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From Publishers Weekly
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. (Mar. 24)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Review
In this labour of love, Donovan collects the multiple threads that led to the 1876 massacre at Little Big Horn... Exhaustive research, lively prose and fresh interpretation make for a valuable addition to literature on this otherwise well-trodden historical event PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
--This text refers to the
Paperback
edition.
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Most helpful customer reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Engrossing read,
By
This review is from: A Terrible Glory: Custer and the Little Bighorn - the Last Great Battle of the American West (Hardcover)
This is a well written and minutely researched account of a pivotal moment in the sad history of western North America. I've read a couple of other books on the subject of the Little Bighorn including one written from the Indian perspective that claimed Custer was shot and killed leading the initial charge across the river into the village. Whatever the case may be, it is a gripping story when told from either side and all stage set in the lovely valley of the Little Bighorn. As I commented to my wife when we visited the battleground on a gorgeous August day in 2006, "Too bad several hundred people had to die in order to have us come here." Too bad indeed.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
History brought to life,
By
This review is from: A Terrible Glory: Custer and the Little Bighorn - the Last Great Battle of the American West (Paperback)
My wife and I visited the Little Bighorn this past summer, 2011, and toured the site. The various sign posts gave a description of what happened at numerous points over the eight miles of battlefield. Mr. Donovan's book brought it all to life. The book describes the government's policy of reservations and how the Indians were terribly treated. It continues with a description of the main characters and then into the battle timeline. If you are a student of this battle then this book is a must read. The short tales of singular soldiers and the way they met their end were particular meaningful. Told mostly from the white's side it also includes brief highlights from the Indian point of view. One Indian, Gall, lost two wives and three children during the battle, Mr Donovan's lines were "With a feeling beyond words, he threw down his rifle and took his hatchet in his hand. He now had only one thing on his mind:revenge." One reviewer said that "A Terrible Glory is probably as close as we're going to get to knowing what really happened." The book is a gripping read. I enjoyed it. I recommend it.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta) Amazon.com:
4.5 out of 5 stars (98 customer reviews) 201 of 212 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Best Available Account for the Intelligent General Reader,
By Bruce Trinque - Published on Amazon.com
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This review is from: A Terrible Glory: Custer and the Little Bighorn - the Last Great Battle of the American West (Hardcover)
James Donovan's "A Terrible Glory: Custer and the Little Bighorn: The Last Great Battle of the American West" is not a book aimed primarily at the serious student of the Battle of the Little Bighorn. There are numerous books published each year about this famous battle, but most of them are full of dense, intricate arguments about quite narrow aspects of the historical event and really only of interest to -- or even intelligible by -- the serious Little Bighorn student (I should know -- I am one; and I completely understand that many works that I find fascinating would inevitably be rated as "unreadable" by most readers.) Donovan's book is something else entirely: a thorough, highly detailed narrative, drawn from primary sources (not just a tired rehash of secondary accounts, as is too often the case with such books), mountains of evidence carefully sifted and weighed, resulting in a judicious, well-balanced, fair-minded analysis of what actually happened.It's a big book -- nearly 400 pages of text plus voluminous and valuable source notes -- that provides background and context and also vivid word portraits of personalities and activities. I consider it be quite simply the best available account of the Little Bighorn for the intelligent general reader who wants to know what was what and who was who, without those biases and distortions so common in writings about Custer and his last battle. In the book's foreword, Donovan comments that he has departed from the strict historical record only in the area of the part played by Custer's direct command after he had sent his last messenger. Of necessity, any account of those activities requires interpretation of highly conflicting evidence and of some plain-old educated guesswork -- and James Donovan has done a superlative job of crafting a reasonable, plausible account of what happened. 86 of 90 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
First-class job. Beautifully written, and not just the same old, same old....,
By L.N.K. - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: A Terrible Glory: Custer and the Little Bighorn - the Last Great Battle of the American West (Hardcover)
I'm a junkie on this subject. Have read most of the major books on the battle, so I'd say, honestly, I wasn't prepared to be impressed. But I feel compelled to write a review here because I'm so pleasantly surprised. This topic has been well published, but this new book is GREAT. This author must have done some serious digging, because this book includes material I've never seen in any other book. Robert Utley was right about this book (if you're not a regular of the genre, he's the dean of writers on the American West). He's quoted as saying 'the research into firsthand sources is broader and deeper than I have ever seen'. To Custerphiles like myelf, that says something.There IS a lot of information here, but it's skillfully blended into the narrative, and the author did a good job of synthesizing all the material (the Indian and white accounts, and the new archaeological and forensic research and analysis from the past few decades). It also seems like the author went to great lengths to show the Indian side of the story, which is a plus. As you'll see, the book contains 83 pages of notes. But don't let that fool you; it's not a dry, academic type of read at all. (In fact, I'd say it's better written than anything else I've read on this subject.) And there's a lot of extra supporting material in all those notes, if you want to read them. But, notes or no notes--this is just a great read, and a wonderful new entry in the field. Good job, Mr. Donovan. (And, by the way, your publisher did a nice job, too. I'm a "book" person, and this book is quite handsome, both inside and out.) 77 of 83 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Another point of view.....,
By Robert Busko - Published on Amazon.com
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This review is from: A Terrible Glory: Custer and the Little Bighorn - the Last Great Battle of the American West (Hardcover)
When I saw a new book listed for publication on the topic of the Little Bighorn Battle a few months ago I was enthused. Let's face it, for those of us committed to this historical event, there's never enough to read. A Terrible Glory: Custer and the Little Bighorn-The Last Great Battle of the America West doesn't disappoint either.James Donovan's treatment is fair and detailed. As pointed out in other reviews, there is a lot of information included. Donovan also avoids the traps sprung on so many modern historians when they attempt to moralize the battle, Custer, and the U.S. Army. It has been well established after the digs of the 1980's that, contrary to so many theories, the 7th Cavalry was not well armed, and from modern analysis of the battle field did not conduct themselves as a well trained unit would have. Donovan uses this information, and also guardingly includes the accounts of the Indians present at the battle. I also have to compliment Donovan on his ability to provide context to the battle itself and to the United States at the time. His ability to provide strong narrative also makes the book read like a novel at times. In places, A Terrible Glory is a real page turner. The copious and well organized notes will also be of interest to the serious student of the battle. A Terrible Glory isn't for the casual reader though it is written in an easy style. Well researched and even handed, A Terrible Glory is highly recommended. |
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