 | Probably the best non-controversial account... credible enough.
rating: 5
It starts long before the campaign and ends much more later on.
It lefts no stone unturned, and actually uses all the data available in a tour de force of rigour.
Actually if you are not going to read more then a book about it this one will do perfectly the job.
It is neither pro-Custer or anti-Custer, makes a good job of simply saying what is known and formulating the best plausible guesses when explaining the parts of the fight harder to establish (there other authors are perhaps much more passionate in their arguments!).
Highly Recommended for what it is fair History without undue passion.
ADB
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The newest, longest, most foot-noted account so far...
rating: 5
When I was eight or nine, back in the early 1950's, my parents took me to see a traveling exhibit of American historical objects in Trenton NJ. I am not sure if this mobile museum came to town for the annual State Fair or some other reason, and I don't know who sponsored it, but Henry Ford might be a good guess. The ONLY object I recall from this presentation is a rolltop school desk, there because the initials G.A.C. were carved in the lid. "G.A.C."---For George Armstrong Custer. During my childhood, he was considered a full hero who was a victim of the vicious Sioux and Cheyenne. By the time I was a teenager, Hollywood began to depict Custer as a victim only of his own arrogance and stupidity, and the Indians as victims of Caucasian conquest who had one glorious afternoon of victory.
The truth lies between these views, of course, and you will get it if you have the patience to read this lengthy, somewhat scholarly work carefully. It requires half the book to get to the morning of June 25, 1876, when the Seventh Cavalry finally connects with the hostile encampment of native Americans. The next 25 percent shows us the aftermath of the slaughter on all parties, and the final fourth consists of extensive and often fascinating notes. There are photos of the principal players, but I wanted more. There are maps, but I wanted them larger. These are minor quibbles with a massive story, masterfully composed. The Battle of the Little Bighorn, as the author notes, probably has been more written about than even the Battle of Gettysburg. "A Terrible Glory" is a fine place to begin the saga, but you won't want to stop with it alone. General Custer made mistakes, but not as many as revisionist history wants to lay on him. His chief subordinates also made mistakes, perhaps more serious than Custer's, yet there were just so many indians and so few troopers than even if these officers behaved with perfect courage, it is likely the troops would still have lost. The "blame Custer" movement got started early, got nipped in the bud, and then made a comeback, then receded, then made another comeback. Complexities such as these are what has kept this tale alive for 130 years.
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Excellent read
rating: 5
I read Son of the Morning Star some years ago after visiting the Little Bighorn Battlefield. I found Terrible Glory a more informative read and apparently extensively researched. Donovan presents a more sympathetic view of Custer. He also discusses the Reno Court of Inquiry in some detail, which is quite interesting. In that context he delves into the actions, and motivation therefor, of certain participants to color the truth of what occurred during the battle. While Custer was in command and deserved a measure of blame, the verdict of history has been unnecessarily harsh as to him and undeservedly lenient as to others.
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Definitive Accounting of Events for The Battle of the Little Bighorn
rating: 5
Much has been written and said about the events which took place near the Little Bighorn River on June 25-26, 1876. Few of the earlier conclusions benefitted from analysis of battlefield excavations which took place through much of the 1980's, charting cavalry and warrior positions to a reasonable degree. Nor have previous books been as comprehensive and intuitive when sifting through facts long masked by the Reno Court of Inquiry; until now.
James Donovan sets out to tell true history sans bias in 'A Terrible Glory', and he largely succeeds. It's not perfect history mind you, (how can it be?) and there are a few gaffes along the away, which I won't dwell on here.
Fact: Reno had a serious drinking problem which affected his ability to coherently lead his contingent of 7th Cavalry during the initial attack on the Lakota and Cheyenne villages.
Fact: Reno retreated from a potentially superior defensive position leaving wounded men to their fate, without ordering a proper rearguard action, resulting in chaos, rout and unecessary deaths.
Fact: Benteen disregarded a direct order from Custer to "Come quickly" while he and Reno sat undisturbed on the bluffs, listening to heavy gunfire from Custer's final battle.
Fact: Custer had reasonable expectation to believe he would receive support from troops under Reno and Benteen's command, unless massive forces were aligned to prevent this.
Fact: Massive forces were not allied against Reno and Benteen while on the hill. The Indians had left to attack Custer en masse.
Fact: Captain Thomas Weir knew the 7th Cavalry troops should reconnoiter at once to the sound of battle.
Of course, these conclusions won't be well received by those with an axe to grind. But that's ok, because history isn't meant to be judged in convivial fashion. It needs to be seen with light of uninfected analysis, as much as possible. Through a prism identified by wisdom and merit of days gone by, and of today.
So, the most important question remains... Were there any heroes battling in The Greasy Grass on those fateful, early-summer days? I believe so... There were probably hundreds of them on both sides. Including a particularly charismatic one fond of wearing red ties.
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A great introduction
rating: 5
I read "Son of the Morning Star" fifteen years ago and thought that might be the end-all for me in regard to George Custer and Little Big Horn. However, this book has left me even more curious. Some say it might be the beginner's best foray in to Custer. I would say that if that is so then the beginner would have developed a significant amount of "expertise" even if that learning is more broad or general than some accounts.
I recommend this book highly. I would suggest that the reader take time and copy the maps that are included on the endpaper and in the text to use for easier reference.
Great read. Easy five stars.
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