Custer's Luck

By Edgar Irving Stewart

Book Overview

This is undoubtedly a remarkable book on a period of American history about which much has been written - the period of the Indian wars in the Northwest, from the close of the Civil War until the... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0806116323
• ISBN13: 9780806116327
• Release Date: April 1980
• Publisher: University of Oklahoma Press
• Length: 562 Pages
• Weight: 1.62 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.0" x 1.3" x 6.0"

Customer Reviews

THE ONE BOOK TO READ

If you are going to read one book about the time of the Custer battle at the Little Big Horn river this is the book. It covers all aspects of the time leading up to the battle, with narrative from other books that have been written. I have read many books about this time and place and after reading this book I wish I had read it first as it would have removed the need of reading all the others. Covers all aspects including the indian's side of things.

Old Classic Still Stands

George Armstrong Custer has been referred to as the most famous American soldier. Nothing fans the light of fame like death in a spectacular manner. Custer was well known before he died, but when his death was announced just as the nation was about to celebrate its Centennial birthday, he soared into immortality. History has not always been kind to him, but whether seen as a glory-seeking fool or as a gallant trooper doing his job, Custer has never wanted for attention. This book, Custer's Luck, was first published in 1955. The author, Edgar Stewart, was well qualified to write it. Before gaining a professorship at Eastern Washington College, he had worked as an historical aide on the Crow Agency at the Custer Battlefield National Monument, where he had the opportunity to walk the ground and study all the documentation then available. With that knowledge he could provide insights that few others had the vantage point to then recognize. Much has been written about Custer and the Little Big Horn in the ensuing fifty years. Evan Connell and Robert Utley have both produced excellent biographies of Custer. Utley, Richard Fox and Robert Kammen have all produced excellent studies of the campaign told from an Indian perspective. John Gray's two books, Centennial Campaign, and Custer's Last Campaign: Mitch Boyer and the Little Bighorn Reconsidered, are now thought of as the seminal studies of Custer's role in the Sioux War. However, Stewart's older account still has value. A great part of this book is devoted to explaining the underlying situation: the Treaty of 1868, the impeachment of Secretary of War Belknap, and the battles and massacres that led up to the march to the Little Bighorn. Only about 130 pages of this 500-page book are devoted to the march of the Dakota column and Custer's last fight. So if you want to learn the background, and to read an account of the fight that is factual, concise and unbiased, if a bit dated, this book will be a fine purchase.

Despite the passage of time, still a classic!

It is difficult to believe that I am the first person reviewing this classic book on the Custer battle. I have always felt a strong affinity for this book since it was born the same year (1955) that I was. Some years back, when I was first consumed by an overwhelming interest in the Custer mystery (a passion that continues till this day), it was, fortuantely, one of the first books I turned to.Yes, numerous books and sources have come along since then and it can not incorporate the recent archaeological findings but it still gives the reader a good basic framework for studying the battle. Stewart is a judicious historian, using footnotes to bring out areas where sources conflict. His critique of Custer is, for the most part, balanced. Most importantly, Stewart's writing style is uncommonly smooth and pleasing. Just pick up a copy of this book and plunge in anywhere and you will readily discover what I mean. It is very accessible.Stewart makes one very important point in analyzing the Little Big Horn, a point that has stood and will continue to stand the test of time. He states that, more than any factor, the terrain played a decisive part in the outcome of the battle, as it hindered the 7th Cavalry batallions from readily knowing what was happening elsewhere on the field of conflict. Keep this basic observation in mind when visiting the battlefield and viewing the bluffs along the river.