background to that fateful day is ably drawn indeed. We know why both sides met in Southeast Montana when they did. The replay of troop movements on both sides is presented well without losing the reader in detail. There are several good photos of the main characters, personalizing them. Most significantly, the MAPS are excellent. So many military books pay little or no heed to them. The maps here are of first rate full color quality. They are so good that LBH warrants 5 stars on this aspect alone! If LBH has a weak spot, it lies in the absence of any after the battle analysis. A chapter of Monday morning quarterbacking would have been the perfect complement to Mr. Panzeri's efforts. Since we now know that there were survivors from this battle, at least from Major Reno's and Captain Benteen's commands, opinions must abound on the engagement. This omission is insufficient to lowering the ranking of LBH. The maps save the day! REVIEWER'S NOTE: Since submitting this review to amazon, I have gone to Montana and visited the scene. It's impressive! The key point is to underscore the sheer size of the battle area.It's big!! One can quickly appreciate how hard it could have been for Benteen and Reno to come to Custer's aide. With the rolling hills,maybe they did not even see him. In any event the site is right off I 90 and close to the pleasant town of Billings, MT. Now I'm searching for another Custer story. A visit to LBH definitely enhances the printed word!
Good Overview of the Little Big Horn Campaign.......2002-08-02
Little Big Horn 1876: Custer's Last Stand by Peter F. Panzeri is a good overview of the Little Big Horn Campaign. It is written in the traditional Osprey style and in addition has excellent maps showing the troop movements.
The theme of the book appears to be the multiple mistakes made by Custer and his men, espically Major Reno, that led to the destruction of his cammand. The chief among these was over confidence. In this vien, the book is very good. This is a worthwhile read for one who wants to know the basics of an American battle where it is often times difficult to seperate fact from folklore.
Book Description
New. El Segundo 1988. Photos, packet of maps, includes Dustin Bibliography. THE CUSTER TRAGEDY by Fred Dustin is a required reading for any Custer Battle scholar. Includes reprint of rare pamphlet: "Echoes from the Little Big Horn Fight," which was written after Dustin had access to the Reno Court of Inquiry transcript.
Book Description
Sergeant Charles Windolph was the last white survivor of the Battle of the Little Big Horn when he described it nearly seventy years later. A six-year veteran of the Seventh Cavalry, Windolph fought in Benteen’s troop on that fatal Sunday and recalls in vivid detail the battle that wiped out Custer’s command. Equally vivid is the evidence marshaled by Frazier and Robert Hunt on events leading up to the battle and on the investigation that followed.
Customer Reviews:
A valuable account of the Custer tragedy.......2003-11-29
It is difficult to really rate a work like this. This is the story of Charles Windolph, the last survivor of the Battle of the Little Bighorn, in his own, simple words. Windolph told his story to a father and son historian team in the 1930s and 40s. Windolph's distinction as last survivor is a bit misleading--he was the last man who was present at the battle to die, but his title as last survivor does not mean he was with Custer's column of troops. He wasn't. In fact, he was under Benteen, and was one of many who survived the battle because they weren't as heavily engaged in it as Custer.
Windolph presents an interesting perspective on the battle, and seems relatively objective. He does tend to romanticize a little, but for the most part he refrains from throwing blame on Custer, Reno, Benteen, or anyone else (though he does state up front that he is partial to Benteen). His story is not all that unique when compared to other primary accounts of the battle, but it is nevertheless valuable as the testimony of a survivor of that horrible tragedy.
Included with Windolph's narrative are a number of primary documents, cobbled together in chapters and laced throughout with author's commentary. This is all right, but it would have been better to present these documents in their entirety, with only enough commentary (perhaps in the form of footnotes) to give the reader an idea of the background surrounding the documents. Still, the Hunts have done a relatively good job of remaining objective as well, something that is rare in a Custer historian. This is perhaps not the best account of the Battle of the Little Bighorn, but it is nevertheless an important one.
A memorable account of the Custer fight.......2000-03-23
As a Custer buff, this book has been on my shelf for a long time. A great book to read, one that fleshes out a lot of the daily life in the Seventh as well as the battle along Greasy Grass. Right up there with "Son of Morning Star" and Walter Camp's book on the subject. Check 'em out, you won't be disappointed.
Interesting Read.......1997-12-13
This book is compiled from the found writings of a sergeant of the Seventh Cavalry who survived the Battle of the Little Big Horn. The first hand accounts of men like Sergeant Windolph and Theodore Goldin are very valuable and interesting reading. They were not men defending their performance as were the officers like Benteen, Reno, and Godfrey. They had their biases but didn't have to grind axes. This account is worthwhile reading for students of the Seventh Cavalry and the Little Big Horn campaign.
Customer Reviews:
Detailed, thorough, and unconventional.......2007-09-26
Since 1983, when a range fire cleared away much of the grass and underbrush at the Custer Battlefield along the Little Big Horn in Montana, archaeologists have had a chance to investigate the field and, using the material evidence uncovered, have made their own contributions to the mountains of interpretations of what happened that fateful day, June 26, 1876, when Custer and his Seventh Regiment were wiped out. Richard Allan Fox was one of those original archaeologists, and this book is a careful and detailed study of his findings - and interpretations. (In terms of the historical record it is always wise to remember that no members of Custer's immediate command survived the fight and that Indian eyewitness accounts, often contradictory and self-serving, must be carefully scrutinized; many historians refuse to give any credence to them at all.)
Fox, basing many of his conclusions on archaeological evidence, particularly shell casings found on the field, offers accounts of what happened that differ from the standard view, mainly in the following areas: he believes Custer and his men maintained an offensive tactical mode almost up to the very end; he believes at least one company of Custer's men made a reconnaissance beyond Cemetery Ridge (where the Visitors Center is today) down to the river (most other historians think nothing of importance occurred in this sector); he believes that the Medicine Tail Coulee descent to the river was also a reconnaissance move and not an attack that was eventually foiled; and he believes the standard image of Custer and his men fighting in unison to the last man to the very end on Custer Hill did not occur: many soldiers by the end were running for their lives toward the Deep Ravine just south of Custer Hill. Fox offers other discrepancies - Crazy Horse did not make a sweeping attack from the north across Cemetery Hill but rather made a more direct assault across the river and up the Deep Ravine - all of which, of course, is conjecture.
In fact, all of what Fox postulates is within the realm of possibility (he certainly is not among the crazies who, for example, have Custer's men all committing suicide), and he makes a good case for everything he says. But no matter how credible Fox makes his case to be, it, like all other interpretations, must remain only speculative. No one will ever know for sure exactly what happened that hot afternoon, but Fox offers a thorough analysis, thoughtful and credible. I put the book near the top of the pile of those worth giving a second look at regarding the Custer fight.
I'll pile on too!.......2007-09-11
Let me pile on with most of the other reviewers. This is a fascinating read and unique insight into the Battle of the Little Big Horn.
The New History.......2007-08-02
This analysis of the Little Bighorn has/will set a new standard for historical writing. Unlike 90% of the historical liturature produced in the USA now days, this book is unfettered by PC bias. It is pure history amplified by first class archaeology. Whether you are a Custer buff or not, read it to find out how history should be written.
What Really Happened at Custer's Last Stand.......2006-06-26
This is an outstanding book and essential for anyone curious about the real story of Custer's Last Stand based on Archaeological digs made on the battle field which answers many questions as to what happened and what the evidence showed as compared to popular history. A real must have for anyone who wants to know the truth and understand what happened in this great American Battle. Well written and clear and concise.
The Custer Myth exploded...........2006-02-21
I first read this book when it was first published, and after two visits to the Battlefield. I have since visited the Field again and was suprised to see that the NPS has now adopted the Fox thesis as the probable flow of events. If one follows the self guided tour, one will see the events as laid out by this seminal work in the application of forensic science and archeology. I give a wink to the trial lawyer reviewer, who would undoubtably know plenty about misrepresenting data. As a scientist and data analyst, I think Fox drew conclusions well within the limits of his statistical analysis. For those who don't know statistics, or think they do, I will state this one statistical fact. Half of all Americans are below average in intelligence. Think about that if you think you know statistics. It is a simple and incontrovertable fact. Fox makes no outrageous claims, unless of course you are one who hoplessly clings to outdated notions spoon fed to you as a child, and watched too many matinee westerns. Having personally read the now discredited works of S.L.A. Marshal on how soldiers react in combat, I was disappointed to see Fox rely on some of his conclusions, he could have cited other more authoritative and less questioned works.
None the less, I see no problem with Fox interpreting his data in light of the only eye witness accounts. History is usually written by the victors. Why should we discount the Native American's version of events out of hand, especially when Fox's data can be seen to corroborate it? Subsequent digs on the battlefield have recoved a plethora of remains that if we are to believe the Army, should have been under the marker at the crest of the hill, not under or around the individual markers. The fact is that all the marker pairs examined really represent only one body and not two. So much for the noble bunkmates going down fighting together or engaging in a suicide pact as the myth would have you believe. Even contemporary accounts have officers bodies on Last Stand Hill with Custer, and not with the remains of their commands. This begs the question, what do soldiers do when they see their commanding officers run?
The myth that Custer's was the only body not mutilated on the field is another questionable page in the myth, and most think it was in deferrence to Libby Custer's sensibilities. Tom Custer was only identified by a distinctive tattoo. Custer had recently shorn his distinctive hair, and the indians did not know who they were fighting, and probably could have cared less.
I am amazed that anyone actually believed all the going down fighting myth making that typified the Little Big Horn. It tells me that they have read little other first hand historical accounts of men in battle. The situation on that hot lonely desolate hillside, commands spread out over almost a mile assailed by gunfire from all sides, horses rearing, friends and colleagues obscured by smoke and dust, thoughts of being alone and left behind running through each man's mind, would have un-nerved a veteran trooper, not to mention the tired raw immigrants that made up a large part of the command. I think the real image of an ambitious ill planned attack disintegrating into a panicked inglorious route, does more to illustrate the true character of the man in command than it does to cast a shadow on the bravery of the men who put misplaced trust in him.
The Custer Luck finally ran out.
Book Description
No one survived in Custer’s immediate command, but other soldiers fighting at Little Big Horn on June 25-26, 1876 were doomed to remember the nightmarish scene for decades after. Their true and terrible stories are included in Troopers with Custer. Some of the veterans who corresponded with E. A. Brininstool were still alive when his book first appeared in a shortened version in 1925. It has long been recognized as classic Custeriana.
More incisively than many later writers, Brininstool considers the causes of Custer's defeat and questions the alleged cowardice of Major Marcus A. Reno. His exciting reenactment of the Battle of the Little Big Horn sets up the reader for a series of turns by its stars and supporting and bit players. Besides the boy general with the golden locks, they include Captain Frederick W. Benteen, the scouts Lieutenant Charles A. Varnum and "Lonesome Charley" Reynolds, the trumpeter John Martin, officers and troopers in the ranks who miraculously escaped death, the only surviving surgeon and the captain of the steamboat that carried the wounded away, the newspaperman who spread the news to the world, and many others.
Customer Reviews:
The Author's loves Benteen & Reno but some great testimony.......2002-10-13
This is a very readable book with interviews and stories by many of the participants of the 76 campaign. As Brian Pohanka (foreword) adeptly informs the reader, Brninstool did tremendous research and interviewed and corresponded with a number of the survivors of the LBH. However, as Pohanka hits the nail on the head, Brininstool lacks objectivity when it comes to Reno and Benteen. He supports their versions 100%. In Benteen's statements, he repeatedly denies that Custer had any plan. And in his testimony and letters he constantly states that he was to just ride to infinity to the left, which is totally absurd. In Gray's time motion studies and in Darlings "Benteen's Scout to the Left", Benteen only went one mile further than Custer by the time their trails intersect. Brininstool constant reminds the reader that Custer through his adjutant stated that Reno "would be supported by the whole regiment". If that statement was true then obviously he meant for Benteen to join the attack. If you tour the site of the first separation, it made logical sense for Custer to have flankers on the left where the ground rose and could have hid attacking Indians on his flank. In addition, Brininstool supports Reno and his "charge" that was actually a rout. Later in the excellent recounting of the Lt. Kidder massacre in 1867 about the young Lieutenant and his platoon that ran into a Sioux war party the author states "Running away from Indians was, in the opinion of experienced Indian fighters, poor policy." Well, he seems to forget this when applauding Reno for his abrupt run from the cottonwoods leaving 21 men behind who didn't get the word and somehow survived but Reno still lost 1/3 of his command in his run. The survivors particularly Lt. Hare continuously state that they would have not lived other wise. Brininstool also over estimates the number of Indians. Brininstool also has a section on Theodore Goldin and the famous water detail, which is very interesting except that Goldin has historically been proven to fabricate the truth including his own service period.
The best parts of the book are the story of Lt. DeRudio and Sgt. O'Neil's exciting two
days surrounded by Indians while abandoned and hiding in the cottonwoods after Reno suddenly bugged, the retelling of the 1867 Lt. Kidder massacre and the exciting story of Lt. Sibley's escape from a large Sioux war party while scouting for Crook. After being surrounded, Sibley led by famous scouts Grouard and Baptise Pourier abandon their horses at night and travel days in broken country to return to Crooks base camp. The book also includes a mini-bio on Lonesome Charlie Reynolds, one of the greatest scouts of the west who died turning Reno's bug out. Although not mentioned by the author, another great Scout Herendeen testified that he and Reynolds discussed that the worst thing that one could do is try to outrun Indians which was supposedly said not long before Reno abruptly hauled freight.
Lots of great testimony in spite of Benteen's self serving interview which is valuable to read since his extreme defensiveness is obvious along with his distaste for Custer, his argument is so absurd that it is irrational to believe. Besides Brininstool's lack of objectivity, I was disappointed that he didn't have more interviews with the surviving
Troopers such as Peter Thompson who was with Custer until just before Medicine Trail Coulee where his horse broke down with a few other troopers who walked back to join Reno. Those interviews with these only technical survivors would have been fascinating.
This is actually a good book to add to your collection. In contrast, I like Walter Camp's book "Custer in 76" edited by Ken Hammer better. It appears more objective with lots of nuggets of information such as references to Peter Thompson. Brininstool like Camp met a lot of the participants, reading both is a pleasure.
Fantastic resource of legitimate information on Gen. Custer.......1998-11-10
Being a relative of E.A. Brininstool, I know first hand what length of detail and accurateness went into this product. Earl spent many months/years on interviews, pictures, and fact finding on this compilation. I would recommend this to anyone looking for accurate information on the Custer Battle.
Book Description
The image of the famous "last stand" of the Seventh U.S. Cavalry under General George Armstrong Custer has transmogrified into myth. We imagine the solitary Custer standing upright to the end, his troops formed into groups of wounded and dying men around him. In "To Hell with Honor," Larry Sklenar analyzes and interprets the widely accepted facts underlying the popular depiction of Custer's defeat. Approaching the subject with a fresh perspective, he offers wholly new conclusions about one of the most enduring puzzles in United States history--the 1876 Battle of the Little Bighorn.
Customer Reviews:
The most accurate book on the Battle of Little Bighorn........2006-04-29
For Custer enthusiasts this book is by far the best read yet. I've been researching the Battle of Little Bighorn for nearly seven years. The bulk of books and articles out there are too biased in one way or another. Either they blindly glorify Custer or the brand him a vain-glorious villian to be cursed for eternity.
The reality is Custer was just a man. Someone with a remarkable military record for bravery and being right in the thick of things. He was out there doing his job to the best of his abilities. Sklenar not only gives his analysis of the battle but he (unlike most before him) offers ample scientific and anecdotal evidence to support what he states.
I'm a screenwriter and have a script optioned that tells the tale of this battle and the days leading up to it. I'm proud to say that my story falls in line with the evidence and facts Sklenar presents. Feel free to stop by my website to see more on my script, Honor & Infamy. http://www.neotekhomes.com/adam
Of Course the Indians Outfought Custer.......2005-12-19
2000 vs 200
do the math
A revolutionnary book of the 1876 battle.......2005-04-17
Those who doubt about Sklenar's book value may see the comments from Robert Utley, considered as the best historian of the American West, and Brian Dippie, also a famous historian of Custer. Both praised Sklenar's work and wrote it was "a revolutionnary book about the battle of the Little Bighorn".
Also consider that Robert Utley changed parts of his own view of Little Bighorn in his famous "Cavalier in buckskin" to stick to Sklenar's analysis.
When a life-long scholar of Custer and Little Bighorn like Utley edit his best writings to include Sklenar's view, it could show you the value of "To Hell with Honor". You must read it !
The bias is unbelievable. .......2005-04-02
To Hell With Honor: Custer and the Little Big Horn by Larry Sklenar is overbearingly pro Custer. The hypothetical leaps that he takes in the book are somewhat interesting, especially regarding the motives of some of the primary and company commanders.
I should have closed the book after reading the second paragraph of the preface, though. In it Sklenar compares Custer's fallen to that of WWII bomber crews. He ties it together with Sitting Bull's vision of soldiers falling into the village . . huh?
Another stretch is Sklenar's thesis, based on Custer's character, that he knowingly sacrificed his command for the sake of Reno, Benteen, and McDougall. Sklenar proposes that Custer made this decision immediately after Bouyer informed him of Reno's repulse. Custer was a warrior, he was going to fight no matter what the odds.(Look at his Civil War record.)
Custer can do no wrong in this book, he is blameless! His two chief subbordinates apparently loathe him. This, according to Sklenar, is due to their own character flaws, and no blame for the rift in the regiment is to be placed on Custer. Meanwhile, the characters of Benteen and Reno are continually thrashed. Sklenar delves into the minds of these two men and grants them dishonorable motives in almost all of their actions during the battle. Granted, both men had their failings during the battle, but so did Custer.
Most GOOD history I read is unbiased, based on priamry sources, and well researched, not suppositions, conjecture, and mind reading.
When reading this book, one should have a firm idea of the progress of the battle, regiment organization, troop movements, terrain, etc.
Suggested Reading-
Read Graham, Gray, and Utley for overall info
Scott and Fox for archaeological perspectives (fascinating)
This Book Deserves 0 Stars.......2004-11-02
I cannot understand why we need another book about Custer that does nothing but rehash the same old tired stuff. Sklenar presents nothing new in this book; no primary evidence is used here. The author even admits in the introduction of his book that he is presenting his ideas of what happened at the Little Bighorn based on other works. Heck, anyone that writes decently can do that.
Problems:
· Again, nothing new is presented here that is supported by primary evidence - zilch. Any "new" ideas that Sklenar presents in his narrative come strictly from his imagination. One laughable example: Sklenar considers the "Lone Tipi" a village!
· This book is nothing but a glorious review for Custer; it is almost angelic.
· If one were to look up every page listed in the index for Reno, one would find nothing but shameful adjectives describing Reno's character, leadership, or military background. The same exercise for Benteen reveals the same as for Reno except for one page. Only one page has something positive to say about Benteen. Now, if one follows through with this experiment for Custer: George, Tom, and Boston it becomes a love fest; there is nothing but praise lavished upon these men. The character studies are as far from reality as possible. Sklenar did everything but include a picture of George with a halo floating above his head.
Suggestions:
· Don't buy this book. There are many great books about Custer and the Battle of the Little Bighorn. I recommend:
· Robert Utley - "Cavalier in Buckskin" and "Custer and the Great Controversy"
· Louise Barnett - "Touched by Fire" the best biography on Custer
· John Gray - "Custer's Last Campaign" an incredibly detailed book about this most famous battle. Gray's "Centennial Campaign" is still the best book about the Sioux War of 1876 - it has less than one page about the LBH, but it tells you all you need to know about the causes of the Sioux War and the many battles fought in it.
· And, the one book I recommend most often when working at the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument is Douglas Scott's "Archaeological Perspectives on the Battle of the Little Bighorn" which presents all you need to know about the archeological digs at LBH during the summers of 1984 and 1985 and an incredible analysis of what the data reveals.
Book Description
On the late afternoon of June 25, 1876, high atop a Montana Hill, George Armstrong Custer with pearl handled revolvers blazing, stood with the last of his brave staff fighting the overwhelming numbers of fierce, blood-thirsty encircling Sioux warriors. They died to the last man.
For many years almost every bar in Montana displayed a beautiful painting of these heroic men dying nobly under overwhelming odds. This picture carried the glory of Custer's name and the staunch bravery of his Seventh Cavalry down through the century. It fired the American nation with a sense of great pride and inspiration over the years.
But in reality, this scene never happened that way.
After years of research, historian Harry Combs has put together the most exciting, perhaps controversial, chronicle of what really happened on that fateful hot afternoon at the Little Big Horn. Read the truth of this amazing legend in Where Was Custer?
Customer Reviews:
Nonessential reading for the Little Big Horn student.......2005-07-04
Books about the Battle of the Little Big Horn are almost without number (I should know; I am at present writing my own!) and unfortunately not all of them are particularly insightful or informative. I am sorry to say that in my opinion Combs's "Where Was Custer?" is among this latter group. I think he is too enraptured by those Indian narratives presented by David Humphreys Miller, for one thing (Indian narratives can have great value in deciphering what happened at the Little Big Horn, but Miller's are perhaps not among the most reliable). And Combs' conclusion as to what specifically happened to George Custer is neither original nor especially convincing. There are much better books available about these events/
Sound the Retreat.......2000-03-12
Harry Combs book, "At the Battle of the Little Big Horn Where Was Custer?" is truly an interesting book; that is if you also like JFK conspiracy books. I am not sure where the author got his research from, but this book is jam packed (in it's 120 pages) with inaccurate statements. I've been reading and researching the Battle of the Little Big Horn for a few years now and have never come across this story of how the famed Scout, Mitch Boyer, lead Custer into an ambush. If the author wanted to purport this theory then it was OK by me; except when he tries to rewrite history to make his theory work. One can forgive an author when he makes several mistakes of history like writing "Fourteenth Cavalry" (no such unit) or that Gall was an Ogalala instead of a Hunkpapa. But, you do get terribly turned off to the book when the author make the mistakes like CPT Weir was on Reno Hill prior to the arrival of Benteen or that Custer made a tactical error by sending Giovanni Martini with the note to Benteen; thus depriving himself of a trumpeter. A very casual amateur historian knows that Weir was part of Benteen's Battalion and that Martini was only orderly of the day (actually assigned to Company H (Benteen) and that Custer's trumpeter was Chief Trumpeter Henry Voss. Additionaly, the author does a disservice to the Crow Scouts who fought with Reno in the Valley Fight and, for a few, died trying to save the formation by implying that they purposely lead Custer to his death. After that, this book was down hill for me. I wouldn't give this book a passing mark. I have given this book a one star rating because that is the lowest I was allowed to give. My advice is invest your money in a well documented work from authors like Utley, Gray, or Graham.
Fun and Informative!.......1999-08-28
A great detailed account of the epic battle from the men who fought in it. Rich with information with the flow of a story book - great balance and a great piece of literature.
Customer Reviews:
The other prespective: General Terry's Role and Advance.......2000-04-22
A true revelation on what General Terry actually planned in his two point attack of pinching the "hostiles" between two columns and how the plan was poorly executed. The book provides an excellent overview of the campiagn along with Custer's trials and tribulations. But more importantly the roles of Gibbon and the Terry are discussed in detail. From Gibbon's failure to report the location of large villages that could have saved weeks of useless campaigning/scouting for the hostiles for Terry to Terry's incompetent ability to direct the blocking Montana column into position. This book provides a totally new perspective on the LBH battle. It also reveals the failure of Terry from the drawing of his plan to his hands on field decisions. Routes taken by Terry are covered in detail with excepts from diaries, areial photography and wonderful terrain maps. Darling presents well that Terry carefully planted total blame on Custer through indirect statements that leads one to believe that Custer failed entirely and "paid the price". Terry never mentions how he took a long detour through rough country without obtaining information from his true scouts, his engineering officer who knew the land or the crow scouts that lived there. How he marched only four miles in one day, lead the column to a dead end, and lost his gatling guns in a night march. However, he states in his report that Custer turned down gattling guns as if Custer could expect them to keep up with them while they failed to keep up with Terry's infantry. Some of Darlings critque on Custer's decision making from the divide to the LBH could be challenged but they make the book more interesting. Whatever mistakes Custer made, he received his punishment not just from his own but from many others starting with the command. It appears the campaign for Terry was not just a battle against the Indians but one of a war hero's battle with character.
A blunder strategically, tactically and personally..........1999-07-13
In researching the history and decisions leading to, and culminating in, what is now known as the Battle of the Little Big Horn, I came across Roger Darling's work and became so engaged in it I find myself referencing his basic premise in discussions with other like-minded Little Big Horn "investigators". Darling allows the reader to understand each act in this tragedy from a literal, gramatical and historical perspective. While acknowledging what "experts" say TODAY about the events leading to the battle, Darling takes a fresh approach. "Where was Custer when he made decisions, what, precisely, did he base those decisions on and about what and to whom did he transmit those decisions"? This is no 'Monday morning quarterbacking' from an historical perspective; no 20/20 hindsight vision. Darling emphasizes that neither Washington, General Terry, Colonel Gibbon, nor Custer, himself, had the vaguest notion of understanding Indian warfare and allowed their bigotry to hinder any understanding. Darling reveals the Sioux Campaign of 1876 for what is was, a blundering about on the Plains by ill-equipped, ill-trained and ill-informed offiers and men of the US Army - pitted against what every soldier already knew of the Sioux and Northern Cheyenne; the finest force of fighting cavalry in the world. Did Terry and Custer have a clue about the hostiles' location? Was Washington aware the estimates of Indian strength were erroneous by 300%? And was Marcus Reno the most surprised man on earth when he discovered that the small band of Indians he pursued at Custer's orders led him directly against the largest concentration of Indians ever seen on the North American continent? Historical hindsight allows Terry, Custer, et.al. reasonable intelligence about the force they sought to corral and bring to battle. Roger Darling's well researched and in-depth writing reveals a series of blunders beginning in Washington in the Fall of 1875 and culminating in disaster on a Montana hillside on June 25, 1876. Get the book, devour it, think on it. Not only is it great historical reading, it finally makes sense of what happened and why.
Gen. Terry, A Different View.......1999-05-06
Darling has obviously done extensive research and throws new light on the attempt to make Custer the sole scapegoat for the disaster that befell the Seventh Cavalry at the Little Big Horn. As one who has extensively read in Custeriana, I share Darling's views for the most part. I am not sure what Gen. Terry meant when he referred to a Sad and Terrible Blunder, but I think the blunder applies end to end, starting in Washington D.C. and carrying down to Custer and his subordinates. There has been extensive discussion for years of whether or not Custer disobeyed the surviving order that Terry provided to him. Assuming he did, and I don't think so based on my own military experience (e.g. I'd have felt comfortable with a set of discretionary orders like those in marching to Washington D.C.) one wonders what would have happened to Terry if Custer had literally followed those orders as Terry later implied he should have. Perhaps we need a book called CUSTER BLINDLY OBEYS, TERRY DIES. READ THE BOOK AND SEE WHAT I MEAN.
Customer Reviews:
An Exhaustive Review of the Theories: Plus The Author's .......2005-06-15
This is a very advanced book on the Little Big Horn "what happened to Custer's battalion" book. Pennington who actually has ridden on horseback over the Little Big Horn battlefield and adjacent sites is an expert on the land and a devoted researcher on the subject. In his large book, he reviews the testimony of the major surviving participants starting with the Reno Court of Inquiry and devotes chapters on Wallace, Keogh, Girard, Cooke, Kanipe and Martin. Pennington then covers a large collection of Indian testimonies starting with the Arikaras, Crows, Curley and then several Sioux and Cheyenne testimonies. After reviewing the key data associated with the LBH, the author spends the second half of his book reviewing the major theories of the primary historians who have written of the battle. The collection includes Kuhlman, Graham, Jerome Greene, Hardorff, Marquis, Dustin, Gray, Willert, Stewart and Scott and Fox. The analysis of each with Pennington's questions on these notable historian's theories leads you to the author's conclusion where Pennington presents his own theory with a time table and several appendices. The maps are very good showing Custer's possible movements and most interesting Benteen's planned movement that never occurred as Custer apparently directed. Pennington demonstrates that Benteen's claim that Custer had no plan or that Benteen was simply to go "valley hunting to infinity" was false. Pennington theorizes that Benteen was suppose to go all the way across the LBH after swinging left and return to support Reno in the valley. Benteen was Reno's direct support while Custer supported with an attack from the northeast. Pennington, possibly more than anyone else, details the number of couriers sent to him from Custer while Benteen was on his left oblique. I have been familiar with two but Pennington adds other personnel including a sergeant major that brings a total of four contacts from Custer. The evaluation of Benteen, Reno and Wallace adds credence to a possible conspiracy to protect them or close up on any further damage to the 7th. The following sentence gives the flavor for Pennington's book, "I disagree with Colonel Graham in several respects. I believe what happened to Custer after he left Major Reno is what provides the intrigue and thus the fascination that has and - that because of the conjectural nature of any answer - will continue to promote interest in the Battle of the Little Big Horn". You may not agree with Pennington's own theory but the review of the major historian's theories and review of the major participant's testimonies is well worth the read. The book is a collectable.
Books:
- Memoirs of General W.T. Sherman (Library of America)
- Mr. Lincoln's Way
- MY FATHER'S SECRET WAR: A MEMOIR
- Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave
- Nations At Dawn (Formerly Titled: Nations In Darkness)
- Nixon and Kissinger: Partners in Power
- Personal History
- Rabbit Ears Treasury of Tall Tales: Volume One: Davy Crockett, Rip Van Winkle, Johnny Appleseed, Paul Bunyan (Rabbit Ears)
- Retreat from Gettysburg: Lee, Logistics, and the Pennsylvania Campaign (Civil War America)
- Return To Promise (Heart of Texas, No 8)
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- Supramolecular Chemistry of Anions
- Intro Stats
- You Are Not a Stranger Here
- Bushido: The Way of the Samurai
- Dark City Dames: The Wicked Women of Film Noir
- Ideas & Opinions
- Five Equations that Changed the World: The Power and Poetry of Mathematics
- Trespassing: My Sojourn in the Halls of Privilege
- Assisting Displaced Workers: Do the States Have a Better Idea
- Major Companies of Arab World 1992
General
| 19th Century
| United States
| Americas
| History
| Subjects
| Books
Where Custer Fell: Photographs of the Little Bighorn Battlefield Then and Now
Lakota Noon: The Indian Narrative of Custer's Defeat
Archaeology, History, and Custer's Last Battle: The Little Big Horn Reexamined
Archaeological Perspectives on the Battle of Little Bighorn
They Died With Custer: Soldiers' Bones from the Battle of the Little Bighorn
