Vengeance: The Last Stands of Custer, Crazy Horse, and Sitting Bull
This year marks the sesquicentennial of the Battle of the Little Bighorn, so of course someone will retell the story: but Tom Clavin is not just anyone—he is an award-winning journalist who has written or contributed to six books about the American West. In this study, he pays proper homage to noted historians like Stephen Ambrose and Nathaniel Philbrick, but rather than typical twenty-page chapters, his tale unfolds in 95 one-to-five-page vignettes covering six themes: invaders, defenders, expeditions, searchers, avengers, and of course, last stands.
The subtitle alludes to the broader scope as it focuses more on the Native Americans than Custer, and the reader learns about many of the lesser-known players. With maps, photographs, and an index, Clavin’s journalistic style helps separate myth from legend and makes this a valuable volume on a key period in American history.
