Crazy Horse and Custer
Born Enemies
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- $13.99
Publisher Description
With photographs and stunning illustrations from acclaimed author/artist S.D. Nelson, this thrilling double biography juxtaposes the lives of two enemies whose conflict changed American history: Crazy Horse and George Armstrong Custer.
In 1876, Lakota chief Crazy Horse helped lead his people’s resistance against the white man’s invasion of the northern Great Plains. One of the leaders of the US military forces was Army Lt. Col. George Armstrong Custer. The men had long been enemies. At the height of the war, when tribalism had reached its peak, they crossed paths for the last time.
In this action-packed double biography, S. D. Nelson draws fascinating parallels between Crazy Horse and Custer, whose lives were intertwined. These warriors were alike in many ways, yet they often collided in deadly rivalry. Witness reports and reflections by their peers and enemies accompany side-by-side storytelling that offers very different perspectives on the same historical events. The two men’s opposing destinies culminated in the infamous Battle of the Greasy Grass, as the Lakota called it, or the Battle of the Little Bighorn, as it was called by the Euro-Americans.
In Crazy Horse and Custer: Born Enemies, Nelson’s gripping narrative and signature illustration style based on Plains Indians ledger art, along with a mix of period photographs and paintings, shines light on two men whose conflict forever changed Lakota and US history.
The book includes an author’s note, timeline, endnotes, and bibliography.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In an engaging dual biography format, author-illustrator Nelson (who is Lakota) profiles Lakota Chief Crazy Horse and Army Lt. Col. George Armstrong Custer, drawing parallels between these historic figures' short but infamous lives. Both embraced a warrior lifestyle, loved to fight, and were fearless and physically gifted, as relayed in accessible prose: "The two youths were taught that personal glory could be won through violent conflict." Crazy Horse gained notoriety amid fights with other tribes, while Custer became famous for his hell-bent leadership during the Civil War. Their racial divides led to them becoming fierce enemies: Crazy Horse despised Euro-Americans killing Native people for their land; Custer believed that privileged whites led the pecking order, and people of color could never rise to the same level. The text is lean and straightforward, even when describing the atrocities of war. A mixture of historic photos and paintings augment the text, while the author's ledger-style drawings—rendered in ink, colored pencils, and acrylic paint—successfully honor Lakota artwork of the late 1880s. An evenhanded examination acknowledging both figures as "flawed human beings and triumphant, yet tragic, heroes." Back matter includes an author's note on his background, art notes, historical context, a timeline, quote notes, selected bibliography, art credits, and an index. Ages 10–up.
