A terrible glory : Custer and the Little Bighorn--the last great battle of the American West

Summary: "For well over a century, the Battle of the Little Bighorn has fascinated Americans, but few people know the entire truth behind it. Now, at long last, comes the authoritative account that readers and historians have been waiting for. Scrupulously researched, A Terrible Glory is a landmark work brimming with authentic detail and an unforgettable cast of characters - from Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse to Ulysses S. Grant and, of course, the complex and controversial Custer himself." "Drawing upon a wide range of primary sources, many of them unpublished or little known, as well as vital new forensic research of the past twenty-five years, the noted historian James Donovan casts aside the myth and gives us the fullest and most accurate account ever written about Custer's Last Stand. He paints a narrative of the entire campaign, from the early conflicts between Indians and settlers to the army court of inquiry that sought to assign blame for the stunning defeat. We are there in the village as young warriors paint their faces and grab their favorite weapons in preparation for battle; in the field as desperate cavalrymen kill their mounts to use their carcasses for cover; and in the courtroom as some of the surviving officers of the Seventh Cavalry point fingers in order to avoid being held responsible for the disaster."--BOOK JACKET.