From The Shelf

A TERRIBLE GLORY: CUSTER AND THE LITTLE BIGHORN - Jenny got me this book for Father's Day, and I just finished reading it. As you can tell from the title this is a historical account of the battle of the Little Bighorn and Custer's last stand. Back in 1876 George Custer and 200 men were attempted to raid an Indian settlement...only to be then annihilated by 2000 Sioux and Cheyenne indians. This is first and foremost a historical book, but it's written more of as a narrative, so it's easier to digest. The characters here are entertaining and interesting of course...Custer, Sitting Bull, Crazy Horse, and President Grant. And the battle itself is both sad and powerful. For a history book this is a pretty good read. The battle itself really leaps off the pages...almost like a McMurtry novel. My only complaint about it is it's over 400 pages long. For a battle that took 2 days the book seems to be drawn out in parts. But other than being 100 pages longer than it should be this book is a great read for anyone interested in the American west.