This amazingly detailed and colorful account of the Little Bighorn battle transformed my impression of Custer's Last Stand. I have picked up the Last Stand only in its mythological context, as part of the American collective history. Philbrick brought it into full focus, and put it into multiple greater contexts. He shows it as part of Custer's battalion's history, comparing it to past battles and the commanders' histories. He shows the battle as part of the Lakota people's history, and tells as much of Sitting Bull as a leader. And, of course, he puts it in the context of the history of the Lakota, and the American imperialism that decimated Native America.

One of the aspects I especially appreciated was the way Philbrick goes from military to Native perspectives throughout the book. He doesn't just tell us what the soldiers saw, but tells us what it was like from the Lakota side. Philbrick has included Native American testimonials and recollections, as well as their pictographs illustrating the battle. The combination of perspectives makes this historical battle three dimensional, and even more understandable.

This was, again, a book I read out of curiosity on the subject, so that I could understand what is now an American myth. It is an amazing reconstruction of the few days surrounding the battle, as well as detailed histories of the key figures participating in it. And, as a solid modern historian, Philbrick takes every individual's story with equal weight, regardless of whether they were Native American, or Caucasian. It's a fantastic book on a pivotal event in American history - highly readable, fascinating, well-written.