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Custer and the Great Controversy was the first book to focus on the origins of what has come to be called the Custer myth. The Battle of the Little Bighorn has always been wrapped in mystery and controversy because none of Custer's men survived to tell what happened, because press accounts circulated much misinformation and editors politicized the event, because popular writers repeated the errors of journalists, because a court of inquiry resulted in bitter debate, and because Indian testimony was hard to gauge. This book, originally published in 1962, helps the reader understand the sources of the confusion and controversy surrounding the Custer fight and the beginning of the legend.
About the author
Robert M. Utley is a preeminent historian of the West and the author of numerous award-winning books, including
The Last Days of the Sioux Nation;
Frontiersmen in Blue: The United States Army and the Indian, 1848–1865 (Nebraska, 1981);
Billy the Kid: A Short and Violent Life (Bison Books, 1991); and
Frontier Regulars: The United States Army and the Indian, 1866–1891 (Bison Books, 1984).
Brian W. Dippie is the author of
Custer’s Last Stand: The Anatomy of an American Myth (Bison Books, 1994).
Summary
The Battle of the Little Bighorn has always been wrapped in mystery and controversy because none of Custer's men survived to tell what happened. Focusing on the origins of the Custer myth, this book helps the reader understand the sources of the confusion and controversy, surrounding the Custer fight and the beginning of the legend.
