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A Terrible Glory

Custer and the Little Bighorn - The Last Great Battle of the American West

Audiobook
0 of 1 copy available
Wait time: About 4 weeks
0 of 1 copy available
Wait time: About 4 weeks

In June 1876, on a desolate hill above a winding river called "the Little Bighorn," George Armstrong Custer and all 210 men under his direct command were annihilated by almost 2,000 Sioux and Cheyenne. The news of this devastating loss caused a public uproar, and those in positions of power promptly began to point fingers in order to avoid responsibility. Custer, who was conveniently dead, took the brunt of the blame.

The truth, however, is far more complex. A Terrible Glory is the first book to relate the entire story of this endlessly fascinating battle and the first to call upon all the pertinent research and findings of the past twenty-five years - which have significantly changed how this controversial event is perceived. Furthermore, it is the first book to bring to light the details of the U.S. Army cover-up and unravel one of the greatest mysteries in U.S. military history.

Scrupulously researched, A Terrible Glory will stand as a landmark work. Brimming with authentic detail and an unforgettable cast of characters - from Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse to Ulysses Grant and Custer himself - this is history with the sweep of a great novel.

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    • AudioFile Magazine
      James Donovan's relentless research into the circumstances surrounding the now infamous events of June 1876 is meticulously pieced together in this ground-breaking novel, aimed at deciphering what really happened at Little Bighorn. With a cast of characters ranging from Ulysses S. Grant to Crazy Horse, narrator James Boles could easily have gone over-the-top. However, Boles offers a stern and informative reading that captures the incident with honesty and passion and relates Donovan's findings without vocal editorializing. Boles narrates in a gripping voice that offers slight yet distinct variations in tone and accent for many characters, creating a vivid and informative tableau. L.B. (c) AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine
    • Publisher's Weekly

      November 12, 2007
      In this labor of love, Donovan collects the multiple threads that led to the 1876 massacre at Little Big Horn. By the 1870s various American Indian tribes ignored the American government’s edict to relocate to reservations. Growth in pioneer settlements had produced so many clashes that western commander Philip Sheridan ordered three army columns to converge on an immense Indian encampment in southern Montana Territory. Donovan’s eye-opening description of these cavalrymen contradicts the Hollywood image. These troops were untrained, inexperienced in individual combat and poorly equipped. Custer, the first to encounter the enemy encampment, split his forces before attacking. This tactical error ensured that some units would survive the fighting, here described in vivid detail. Custer’s last stand became the Indians’, too. Though the army was happy to blame the debacle on the dead Custer, the battle’s survivors banded together to ensure no reputation went tarnished in public hearings. The author makes a good case for Custer as scapegoat by portraying him as a likable Civil War hero, flamboyant publicity hound and more experienced Indian fighter than most of his men and all of his commanders,. Exhaustive research, lively prose and fresh interpretation make for a valuable addition to literature on this otherwise well-trodden historical event.

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This project was made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services. Funding for additional materials was made possible by a grant from the New Hampshire Humanities and the National Endowment for the Humanities.