Vengeance
The Last Stands of Custer, Crazy Horse, and Sitting Bull
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- Pre-Order
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- Expected 12 May 2026
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- 14,99 €
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- Pre-Order
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- 14,99 €
Publisher Description
A dramatic new look at Custer's Last Stand in time for the 150th anniversary of the Battle of the Little Bighorn, by the #1 New York Times bestselling coauthor of The Heart of Everything That Is.
On June 25–27, 1876, the Battle of the Little Bighorn, commonly referred to as Custer's Last Stand, was fought between combined forces of the Lakota Sioux, Northern Cheyenne, and Arapaho tribes and the 7th Cavalry Regiment of the United States Army. Along the Little Bighorn River in Montana Territory, the battle resulted in the devastating defeat of U.S. forces and was the most significant action of the Great Sioux War of 1876.
This dramatic look at the Little Bighorn battle includes not only the Native American point of view–with two dynamic Native figures, Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse, on prominent display–but also the impact it had on the Plains Indians. It turned out to be their last stand too because a vengeful nation quashed any remaining resistance, with a conclusive massacre at Wounded Knee in 1890, almost simultaneous with the murder of Sitting Bull.
In addition, Custer’s character by June 1876 is at the heart of this world-famous disaster. For all his celebrated bravery, especially at Gettysburg 13 years earlier, Custer became a devout media hound, desperate to gain fame. Even, some say, his own demise was a misguided attempt at grabbing national headlines: He envisioned a massacre – just not his own. As both the camera and the tabloid came of age, George Armstrong Custer became America’s first bona fide celebrity.
Vengeance is a thrilling read, filled with action, legendary characters, and poignance for the impact this had on Native Americans and the shape of the American West.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Journalist and historian Clavin (Running Deep) offers a by-the-numbers account of the Battle of Little Bighorn. In June 1876, the U.S. Army's 7th Cavalry Regiment suffered a resounding defeat at the hands of the Lakota Sioux, Northern Cheyenne, and Arapaho. The battle bristled with larger-than-life figures, from the brave-but-misguided General Custer, to the "unkillable" Crazy Horse and the stoic Sitting Bull, who had a vision foretelling Custer's downfall. Noting that he aims to tell the story "without overanalyzing and taking detours," Clavin sets up the action that led to Custer's infamous last stand in short dry chapters; the backstory involves much betrayal and reneging on promises by the federal government, and the radicalization of warriors like Crazy Horse by earlier massacres of Native encampments. The book becomes more spirited during the battle itself, which is naturally dramatic, as well as terrifying, infuriating (one general spends most of the battle "meandering" about), and gory. A fascinating figure who emerges is Moving Robe Woman, a Lakota 23-year-old who plunges into battle with her face painted red, avenging her 10-year-old brother who'd been killed a few days earlier and mutilating those she slaughters. But the overreliance on long quotes from other histories undermines Clavin's authority, especially when he leans on them during dramatic moments. Still, it's a serviceable retelling of a famous clash of titans.
