by Nathaniel Philbrick
Penguin, $18.00, 466 pages
Custer’s last stand has been discussed, written about, dissected, reenacted, and analyzed ad nauseum over the years. How much more could possibly be discovered from that tragic yet historic event? The Last Stand: Custer, Sitting Bull, and the Battle of the Little Bighorn is here to put it all to rest…well, maybe not to rest but certainly to educate and entertain.
New York Times bestselling author Nathaniel Philbrick lays it all out moment by moment with historical data, artifacts, and pictures in astonishing detail. He is a genius of a historian; taking a known event and shaping it into what readers today can grasp and relive in a very real way, comprehending even the most bizarre behaviors. As in his other widely known books, In the Heart of the Sea and Mayflower and the Pilgrims’ New World, the research is impeccable as he brings to life historical events complete with actual photos from the time of Custer and Sitting Bull. Even the most wary of history folks will enjoy and be engaged by the factual and yet, in some respects, fictionalized storytelling talents of Philbrick. Easy to read and follow along the timeline of events, this is the perfect gift for history buffs and young readers alike!