The Last Stand

Custer, Sitting Bull, and the Battle of the Little Bighorn

By: Nathaniel Philbrick

Narrated by: George Guidall

The bestselling author of Valiant Ambition and In the Hurricane's Eye 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 famous last stands, from the Spartans' defeat at Thermopylae to Davy Crockett at the Alamo.

In his tightly structured narrative, Nathaniel Philbrick brilliantly sketches the two larger-than-life antagonists: Sitting Bull, whose charisma and political savvy earned him the position of leader of the Plains Indians, and George Armstrong Custer, one of the Union's greatest cavalry officers and a man with a reputation for fearless and often reckless courage. Philbrick reminds readers that the Battle of the Little Bighorn was also, even in victory, the last stand for the Sioux and Cheyenne Indian nations. Increasingly outraged by the government's Indian policies, the Plains tribes allied themselves and held their ground in southern Montana. Within a few years of Little Bighorn, however, all the major tribal leaders would be confined to Indian reservations.

Throughout, Philbrick beautifully evokes the history and geography of the Great Plains with his characteristic grace and sense of drama. The Last Stand is a mesmerizing account of the archetypal story of the American West, one that continues to haunt our collective imagination.

Critic reviews

"An engrossing, thoughtfully researched, and tautly written account of a critical chapter ni American history."
—Los Angeles Times

"An evocative and cinematic narrative."
—The New York Times

"A carefully historical account that is also a ripping good yarn."
—The Wall Street Journal

Praise for Mayflower, finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in History

"Vivid and remarkably fresh...Philbrick has recast the Pilgrims for our age of searching and turmoil."
—The New York Times Book Review

"A signal achievement. Philbrick enlightens and even astounds."
—Salon.com

Praise for Sea of Glory, winner of the Theodore and Franklin D. Roosevelt Naval History Prize

"Brilliantly told...has to be among the best nonfiction books of this or any other year."
—Los Angeles Time Book Review

"A breathtaking account of one of history's greatest adventures."
—Entertainment Weekly

good study, a bit dull

the book was informative but a bit dull. would have liked more accounts from the Indian side.

Great read - really enjoyed it; englightening

This book taught me a lot about "Custer's Last Stand." From previous accounts and less than complimentary movies, I always assumed Custer was an arrogant showboater who put his men in danger because of his hubris and recklessness-that was definitely part of it but there were so many more aspects to this tragedy-stupid decisions made from the beginning of the campaign and poor implementation by less than stellar officers. The fingerpointing after the battle was pathetic; no one wanted to take responsibility for their part in the failure. I have not changed my opinion about Custer but this book makes it clear that he was not the sole architect of this debacle.

The Custer Myth explained: somewhat

The single most proponent to the Custer Myth was Elizabeth Custer: to the extent that she filed an injunction against the publishing of W.A. Graham's book "The Custer Myth." I wish Philbrick had used Graham's book as a source. Graham, a retired colonel and historian, includes primary source material (depositions, autopsy reports and copies of orders written by Terry and Crook). The book demonstrated that Custer, universally despised by his men, was an egomaniacally incompetent leader whose abandonment of some of his company at the Washita massacre finaly caught up with him at the battle of the Little Bighorn. Custer, a graduate of West Point (last in his class), should never be held up as an American hero but rather, an example of the worst commander that West Point has to offer.

custer

Where does The Last Stand rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

very good modern balanced treatment of events with insight into characters relationships and how this affected history

Would you be willing to try another book from Nathaniel Philbrick? Why or why not?

yes

Which scene was your favorite?

description of charaters and relationships

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

no

Any additional comments?

no

BATTLE BUDDIES PODCAST

Great listen. This book is the basis of an episode for our show Battle Buddies Podcast. if you want a shorter listen, check out our show!