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The Last Stand: Custer, Sitting Bull, and the Battle of the Little Bighorn

Nathaniel Philbrick (Goodreads Author)

really liked it 4.00 · Rating details · 9,682 ratings · 864 reviews

Watch a video Read discussion questions for "The Last Stand."

The bestselling author of "Mayflower" sheds new light on one of the iconic stories of the American West

Little Bighorn and Custer are names synonymous in the American imagination with unmatched bravery and spectacular defeat. Mythologized as Custer's Last Stand, the June 1876 battle has been equated with other fam ...more

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Hardcover, 466 pages

Published May 4th 2010 by Viking

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Mar 29, 2013 Jeffrey Keeten rated it it was amazing

Shelves: the-old-west, american-civil-war, native-american

”You ask me if I will not be glad when the last battle is fought, so far as the country is concerned I, of course, must wish for peace, and will be glad when the war is ended, but if I answer for myself alone, I must say that I shall regret to see the war end.”
George Armstrong Custer

George Armstrong Custer at West Point

George Armstrong Custer was last in the graduating class of 1861 at West Point. They were graduated a year early due to the pressing need of the Union for officers, any office ...more

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May 07, 2010 Matt rated it liked it

Shelves: biography, american-indian-wars, custer

"Back on Last Stand Hill, the relentless rifle and bow-and-arrow fire had winnowed the washichus to only a handful. By this point, [Lt. Col. George A.] Custer may already have suffered his first of two gunshot wounds - a bullet just below the heart. The blast would have knocked him to the ground but not necessarily killed him. Alive but mortally wounded, America's most famous Indian fighter could no longer fight...That evening on Last Stand Hill, as he lay on the ground with a gunshot wound to t ...more

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Jun 07, 2014 Howard rated it it was amazing

Shelves: american-history, american-west, reviewed, native-americans, nonfiction, war, war-against-native-americans, american-government, biography, favorite

I was drawn to The Last Stand: Custer, Sitting Bull and the Battle of the Little Bighorn not so much by its subject matter, but by its author, Nathaniel Philbrick. For one thing, I was intrigued why a writer who heretofore had written about the sea and coastal areas, and had done so in admirable fashion, would venture into the hinterland and write about two of the icons of the American West and one of the most famous battles in American history. I wasn’t sure that it would be possible to learn a I was drawn to The Last Stand: Custer, Sitting Bull and the Battle of the Little Bighorn not so much by its subject matter, but by its author, Nathaniel Philbrick. For one thing, I was intrigued why a writer who heretofore had written about the sea and coastal areas, and had done so in admirable fashion, would venture into the hinterland and write about two of the icons of the American West and one of the most famous battles in American history. I wasn’t sure that it would be possible to learn anything new since there have been dozens of books written about the subject he had chosen.

Philbrick indicates that his first real introduction to Custer was in the film “Little Big Man,” released in 1970, and that it sparked his interest in the man. I would say that his introduction was a poor one. Although I like Thomas Berger’s novel upon which the film is based, I never liked the film. It seems to me that the filmmakers could never make up their minds if they were making a satire, a comedy, or a dramatic film. And Richard Mulligan’s portrayal of Custer as a psychotic and hysterical coward is over the top and way off the mark.

My own introduction to Custer, on film anyway, was an old black-and-white film made by Warner Brothers and released in 1942, that I first saw on late night TV. It was “They Died With Their Boots On” and starred Errol Flynn as Custer. It was a whitewash job as far off the mark as the 1970 film, but in the opposite direction. But then what could you expect from Hollywood? If it could make a Robin Hood out of Jesse James in 1939, making a hero out of Custer was easy.

Neither of these Custer films was an accurate portrayal. The truth was located somewhere in the middle. And that is what we get from Philbrick. I think he was right to spread the blame for the debacle on the Little Bighorn among Custer and his second-in-command, Major Marcus Reno, and his senior captain, Frederick Benteen. I did find it interesting that he did not let the overall commander of the campaign off the hook either. That would be General Alfred Terry, who was, I was interested to learn, the only non-West Point general in the post-war army. Most accounts have not had much to say about General Terry’s role in the disaster and when they do they generally find no fault in his leadership.

If you are a student of the battle and its principals or if you have visited the battlefield as I have on three occasions (the most recent being last summer) then you probably are not going to learn a lot of new information. If, on the other hand, you haven’t immersed yourself in the subject but are interested and would like to learn more about the most disastrous military defeat in U.S. history, this book would be as good a place to start as any.

I would also recommend Son of the Morning Star by Evan Connell, which was written about twenty-five years ago. Connell was a novelist and though the book is nonfiction, it reads like a good novel. And I have on my “to read” list and on my bookshelf yet another fairly recent Custer book that received good reviews, A Terrible Glory by James Donovan. ...more

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Jul 15, 2011 Jason Koivu rated it really liked it

Did you hear the one about the military moron, the drunkard and the backstabbing subordinate?

The Battle of the Little Bighorn was such an unnecessary debacle that it might as well be a joke. But it's no joke. It's tragedy.

In the lead role of this tragedy is this boy...

description

He finished last at Westpoint and went on to become this ego maniac...

description

George Armstrong Custer made his career by daring and foolishly brave acts during the American Civil War, such as at the Battle of Gettysburg where his aggressiv ...more

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Nov 01, 2011 Kurt rated it really liked it

Shelves: history, native-american, non-fiction, war

Nathaniel Philbrick has become one of my favorite authors. I've still yet to read his perhaps most famous book In the Heart of the Sea, but I have read, and thoroughly enjoyed, his Sea of Glory and Mayflower; and now I have finished his latest: The Last Stand.

Each of these books was intriguing and interesting from the first page to the last. The Last Stand of course is the story of George Armstrong Custer and the last days of the free Lakota people. My sentiments are always with the Lakota. Thei ...more

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Jul 20, 2018 Scott Hitchcock rated it liked it

White man came across the sea
He brought us pain and misery
He killed our tribes killed our creed
He took our game for his own need

We fought him hard we fought him well
Out on the plains we gave him hell
But many came too much for Cree
Oh will we ever be set free?

Riding through dust clouds and barren wastes
Galloping hard on the plains
Chasing the redskins back to their holes
Fighting them at their own game
Murder for freedom the stab in the back
Women and children are cowards attack

Run to the hills, run f ...more

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Sep 30, 2012 Ms.pegasus rated it it was amazing

Recommends it for: anyone interested in history

Shelves: history, the-american-west, nonfiction

After sifting through a staggering quantity of contradictory interviews, testimony, historical opinion, and even bald speculation, Philbrick succeeds in creating a new narrative of the ill-fated Custer and the Battle of the Little Bighorn. It is a narrative that bypasses ideology and blame, to refocus on the unbroken connection between historical events and their consequences. It is also a narrative that captures the very human actions that are lost in the approach of a formal inquiry which assu After sifting through a staggering quantity of contradictory interviews, testimony, historical opinion, and even bald speculation, Philbrick succeeds in creating a new narrative of the ill-fated Custer and the Battle of the Little Bighorn. It is a narrative that bypasses ideology and blame, to refocus on the unbroken connection between historical events and their consequences. It is also a narrative that captures the very human actions that are lost in the approach of a formal inquiry which assumes a fictive and mechanical rationality not unlike the decision-making model posited by an earlier generation of economists.

The tribes of the Great Plains were part of a larger, century-long westward displacement due to white settlement. Inter-tribal warfare was a cultural focal point, with emphasis on individual bravery, swift raids conducted on horseback, and traditional enmities, as between the Sioux and the Crow. The apparent coalition evidenced in June of 1876 was a product of ecology more than politics. The southern herds had been decimated by the building of the railroad and the predations of buffalo hunters. Tribes had been forced from the Black Hills when gold was discovered. Failure to supply the reservations with food caused many bands to leave rather than starve. It was only natural to seek out the encampment of Sitting Bull where these refugees were welcomed and fed. Added to that was Custer's eagerness to corner the massed Indians before they could again disperse – an inevitability due to the constant need for fresh pastures for the horses, and the pursuit of game. What should a society do when confronted with imminent collapse, Philbrick inquires: “The future is never more important than to a people on the verge of a cataclysm...fear of the future can imbue even the most trivial event with overwhelming significance.” Thus, Sitting Bull's visions had a powerful resonance that enhanced his importance as a leader.

Custer's impulsiveness, flamboyance, and daring have often been blamed for his faulty decisions leading up to the events of June 25. Philbrick examines the question of character more carefully. On the one hand, it was part of his charisma. Common soldiers were inspired by him. His independence from authority and quick-thinking were critical in securing victory for the Union in the Battle of Gettysburg. Even after his death, the 7th Cavalry was said to still reflect the imprint of his “dash.” The same characteristics, however, instilled strong dislikes. Philbrick recounts a dynamic of animosity between Custer and his senior officers. Resentfulness, doubt, the suspicion that Custer's decisions were self-serving rather than prudent, and a reluctance to be targeted by Custer's mercurial emotions all fused in a passive aggressive Capt. Benteen, an alcoholically impaired Capt. Reno, back-biting among the senior officers, and a poorly conceived strategy that ignored the warnings of his own Indian scouts. Nor was Custer's superior, General Terry blameless. With a lawyer's ambiguity, he first instructed Custer to follow a cautious plan, but then added that Custer should use his own judgment if they located the Indians earlier than anticipated. His earlier appointment of Major Reno over Custer to lead a key scouting patrol did little to enhance a spirit of cooperation. Emotion-driven decisions bring this story to life.

It also causes us to reflect: What is the source of personal charisma? Wise decision-making, deep reflection, effective management skills – perhaps all are trumped by the perception of good luck. Do we flock to those whom luck favors, hoping some of that radiance will shower down on us the followers? Custer had charm, but he was also very lucky. At the Little Bighorn, his luck finally ran out.

Philbrick approaches his material to assess the flawed accounts of the events. We should not be surprised to learn that eye-witness accounts can be unreliable. The mind fashions narratives that support opinions of ourselves and others. As these narratives are repeated, we are increasingly persuaded of their accuracy. It is from this vantage point that Philbrick examines what has been said about Custer and the events surrounding the battle – with the wisdom of hindsight. A stray remark could easily have been merely a joke, or a theatrical gesture. Certainly the survivors of that day had reason to cast themselves in the best possible light.

What makes this a book to be enjoyed by the widest possible audience is its superlative writing. He sets up the completely unexpected observation: “Custer did not drink; he didn't have to. His emotional effusions unhinged his judgment in ways that went far beyond alcohol's ability to interfere with clear thinking” (p.17). The most polished comedian could not have done a better job of delivery.

At another point, the uninspired and uncharismatic Major Reno is sent out on a prescribed path by Terry. “Marcus Reno was edging toward a momentous, potentially insubordinate decision. Instead of simply finding, as he later put it, 'where the Indians are not,' why not try to find where they are? Contrary to nearly everyone's expectations – especially General Terry's – Reno decided to do the obvious: find the Indians' trail and follow it” (p.78).

Philbrick's description of a 1200 man outdoor encampment crowded into a protective quadrilateral formation along with horses & mules instills a visceral assault on our senses. Details such as the “grasshoppering” of a steamboat up the river, and the problems of the Springfield single-shot carbine immerse the reader in another time and place. His depiction of characters and their intertwined histories is so vivid that despite the scores of names and roles, the reader retains an individual sense of each of them.

Reading this book did not change my overall opinion of Custer. It did, however, ignite a sense of connection with events I had previously considered to be musty history.

NOTE: I read the hard-cover edition published by Viking and highly recommend it. This is a beautifully made book. Ample maps are distributed throughout the text. Two sections of photographs are printed on heavy, quality stock. In addition to the extensive notes and bibliography, the book is indexed. The cover art shows a vast and cloud-darkened sky. The silhouettes of a company of cavalry rides two abreast across the crest of a hill. We sense they are disappearing into history, not through perspective, but through the composition. The band is grouped with flags unfurled at the head, and trails off to single stragglers at the rear. The whole is framed by a huge low-lying gray ceiling of clouds. ...more

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May 20, 2011 Geevee rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: american-history

This is the first book I have read on the Little Big Horn battle and for me it was a very interesting and well presented account.

My knowledge of the battle was basic, and I knew something of the main characters - Custer and Sitting Bull - but little about others such as Reno, Benteen, White Bull, Red hawk and the Scouts etc.

I also knew of the 7th US Cavalry, as they always appeared (or so it seemed to me) in Hollywood films about the West - and perhaps as I came across a squadron of the unit d ...more

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Aug 25, 2019 Henry rated it it was amazing

Nathaniel Philbrick has written an excellent account of an iconic event in American history. The book is extremely informative, objective and reads like an exciting novel. I highly recommend it to anyone who want to know the real story of ”Custer's Last Stand." ...more

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Feb 02, 2011 M. D. Hudson rated it liked it

Like a lot of people, I have a low grade obsession with the Battle of Little Big Horn aka Custer’s Last Stand, and I’ve read several of the general reader accounts and even a few of the more scholarly things on the archaeology of the battlefield site. When I heard about Philbrick’s book, I was somewhat suspicious because it is being touted as the first time somebody tried to write a book incorporating the Indians’ point of view. Not true at all. Even back in the benighted 19th century people rea Like a lot of people, I have a low grade obsession with the Battle of Little Big Horn aka Custer’s Last Stand, and I’ve read several of the general reader accounts and even a few of the more scholarly things on the archaeology of the battlefield site. When I heard about Philbrick’s book, I was somewhat suspicious because it is being touted as the first time somebody tried to write a book incorporating the Indians’ point of view. Not true at all. Even back in the benighted 19th century people realized that when it came to the Last Stand, the only accounts available were going to be from the Indians. Virtually everything ever written about the Last Stand relies heavily on Indian accounts. So boo to the public relations arm at Viking. But this misleading PR is not the book’s fault. In fact I liked it a lot. Although I am not sure it covers much by way of new ground beyond some recent archaeological evidence, it is really put together well. Here are a few of my thoughts on it:

Philbrick is a clean writer. By which he avoids the Simon Winchester (or Stephen Ambrose, for that matter) school of history writing wherein the author makes himself constantly obtrusive with humorous asides and blatantly weepy emotionalism. Philbrick tells the story and stays the hell out of the way.

I liked the way he organized the thing. I was tempted to be annoyed with the Battle of Washita (1868 I think) showing up as a kind of flashback about a third of the way into the book. But this actually turned out to be a good way to compare and contrast Custer’s tactics. Also, the Indian vs. Cavalry accounts are nicely balanced against each other.

For the first time in a while I got a book of history where the photo sections are printed on glossy paper! The trend has been recently to print the illustrations on the same standard paper the text is printed on, which means loss of clarity and difficulty in flipping back to the pictures while reading. Huzzah to Viking for not cheapening the thing. If you want people to keep buying books, quit making them lousier.

Great maps. I am a military map dunce and have a hard time following stuff on them. The maps in this book are coherent, imbedded in the text where they are needed (so the reader doesn’t have to hunt them down) and are easy to figure out. My only complaint is that they are rather small.

Better than any other account I’ve read, the personalities of Custer, Marcus Reno and Frederick Benteen (the leaders of the three separate columns the 7th Cavalry was divided into just before the attack) emerge. Reno, the poltroon of the group, is given a fair shake except for the question of how drunk he was – Philbrick makes it sound like a fact that he was trashed, whereas this is a very controversial point among the Last Stand devotees. He was functioning too well (and on horseback!) to have been as besotted as Philbrick says he was, in my amateur opinion. Philbrick has a good time with Benteen, who was a fascinating and complicated character, vindictive and courageous to an almost looney extent but also intermittently brilliant. Other characters in the Army also came clear for me, in particular the remarkably devious General Alfred Terry, Custer’s commander, who issued lawyerly ass-covering commands that could be seen as setting Custer up for a fall (if not a Last Stand).

For the hoopla about this book’s Indian angle, the principal Lakotas are rendered a tad less vividly than the Cavalry, with the exception of Sitting Bull. Crazy Horse doesn’t get a lot of airtime. Gall is barely mentioned. And the puzzling (to us 21st century Americans) interrelationship between the whites and the “friendlies” is not addressed much at all (I mean the fact of all those loyal Arikara 7th Cav scouts).

This book is not what I’d call “definitive” by any means, this is still a worthy introduction to Little Big Horn and our weirdo, often tragic history of The West.
...more

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Jul 30, 2012 Michael rated it it was amazing

Shelves: non-fiction, history, favorites, native-american, montana, military, american-history

Satisfying, very readable account of the Battle of Little Bighorn, which was the last major violent resistance of Native Americans against the unbeatable forces of Manifest Destiny. The Lakotas and Cheyenne of the northern plains of the Dakotas, politically led by Sitting Bull and militarily by Crazy Horse, won a major battle, essentially precipitated by efforts of the U.S. government to wrest the Black Hills away due to gold. But this short term success sped up the punitive efforts leading to t Satisfying, very readable account of the Battle of Little Bighorn, which was the last major violent resistance of Native Americans against the unbeatable forces of Manifest Destiny. The Lakotas and Cheyenne of the northern plains of the Dakotas, politically led by Sitting Bull and militarily by Crazy Horse, won a major battle, essentially precipitated by efforts of the U.S. government to wrest the Black Hills away due to gold. But this short term success sped up the punitive efforts leading to the forcing them on to reservations within a short period. In clear, even handed prose, Phibrick renders the tale as a compelling narrative story, covering the main characters on both sides of the conflict in the context of much relevant biographical and historical context. Although much of his intense scholarship hidden from view in the appendix, he is clear where uncertainty in events remain unresolved, including Custer's final choices and actions that preceded the disastrous loss of his column of 210 men. The contradictions in his character are not resolved, on the one hand an effective cavalry officer in the Civil War and in prior skirmishes with Indians, a loving husband, and often a promoter of peace with the Sioux, while on the other hand showing plenty of evidence of being self-serving, egotistical, rash, adulterous, and dupicitous. Philbrick also brings to life the complexities of Sitting Bull, who sought to avoid a violent battle even after the unprovoked attack was initiated, and Custer's key subordinates Major Reno and Captain Benteen, who showed much incompetence, yet succeeded in holding about 2,000 warriors at bay with their combined 400 survivors of forces Custer foolishly split off from his regiment. Why "Custer's Last Stand" is such an iconic event in the history of the West is well clarified in this book. His long-standing heroic image and villification from the Vietnam era forward as the epitome of American imperialism are important precedents to this valuable, more even-handed assessment. ...more

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Dec 01, 2012 Mike Kershaw rated it really liked it

One of the best accounts of the Custer Battle. I particularly enjoyed Philbrick's focus on the events leading up to the Battle of the Little Bighorn -- the campaign, the reconnaissance operations, the various Indians moving to and from the encampment and the role of the Riverboat/Steamer, "The Far West" -- the causes of so many inevitable frictions that affect battles but we have a tendency to gloss over. I also enjoyed the fact that he spent some time on lesser known, but inarguable, aspects of One of the best accounts of the Custer Battle. I particularly enjoyed Philbrick's focus on the events leading up to the Battle of the Little Bighorn -- the campaign, the reconnaissance operations, the various Indians moving to and from the encampment and the role of the Riverboat/Steamer, "The Far West" -- the causes of so many inevitable frictions that affect battles but we have a tendency to gloss over. I also enjoyed the fact that he spent some time on lesser known, but inarguable, aspects of the battle -- the stragglers, the casualties and the horses -- so critical to the Cavalry's ability to engage the Indians on anything close to their own terms. And he provided a solid break when he described the events that happened after the last spotting of Custer and his battalion as they rode to their fate -- recognizing that he is truly speculating and acknowledging that the Indian accounts are both confusing and contradictory. To those of us who've dealt with men who have been under fire in AARs -- especially those from another culture -- this should be no surprise. I've become fairly familiar with the battle over the past few years, reading most of the recent scholarship, both archaeological and native American oral accounts, which he integrates into his narrative. His weight toward these aspects bring him in the camp of many contemporary authors as he spends a great deal of effort in debunking the "Erol Flynn" version of history and the "Marlborough Man" portrayal (Fredrick Remington) of the US Cavalryman. Maybe this is necessary for the public at large but I found it tedious and it led me to question some other aspects of his work. All professional militaries become a haven for immigrants (don't we herald that?), those who are one step ahead of the law (Wellington's 'scum of the earth'), etc...during peacetime. For example, he spends a great deal of time recounting the Cavalry's indiscipline: desecration of Indian gravesites, the rape of Indian women, etc.... without reminding us all that these were features of the Plains Indian life -- ie. that they regularly did this to each other. He also spends way too much time, in my opinion, recounting premonitions, visions and the like -- and while these were an important part of the Indian culture as well as the inevitable lot of a Soldier, the quality of a person's testimony seems to be based on how accurate their supposed 'premonitions' were before the battle -- although how many people haven't thought they were going to be killed at some time or another when going into battle? However, the book is exceptionally well supplied with maps -- one of my pet peeves of contemporary military history is absence of geography -- which to me makes it worth the read.
...more

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Jan 07, 2019 David Zimmerman rated it liked it

This is a book I really wanted to love, but there is too much here not to like, and I am beginning to not like Nathaniel Philbrick. Although he can write exceptionally well - and The Last Stand is no exception - his interpretation of historical events and the people who made them is frequently revisionist. In The Last Stand, Philbrick aims to set the record straight on Custer and the Battle of the Little Big Horn, but falls well short, offering more confusion than clarity.

If this were it's only ...more

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May 02, 2013 David rated it it was amazing

Shelves: war-general, history-american

Philbrick lays it out plainly. The Battle of the Little Big Horn is always a little confusing to grasp. This is the best description and explanation I've encountered. Custer did lose the battle because he split his command into 3 unnecessary wings. But why? He was competing for glory with his subordinate officers. He wanted to take squaws as hostages, some for his own liking. He wanted to get all the credit for defeating Sitting Bull. Sitting Bull was the opposite of Custer and that's how Philbr ...more

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Jun 21, 2015 Chris G Derrick rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: western

Loved it!
I found it a totally absorbing read - all the way through.
I really do take my hat off to people who write this type of historical fiction - all the work that goes into the presenting of the detail.
I realise it's all probably out there somewhere in some other novel but it still has to be brought together (in the correct order) into this one.
To me the way it was written made it a very easy and enjoyable read - and it held my interest from the first to the last page.
Really can't say better ...more

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Feb 02, 2016 Steve rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: history, audio-book, nonfiction, read-in-2016

4 stars.

I don't feel like writing a review for this one, so there. Happy Wednesday.

:P ...more

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May 12, 2010 Chris rated it really liked it

Shelves: history-american-west

Why do we need another book on the Little Big Horn? I've read Connell's and Donovan's books on the subject and enjoyed them. Nevertheless, I was curious to see how Philbrick would immerse himself in a non-nautical theme, although you could argue this environment is just a sea of grass.

Philbrick does a superb job. The soldiers and Indians come alive in this narrative and you want to keep turning every page. He tries to be even handed and impartial but it's hard not to make judgments. He singles ...more

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May 14, 2017 Bentley rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2017, biographies, military, native-americans

This is an audiobook that I listened to - unabridged. Philbrick always does a great job and this is no exception. Overall, this is an excellent ancillary read to the BOTM May selection. One story which stood out for me was at the beginning when Custer saw a buffalo which was not only huge - but even more magnificent. Custer's first inclination (even though the animal had no interest in him nor attacked him) was to ride like a demon after it and to try to kill it for sport. Accidentally, instead ...more

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Jul 31, 2019 Gerry rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Never mind all the glamorised versions of General Custer and the Battle of the Little Bighorn, this is an evocative and absorbing account, possibly the definitive version of not only the final battle but also of Custer's career, which leaves the reader wondering, 'Custer? Hero or villain?'

Although Custer's last stand took place on 25 June 1876, the lead up to the battle(s) on the Little Bighorn began in December 1875. That was when Indian Commissioner EP Smith instructed his agents at the variou Never mind all the glamorised versions of General Custer and the Battle of the Little Bighorn, this is an evocative and absorbing account, possibly the definitive version of not only the final battle but also of Custer's career, which leaves the reader wondering, 'Custer? Hero or villain?'

Although Custer's last stand took place on 25 June 1876, the lead up to the battle(s) on the Little Bighorn began in December 1875. That was when Indian Commissioner EP Smith instructed his agents at the various Lakota agencies to deliver an ultimatum to the camps of Sitting Bull, Crazy Horse and all the other non-reservation Indians. They were told that they had to surrender themselves to the agencies by 31 January 1876 and if not they would be brought in by force. This is the catalyst that sets Custer and his men on the road to perdition at the Little Bighorn.

The Indians were constantly on the move; Custer encountered some of their villages and laid waste to them, often while the younger Indian braves were out hunting, and his sometimes erratic behaviour caused rifts within his troops, namely with Major Marcus Reno and Captain Frederick Benteen.

There were various skirmishes along the way to the little Bighorn, such as the Battle of the Rosebud on 17 June 1876, as Sitting Bull gathered his forces together. Then as the fateful day approached Custer, perhaps surprisingly, separated his troops and at one point Benteen was heard to ask, 'Hadn't we better keep the regiment together, General?' Custer's peremptory reply was, 'You have your orders.' In other words, just get on with it.

So the collision that occurred at the Little Bighorn on 25 June resulted in three different battles with Sitting Bull's forces of Sioux and Cheyenne. One was fought by Custer, another fought by his second-in-command Major Reno and yet another fought, for all intents and purposes, by Captain Benteen. And all along nobody seemed to know exactly where Custer and his men were - except, of course, Sitting Bull. Reno and Benteen and a significant part of their commands survived, Custer and every one of his officers and men were killed, including Custer's brother Tom, who I did not realise was the only Union soldier to win two Medals of Honour in the Civil War. All the significant personnel involved are listed in a detailed appendix.

Nathaniel Philbrick tells the story as it unfolds at great pace with excellent character portraits of all the main protagonists, plenty of first-hand accounts recorded at the time and a whole host of well-drawn maps, some of which highlight Custer's often eccentric behaviour. And as a consequence 'The Last Stand' presents a thrilling, and intriguing, account of what exactly happened and why.

Personally, all my boyhood dreams of Custer as a legendary hero have, to a degree, been shattered; all those years where I always wanted to proudly play Custer in our games of cowboys and Indians ...! ...more

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May 25, 2010 J.S. rated it really liked it

Shelves: vine, history-america

The Battle of the Little Bighorn occupies an interesting and somewhat awkward place in American history. It was a resounding defeat for the US troops, but it only delayed the inevitable suppression for the victorious Native Americans. It's often referred to as "Custer's Last Stand," where General George Armstrong Custer, a flamboyant and iconic "Indian fighter" and soldier, met his death when his severely outnumbered troops attacked an immense gathering of Lakota (Sioux) and Cheyenne led by the The Battle of the Little Bighorn occupies an interesting and somewhat awkward place in American history. It was a resounding defeat for the US troops, but it only delayed the inevitable suppression for the victorious Native Americans. It's often referred to as "Custer's Last Stand," where General George Armstrong Custer, a flamboyant and iconic "Indian fighter" and soldier, met his death when his severely outnumbered troops attacked an immense gathering of Lakota (Sioux) and Cheyenne led by the warrior-chief Sitting Bull.

Nathaniel Philbrick has written an excellent history that details many of the personalities involved on both sides of Little Bighorn, starting with Custer and Sitting Bull. But I disagree with those reviews saying he does this without taking sides - it's perfectly clear by his tone and language in the beginning who the good guys and bad guys are in this story. By the end, however, it mellows and seems almost impartial and, for me, this is when the book became much more interesting and human. Since the precise details of Custer's demise are unknown, Philbrick offers his own speculation based upon the various accounts and evidence available. And interestingly, throughout he presents the different accounts and how they measure up against what was perhaps the most important factor in the battle: the physical terrain. Numerous maps and photos (b&w and color) help put places and faces to the names.

Having grown up in the mountain west and spent summer vacations fishing with my grandpa on Indian reservations (we'd show up with state-issued fishing licenses but he'd always insist we get reservation permits because - I assumed - the trout fishing was better there), I always had a hard time reconciling the idea that "Indians" had been considered enemies. Yes, I'd seen cowboy and Indian movies but I didn't understand why there was a need for "Indian fighters" or why they would be idolized in popular culture. Couldn't they all just get along? Philbrick offers a brief and simple explanation (settlers and gold) but I wished for something more complete, more satisfying. Nonetheless, a very good introduction to the subject of Custer, Sitting Bull, and the Last Stand. ...more

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Jul 15, 2010 Kevin rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: military, non-fiction, history, native-americans

Nathaniel Philbrick has done a marvelous job at recreating one of the bleakest moments in US military history. The book treats the events leading up to and including the Battle of the Little Bighorn. This was an event that I knew nothing about, other than Custer and all of his men were killed. The book describes the mistakes made, how Custer divided his entire force into 4 groups, how they initially lost contact, failed to press the advance, fell into confusion, were overwhelmed and ultimately d ...more

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Jul 08, 2015 Nate rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: colonial-and-western, owned

This is about as intense as popular history gets! Condensing the confusing, controversial and near-mythical series of events that we call the Battle of the Little Bighorn into such a gripping, readable narrative is truly a mighty deed. Now someone get the dude that made The Revenant to turn it into a movie! More later.

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Mar 05, 2020 Sherry Sharpnack rated it really liked it

I am not sure why I picked up this book several years ago: a) discounted price; b) the fact that I liked the author's book, "Mayflower?" I am definitely NOT a fan of George Armstrong Custer, nor have I ever been.

But this was definitely a DETAILED analysis of the days immediately preceding and the day of the slaughter at the Little Bighorn river. It was so detailed that I honestly couldn't follow all of it, even w/ the excellent maps showing the positions of various companies of the 7th Cavalry ...more

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Mar 01, 2018 Pete rated it really liked it

Five stars seems excessive but this was so fast and weirdly fun -- weird in the sense of this is a book about the collapse of native american life and also about a bunch of government employees getting dead. The only other Philbrick book I've read was In the Heart of the Sea, which was equally enjoyable although not quite as steadily good. He knows how to create 3d characters from letters/contemporary accounts; it helps that there were a bunch of loons with weird axes to grind in and around the ...more

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Aug 30, 2017 Alan rated it it was amazing

I found this book to be a riveting and well documented account of the many characters involved in the drama of the Little Bighorn debacle. All the personalities and questionable actions by those in command makes this tragedy more compelling.

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Feb 23, 2019 Bailey Malbuff rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2019, history, military

I liked the perspective of eyewitness accounts from both the U.S. Army and from the Indians who were involved in this tragedy. Very well written.

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Oct 06, 2014 Steve Smits rated it really liked it

This well-researched and well-written history of famous battle is told from the perspectives of both sides. Refusing to comply with the government's order to settle in a reservation, the Indians left seeking to return to their traditional ways on their ancient lands. In the thousands, they moved from camp to camp along various tributaries of the Yellowstone River in southeastern Montana territory. The 7th cavalry under Custer was charged with making them comply by any means necessary. It's clear This well-researched and well-written history of famous battle is told from the perspectives of both sides. Refusing to comply with the government's order to settle in a reservation, the Indians left seeking to return to their traditional ways on their ancient lands. In the thousands, they moved from camp to camp along various tributaries of the Yellowstone River in southeastern Montana territory. The 7th cavalry under Custer was charged with making them comply by any means necessary. It's clear that his intent was to engage them in a bloody murderous fight, massacring them in their village of mainly women and children. He had gained national notice some years before in just this way and he was seeking to once again receive public adulation through his exploits. (His use of and manipulation of the press rivals what is seen today.) He had had a run-in with President Grant and was looking to restore his reputation and acclaim with an aggressive victory over the Indians.

The Indians had experienced one broken treaty after another and, when gold was discovered in the nearby Black Hills, they were once more pushed aside. Required to submit to reservation life, their charismatic chief, Sitting Bull, refused and led an exodus toward open land to the west.

Custer's regiment tracked the Indians through the river valleys of the territory. Because of the terrain of rolling hills and buttes he had much trouble in locating them, but there were plenty of signs that this was a very large body of Indians. Motivated to act to bolster his reputation and with his aggressive and compulsive nature, it is likely he thought that he could easily overcome them. There were other cavalry commands that were converging on the locale, but Custer was given an vague order that suggested that if he found them he could start the fight without waiting for the other forces.

Because of his limited field intelligence, as he closed in on his adversaries, he didn't realize (or care) how vastly outnumbered he was. One senses that even had he known this his hubris and rashness would have led him to proceed anyway. He divided his command sending subordinates Reno and Benteen in separate flanking movements. (His relations with both men were bitter and disputatious.) Reno was quickly repulsed by the Indians and retreated in disarray. He is shown to lack resolve and was impaired by alcohol throughout the engagement. Benteen did not prove effective either, leaving Custer vulnerable to the overwhelming tide of warriors. Custer retreated to the "Last Stand Hill" on the Little Bighorn River where through sheer force of numbers his troop was slaughtered to a man.

The books switches from the soldiers' stories to those of the Indians forming an interesting juxtaposition of recollections and perspectives. A fascinating aspect of the story is how history has treated Custer and the event. Over the years, Custer has been portrayed as a gallant hero making a courageous last stand against the savages or, as time has passed, he and the fight are emblematic of the US's doubling dealing actions against the Indians. His vainglorious motives and rash and foolish attack are now shown as the result of deep character flaws in the man.

The book was purchased at the bookstore at the Custer National Monument on the site of the battle. The landscape today appears much as it was in 1876. There are headstones placed at spots where the bodies of soldiers and warriors were found after the battle.

The visitors' center has an interesting exhibit that delves into the life and times of the era. ...more

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Dec 28, 2015 Idril Celebrindal rated it liked it

Shelves: american-west

I don't really know how many of my problems with this are actually with the book itself and how many with my reaction to the events depicted, and how the fact that I listened to it as an audiobook might have exacerbated either.

For one thing, Philbrick clearly likes Custer himself more than I do. I would hope that, even if he shared my antipathy, the author of a book like this would not let that influence his view of the facts. It felt however that Philbrick went out of his way to avoid criticizi I don't really know how many of my problems with this are actually with the book itself and how many with my reaction to the events depicted, and how the fact that I listened to it as an audiobook might have exacerbated either.

For one thing, Philbrick clearly likes Custer himself more than I do. I would hope that, even if he shared my antipathy, the author of a book like this would not let that influence his view of the facts. It felt however that Philbrick went out of his way to avoid criticizing Custer and Reno, and to find things to criticize about Benteen. As Philbrick tells it, Reno was drunk to the level of incapacitation at the start of the battle, deserted his troops in the field early on, and spent the rest of the two-day fight drinking while sitting in a ditch. Benteen possibly allowed his dislike of Custer to cause him to delay his response to a note from Custer for 20 minutes while his troopers watered their horses (who had had nothing to drink for nearly two days in 90 degree weather at that point).

I'm not an expert on this topic by any stretch of the imagination, so maybe I've missed something, but those actions to me seem in no way comparable. Yet Philbrick essentially says what Reno did "wasn't that bad" while forcing Benteen (who, granted, appears to have loathed Custer as much as I do, so maybe the pair of us are not unbiased) to share a portion of the blame for Custer's defeat by not taking his soldiers to make a hazardous trip to join Custer (who made the initial error in discounting intelligence from his scouts on the size of the Indian village and dividing his forces) while Reno's unled men were fleeing in terror, and for providing water to his horses who unquestionably needed it.

As for the events themselves, basically everyone in this book sucks. I guess the steamboat captain, Marsh, was pretty cool (and also barely in the book, so for all I know he was an asshole as well), but beyond him no one comes out of this looking not a little foolish or petty. Even the Indians, whose side I was fully prepared to be on, kept killing each other for perceived slights and mutilating corpses. I understand this was a ritual (although I would have liked Philbrick to give some more context on this - was it religious? What did the Indians think they were doing?), but I still find it hard to feel any sympathy for cutting a non-combatant's dick off and sticking it in his mouth, while pinning his balls to the ground with stakes. Or shoving an arrow up someone else's dick. Wherefore dick-torture, folks?

And Custer. I've never wanted to punch anyone so much. I'm told he was in many ways a skilled leader, but I find it hard to take anyone seriously when he actually forces his men switch all their horses around so that the horses are color-coordinated. It's not like switching cars or something. I can still remember the exact tree along I-80 that was in my sightline when I first heard this, I was so dumbfounded. Who the fuck thinks of something like that? Granted it isn't a moral failing; it's just assinine. What is a moral failing is raping captured Indian women. I nearly vomited all over my car.

The whole thing was depressing. A bunch of people died and kept dying and acccomplished nothing that hadn't already been accomplished by the destruction of the buffalo herds, and everything was shitty all around. ...more

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Dec 19, 2010 Trish rated it really liked it

Shelves: nonfiction, midwest, history

This history does what every nonfiction title aspires to do: makes the reader want to run out and read as much as they can on the subject. That is exactly what I found myself doing today--looking in my public library for more. The Last Stand doesn't so much slake your thirst as inflame it. When I looked over the books on similar subject matter, I can see why. It was clear Philbrick used primary sources, but also built on what had come before: he consolidated information and didn't impede the for This history does what every nonfiction title aspires to do: makes the reader want to run out and read as much as they can on the subject. That is exactly what I found myself doing today--looking in my public library for more. The Last Stand doesn't so much slake your thirst as inflame it. When I looked over the books on similar subject matter, I can see why. It was clear Philbrick used primary sources, but also built on what had come before: he consolidated information and didn't impede the forward momentum of the story. He added maps in the right places to clarify movements, and included photos which flesh out the characters.

This book is about the last stand of the Indians in America. Although the Battle of Little Bighorn was ostensibly a rout of the uniformed troops sent by the American government to move the Lakota off their given land to make way for gold rush settlers, it was also the end of Lakota way of life and was the last concerted attempt to save it. The story is mired in myth, due to the death of all in Custer’s party, though there were other battalions there led by surviving commanders. Due to the personalities involved, and the necessarily self-serving nature of their reports, these “truths” can be difficult to reconcile, one with the other. At the same time, the American government in Washington also had reason to interpret the facts so as to preserve the notion of manifest destiny, westward expansion, and the heroics (rather than the possible disgrace) of their fighting force. Surviving warriors from the Indians tribes were interviewed extensively in the years following the Battle, and much richness of detail (and contradiction with evidentiary evidence) can be gleaned from their accounts.

What does come clear from the story as told by Philbrick is the great-man nature of Chief Sitting Bull, the spiritual leader and warrior of the Hunkpapa Lakota Sioux. Many wise words are attributed to the man from reports at the time, and Sitting Bull’s attention always seemed to focus on the safety and welfare of his people, rather than on revenge or rage at betrayals. Later, after the battle recounted in such detail here, we learn that Sitting Bull did finally lay down his arms, and was shuttled to a reservation, where he was killed in 1890 by a Lakota policeman.

The apparently first-hand testimonies of survivors of The Battle of Little Bighorn do not paint complimentary portraitures of their commanding officers. The sound, smell, heat, and intensity of the battlefield come to life in this account, and we squirm with the uncomfortable knowledge of the end even as we begin reading. Learning the details of any military engagement brings its own horrors, but the facts of this devastation is particularly poignant when realizing that troops were being led by one commander deranged with drink, and another who felt no sense of urgency. All fought bravely in the end, to the end.
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Nov 15, 2014 Aaron Million rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: history

Philbrick recreates the Battle of the Little Bighorn, which includes Custer's Last Stand. He begins by discussing Custer's personality, career, run-ins with top brass (including President Grant), wife, and attitude toward Indians. Philbrick also provides mini-biographies of Custer's two top subordinates: Frederick Benteen and Marcus Reno. He does not forget about the Indians either, and talks of Sitting Bull, his tenuous grasp as leader of his tribe, and the overall relationship between the many ...more

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About Nathaniel Philbrick

Nathaniel Philbrick

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Philbrick was Brown’s first Intercollegiate All-American sailor in 1978; that year he won the Sunfish North Americans in Barrington, RI; today he and his wife Melissa sail their Beetle Cat Clio and their Tiffany Jane 34 Marie-J in the waters surrounding Nantucket Island.

After grad school, Philbrick worked for four years at Sailing World magazine; was a freelancer for a number of years, during whic ...more

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“We interact with one another as individuals responding to a complex haze of factors: professional responsibilities, personal likes and dislikes, ambition, jealousy, self-interest, and, in at least some instances, genuine altruism. Living in the here and now, we are awash with sensations of the present, memories of the past, and expectations and fears for the future. Our actions are not determined by any one cause; they are the fulfillment of who we are at that particular moment. After that moment passes, we continue to evolve, to change, and our memories of that moment inevitably change with us as we live with the consequences of our past actions, consequences we were unaware of at the time.” — 8 likes

“Faint heart never won fair lady,” he wrote; “neither did it ever pursue and overtake an Indian village.” — 4 likes

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