 A TRUE 5 STAR BOOK!
I don't normally give a book five stars (even the real good ones) but this book is EXEMPLARY in a well researched, very well written book. It reads like a novel but is VERY much a detailed Historical account of the lives and events that happened during that time. There is no bias in this book by Donovan and I would HIGHLY recommend it to anyone wanting to know the WHOLE story of the Little Bighorn and how it came to happen.
 A Terrible Glory: Custer and the Little Big Horn
The author obviously has read the account of Reno`s Court Martial and used this as a partial basis for his book. However, I feel he was in fantasy land when he was trying to write the saga when Custer got whipped. No one knows for sure how he and his men died but the author seems to know how everything happened. Some of his "facts" have been disproven and he states some "facts" that are pure fiction. He has a good imagination and does do a good job of telling his version of what happened.
As far as historical data he does a fairly good job. The book is entertaining.
A great story of an American tragedy
The complex story of one of the most discussed battles in American history is the subject of this fine work by James Donovan. The author examines the causes, the politics, and the principals, white and Indian, who played a part in the unfolding of the Sioux War of 1876, of which the Custer fight is the main point of interest. As General Terry's army gathered for a definitive strike at the Indians, events were unfolding in Washington that would have far reaching effects on the preparation and planning of the coming campaign. The battle's aftermath and the Reno Court of Inquiry are also discussed at length. James Boles is the narrator of this story and recounts history for the reader with a professional and experienced touch, much like reporter Mark Kellog might have if he had ridden with Major Reno instead of General Custer that fateful day of June 25, 1876.
A Terrible Glory
The first book I ever read over forty years ago was about "Custer's Last Stand". I've been reading about this battle and the characters since. This book has been the best thus far. For me it has been a ride seeing how the battle, the people, and the myth has changed for the better. Truth is stranger than fiction. nice job on the book.
More than a "Last Stand" book
This book is more than another "Last Stand" narrative. Although the focus is on the battle it provided illuminating information on the different Sioux tribes, relationships between the Sioux and other plains tribes, the dealings of corrupt Indian agents, and especially the hearings Major Reno asked for to try to clear his name. The eighty-three pages of notes were as fascinating as the main body of the book!
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