What do you think?
The Court-Martial of George Armstrong Custer: A Novel
Suppose that George Armstrong Custer did not die at the Battle of Little Bighorn. Suppose that, instead, he was found close to death at the scene of the defeat and was brought to trial for his actions. With a masterful blend of fact and fiction, The Court-Martial of George Armstrong Custer tells us what might have happened at that trial as it brings to life the most exciting period in the history of the American West. About the Author Douglas C. Jones served in the U.S. Army until his retirement in 1968. He has taught at the University of Wisconsin.
300 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1976
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
November 26, 2014
Douglas C. Jones (1924-1998)
Most of Douglas C. Jones’ novels are set in the West, but it would be incorrect to label him as a “western novelist.” His books were anything but formulaic. They weren't really "western novels" as one thinks of the genre, but were in reality historical novels that happened to be set in the West, with most of them rightfully classified as literary westerns.
He was born in 1924 in the small northwestern Arkansas town of Winslow. After graduating from high school in nearby Fayetteville in 1942, he was drafted into the army and served in the Pacific Theater.
After his discharge he attended the University of Arkansas, graduating with a degree in journalism in 1949. He then returned to the army where he served another twenty years. But during that time he attended the University of Wisconsin where he was awarded a master's degree in mass communications.
While still in the military, his first book, The Treaty of Medicine Lodge, was published in 1966. This was the 1867 treaty that unsuccessfully attempted to restrict the Plains Indians to reservations. His only nonfiction work, it was in fact a re-working of his master's thesis.
Retiring as a Lt. Colonel in 1968, he taught journalism for six years at Wisconsin, eventually devoting full-time to his writing. Fifty-two years old when his first novel, The Court-Martial of George Armstrong Custer, was published in 1976, he would write sixteen more with the last being published posthumously. His historical novels range all the way from the American Revolution to the Great Depression. There is also an eighteenth novel, set in World War II, that has not been published. It would seem a natural fit for a career soldier who served in that conflict, but with the passing of almost two decades since his death, it doesn't seem likely that it will ever see the light of day.
According to Jones, the premise of his first novel was born as a result of a discussion with a friend about what Custer's fate might have been had he survived the battle of the Little Bighorn. Jones concluded that Custer would have faced court-martial charges related to his leadership and conduct during the battle.
In the alternate history that resulted (the only foray that he made into that genre), Jones seamlessly mingles fictional and historical characters, while never ignoring the historical facts. Charges are brought against Custer and witnesses are called to testify for and against him in what is a beautifully constructed courtroom procedural. The witnesses present conflicting views of the man and confusing testimony about the events surrounding the battle that in many ways reflect the confusion that still surrounds both the battle and the man to this day.
The verdict? I'm not at liberty to say on the grounds that I would be guilty of spoiling a good story.
But I will say that my pleasure in reading the book is enhanced by the pencil and charcoal sketches of the principal characters that illustrate my first edition copy. The artist is the author. He was a talented artist whose sketches appear in the first editions of several of his other books. I should also mention that in his spare time (?) he played upright bass in a jazz band.
Down through the years I waited impatiently for his next novel and later regretted that there would not be another, but that doesn’t prevent me from revisiting the literary legacy he left behind.
Most of Douglas C. Jones’ novels are set in the West, but it would be incorrect to label him as a “western novelist.” His books were anything but formulaic. They weren't really "western novels" as one thinks of the genre, but were in reality historical novels that happened to be set in the West, with most of them rightfully classified as literary westerns.
He was born in 1924 in the small northwestern Arkansas town of Winslow. After graduating from high school in nearby Fayetteville in 1942, he was drafted into the army and served in the Pacific Theater.
After his discharge he attended the University of Arkansas, graduating with a degree in journalism in 1949. He then returned to the army where he served another twenty years. But during that time he attended the University of Wisconsin where he was awarded a master's degree in mass communications.
While still in the military, his first book, The Treaty of Medicine Lodge, was published in 1966. This was the 1867 treaty that unsuccessfully attempted to restrict the Plains Indians to reservations. His only nonfiction work, it was in fact a re-working of his master's thesis.
Retiring as a Lt. Colonel in 1968, he taught journalism for six years at Wisconsin, eventually devoting full-time to his writing. Fifty-two years old when his first novel, The Court-Martial of George Armstrong Custer, was published in 1976, he would write sixteen more with the last being published posthumously. His historical novels range all the way from the American Revolution to the Great Depression. There is also an eighteenth novel, set in World War II, that has not been published. It would seem a natural fit for a career soldier who served in that conflict, but with the passing of almost two decades since his death, it doesn't seem likely that it will ever see the light of day.
According to Jones, the premise of his first novel was born as a result of a discussion with a friend about what Custer's fate might have been had he survived the battle of the Little Bighorn. Jones concluded that Custer would have faced court-martial charges related to his leadership and conduct during the battle.
In the alternate history that resulted (the only foray that he made into that genre), Jones seamlessly mingles fictional and historical characters, while never ignoring the historical facts. Charges are brought against Custer and witnesses are called to testify for and against him in what is a beautifully constructed courtroom procedural. The witnesses present conflicting views of the man and confusing testimony about the events surrounding the battle that in many ways reflect the confusion that still surrounds both the battle and the man to this day.
The verdict? I'm not at liberty to say on the grounds that I would be guilty of spoiling a good story.
But I will say that my pleasure in reading the book is enhanced by the pencil and charcoal sketches of the principal characters that illustrate my first edition copy. The artist is the author. He was a talented artist whose sketches appear in the first editions of several of his other books. I should also mention that in his spare time (?) he played upright bass in a jazz band.
Down through the years I waited impatiently for his next novel and later regretted that there would not be another, but that doesn’t prevent me from revisiting the literary legacy he left behind.
October 8, 2020
An impressive book. The 1977 made for t. v. movie is faithful to the author's work.
February 18, 2013
He was called the Boy General, Yellow Hair, and the Golden Cavalier and has either been reviled or adored by historians since the massacre at the Little Bighorn in 1876. This book is a "what if" alternative history.....General George Custer is the only survivor of that battle and is brought before the Army for court martial on charges of insubordination and negligence. He is accused of seeing an opportunity to seize all the glory for himself and his 7th Cavalry and ignoring orders, throws his troops against the Cheyenne and Sioux who outnumbered them 100-fold. Of course, the results were disastrous.
The author deftly mixes the facts of the massacre with fiction and weaves a fascinating story of the politics and personalities of the court martial. Custer is portrayed as a vain publicity seeker with his eye on political office, possibly even the Presidency. History tells us that at least part of that description is correct and that this court martial may well have happened if Custer had survived. It is an engrossing read and the ending may take the reader by surprise.
The author deftly mixes the facts of the massacre with fiction and weaves a fascinating story of the politics and personalities of the court martial. Custer is portrayed as a vain publicity seeker with his eye on political office, possibly even the Presidency. History tells us that at least part of that description is correct and that this court martial may well have happened if Custer had survived. It is an engrossing read and the ending may take the reader by surprise.
January 4, 2026
At the Battle of Little Bighorn, Montana Territory, 1876, the brash, fiery, famous and confident General Custer and his 7th Cavalry, with 700 crack horse soldiers, were crushed by combined Lakota, Arapaho, and Northern Cheyenne warriors led by the invincible Crazy Horse and a number of other tribal leaders. Custer's Last Stand is a long-used example of the dangers of hubris and the lack of information in the fog of war and also a cautionary tale against underestimating the capabilities of an opponent with nothing left to lose.
"The Court-Martial of George Armstrong Custer" (1976) posits an alternate history where Custer survives the massacre and is held responsible in a military court-martial for his 268 dead cavalrymen. This tale earned the 1976 Spur Award for best western novel.
Verdict: "Court-Martial" is an interesting read and Jones captures the post-Civil War Army attitudes, capabilities, and social expectations well, but telling the entire story in a courtroom drama format really hinders the narrative. We're more party to legal wranglings, witness testimony traps, and exposition than immersive drama. Still a good read that keeps a reader's interest.
Jeff's Rating: 3 / 5 (Good)
movie rating if made into a movie: PG-13
"The Court-Martial of George Armstrong Custer" (1976) posits an alternate history where Custer survives the massacre and is held responsible in a military court-martial for his 268 dead cavalrymen. This tale earned the 1976 Spur Award for best western novel.
Verdict: "Court-Martial" is an interesting read and Jones captures the post-Civil War Army attitudes, capabilities, and social expectations well, but telling the entire story in a courtroom drama format really hinders the narrative. We're more party to legal wranglings, witness testimony traps, and exposition than immersive drama. Still a good read that keeps a reader's interest.
Jeff's Rating: 3 / 5 (Good)
movie rating if made into a movie: PG-13
May 30, 2010
This is the book that turned me on to historical fiction. I had read Esther Forbes' Johnny Tremain and Kenneth Roberts' Oliver Wiswell for school assignments as a boy. I remember liking both of those books. But this Douglas C. Jones novel gripped me in a way that those two did not. It was and is a fine introduction to "alternate history" as a literary genre.
September 5, 2012
Douglas Jones was a military man, a historian and journalist. He is among my favorite authors. This what if Custer had survived tale is one of the very few alternative history novels I would recommend.
The court-martial characters become real people vividly recounting the engagement with the Indians.
KIRKUS REVIEW (Googled and copied)
Custer's last, last stand. This time a witness stand, surrounded by, or imbedded in, historical data as precise and dry as any school text. The best parts are the few emotionally charged dialogues that take place in the Fort Hamilton courtroom. The worst are the attempts by the characters to think for themselves and their readers, as in these two examples from the defense counsel's ruminations: ""But George is the kind of man I actively avoid. It's sometimes a mystery to me why I accepted this case"" or ""She tosses her head. Like an unbroken mare."" There is little action outside the courtroom that isn't pure period description--who painted the French nymphs in the picture over Ned Stoakes' bar, how high the Washington monument has reached outside General Sherman's only window, etc.--and little inside that isn't pure Battle of the Little Bighorn statistics. But any civil war buff, or true fan of historical speculation, will still find the limited realization of this 'very interesting idea engaging. Though if we're voting for Custer ""fantasies"" (as Jones describes his book) Errol Flynn's still way ahead.
The court-martial characters become real people vividly recounting the engagement with the Indians.
KIRKUS REVIEW (Googled and copied)
Custer's last, last stand. This time a witness stand, surrounded by, or imbedded in, historical data as precise and dry as any school text. The best parts are the few emotionally charged dialogues that take place in the Fort Hamilton courtroom. The worst are the attempts by the characters to think for themselves and their readers, as in these two examples from the defense counsel's ruminations: ""But George is the kind of man I actively avoid. It's sometimes a mystery to me why I accepted this case"" or ""She tosses her head. Like an unbroken mare."" There is little action outside the courtroom that isn't pure period description--who painted the French nymphs in the picture over Ned Stoakes' bar, how high the Washington monument has reached outside General Sherman's only window, etc.--and little inside that isn't pure Battle of the Little Bighorn statistics. But any civil war buff, or true fan of historical speculation, will still find the limited realization of this 'very interesting idea engaging. Though if we're voting for Custer ""fantasies"" (as Jones describes his book) Errol Flynn's still way ahead.
February 25, 2019
An excellent and well written alternative history. If you are looking for a blend of history with plausible fiction, I recommend this book.
January 4, 2013
For Custerites this is a great read,What if Custer survived and stood Trial. the revealing of the Characters from ficticious to real was a master stroke. The Brilliant defense lawyer with a bad leg. To the determined Prosecuting counsel who is bent on exposing The out-right disobayal of orders of the glory seeking commander of the 7th Cavelry and the disregaurd to the safety of his immediate command that led to the senceless loss of life. Mr jones blends the right amount fiction to facts. He gives you a small insight of cavalry tactics the personalities of the real life participants. if you are a diehard custer Fan, then you might not like this book. I loved it and I read it often
July 28, 2015
Part historical novel, alternate history, and legal thriller...an excellent book.
November 4, 2019
Very good. I can't say it's as good as The Killer Angels, but what is?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 23, 2023
A Courtroom counterfactual doesn’t sound like a great place to start, and at times the pace does drag. Clearly the narrative is hampered slightly as no-one is exactly sure what happened that day on the Little Big Horn. This becomes the point - as his merges and actions are explored via witness testimony. I’m sure it is immaculately researched and it’s the detail that sucks you in. The chaos the disaster the loss. This is not a 360 though - it is a self examination of the conduct and failings of the US Army, and it feels lopsided without Native American testimony. A possible version where Sitting Bill is also present would have helped enormously but was probably stretching credibility too far given that Custer surviving is alone a big enough leap. The links back to previous campaigns and the heavy legacy of the Civil War are deftly handled but not overdone. This is about the haunting devastation of a literal army family destroyed by hubris vanity and quest for glory. Living outside the US the sense is that this story is becoming forgotten. This book does an excellent job educating and at times is as tense as the events themselves. The ending too seems right. No winners here, only ghosts…
February 8, 2018
Ever wanted to go back in time and put someone on trial for perceived wrongs? That is exactly what Douglas C. Jones did in The Court-Martial of George Armstrong Custer. He placed Custer on trial for the Battle of Little Bighorn. The book was imaginative in spots, but does tend to fall apart in the narrative of the trial itself. For a better look at how a trial is supposed to go, The Caine Mutiny by Herman Wouk is a better book.
December 12, 2022
One of the first alternate history books that I have read, having read it for the first time back in high school. This one is a little unusual in that only a small thing is changed and almost the entire book deals with established facts from the battle. In any case, an interesting read.
August 29, 2023
What might have happened if George Armstrong Custer survived the massacre at the Greasy Grass. Spur Award for Best Novel (1976).
August 26, 2016
An interesting, courtroom-drama-style read, with great attention to historical detail and a great deal of rather horrible information about the infamous battle at Little Big Horn. A good read for both of those reasons, as well as a properly damning look at the idea of the highly dangerous procedure known as the military tribunal. I'll hide the following comment behind "spoiler," although it might not be considered such.
The following comment is genuinely a spoiler, in that it contains the outcome of the trial.
I apologize for hiding so much, as it seems to make a review somewhat superfluous. However, I can say, safely, that I would recommend this book to those who like courtroom dramas, historical "what-if" fiction, and/or Native American studies, as it does provide an intricately detailed look at the actions of those who fought at the Little Big Horn. It also shows how the government and the military viewed Native Americans during that time, and (forgive my two cents) not that much has changed, sadly.
The following comment is genuinely a spoiler, in that it contains the outcome of the trial.
I apologize for hiding so much, as it seems to make a review somewhat superfluous. However, I can say, safely, that I would recommend this book to those who like courtroom dramas, historical "what-if" fiction, and/or Native American studies, as it does provide an intricately detailed look at the actions of those who fought at the Little Big Horn. It also shows how the government and the military viewed Native Americans during that time, and (forgive my two cents) not that much has changed, sadly.
November 8, 2014
I confess, I really liked this book in spite of the fact that it is a dry slow-moving courtroom drama in which all the "action" happens indoors or in the mind of the protagonist. The basic premise -Custer is the sole survivor of the battle- is made believable, and then one is drawn into the vital question of "so what is to be done with this ego-maniacal sadist who has made himself the darling of the country & a potential Presidential candidate. Interestingly Sherman (yes, THAT Sherman) is presented as a remarkably sympathetic & careful figure, and the book gives some wonderful insights into period issues, politics etc. The author does a great job of capturing a "feel" for the time period.
June 19, 2015
Very few figures in American History have been as polarizing as George Armstrong Custer. Was he a great soldier or was he only a glory seeking blow hard. Half of his men loved him and thought he was brilliant. The other half of them thought he was not very smart smart and made a lot of bad judgments that cost a lot of good men their lives. Douglas C. Jones paints a very interesting portrait of Custer and his wife Libbie who in the end championed the "Custer Cause" and had many statues erected in his honor. The book is very interesting and difficult to set down once you have started reading it.
December 4, 2008
I thought Custer died at the Little Bighorn but apparently he ended up in New York City living the high life. Who knew? This is an alternative history book, a genre that I generally steer clear of because Newt Gingrich has given it a bad name, if it ever had a good one, but my friend Roger recommended this book and I'm glad he did. Douglas C. Jones does a right smart job of using this idea as an excuse to put Custer on trial for all of us - and Mr. Jones is a good writer. Vivid, too.
August 5, 2009
Historical fiction at its best. What if Custer had survived Little Big Horn? Did he make the right decisions in the heat of battle? Is it right to punish an officer for the decisions he makes while in battle based on the facts he has at hand? This are the questions discussed in this book.
April 6, 2008
The author supposes that Custer survived the Little Bighorn massacre and was prosecuted for his actions. Well done.
October 24, 2014
This is one of the first alternative history books i've read and though it was interesting and had a unique perspective it just wasn't for me.
February 8, 2015
I love history and I love what-if scenarios and courtroom drams, so this should have been right up my alley. But, I found it to be pretty boring.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews