This has to be the worst book I have read so far on Custer andthe Little Big Horn Battle. Big print, wide margins make this book inmy mind a money grab. Thirty pages of preface and introduction and 11 blank pages help to fill out this book. This book does have some interesting points but all in all I found it very disapointing. They must have laughed they way to bank with this one. END

This book has a misleading title. This is a small short book, and only a part of it is actually about the Little Bighorn (LBH) fight. Other parts of the book are interviews Camp conducted concerning the Yellowstone expedition, the Little Bighorn aftermath, the death of Crazy Horse, the Powder River expedition, and the Battle of Summit Springs. Do not buy this if you expect Walter Camp's complete notes on the Custer fight. Get Kenneth Hammer's "Custer in 76" if you want a far more complete set of LBH interviews strictly concerned with that subject. This book contains some of Camp's notes not included in Hammer's book.

This book is recommended however for its extensive highly informative footnotes. There are very nearly more footnotes than text, and therein is a wealth of information about the people and events in the 1866-78 era.

One of the finest accounts of the Custer fight. I would recommend this book over most of the others. Mr. Camp sought out survivors and interviewed them, he sheds some fresh light on many of the confusing issues. And he details some very interesting items of the actual fight itself. Excellent and has a place of honor on my book shelf. Check it out, you won't be disappointed.

If the author had left Custer out of this book, it would have been quite a good mystery-adventure novel. But he forwards the very worn "Custer was discredited and seeking a quick victory" myth which has been thoroughly shredded. Custer was on top of the world when he set out -- contrary to popular politically correct ideals, it was Grant who was trashed -- the Press had a field day slamming the "tyrant" Grant who sought to discredit an "honest soldier for telling the truth." If anything, Custer's march to LBH starting on June 22 is a study in CAUTION, and that is more likely what did him in than any "rash" attack.

Author's characters on the mystery of the sword/knife were pretty good, but any of the parts regarding Custer, Benteen, Keogh, LBH, etc. his characters are suddenly totally cardboard and b*o*r*i*n*g. He managed to make one of the great American adventures dull by falling back on myth. I do not forgive it just because the ending chapters are a good mystery/adventure

I am from Front Royal and think this particular work was wonderful in imagination and in history. I look forward to the next novel by Bruce. It took me a few days to get into it, then I wanted to return to it immediately after dinner after bathing kids, etc...thanks for a "good read".

Classic account by Graham who appraises the LBH battle objectively in one sense but clearly seems to favor Reno's and Benteen's actions over Custer. The Reno Court of Inquiry testimony which Graham obtained in the 1920s in a limited release fueled much of the book.What was most interesting was a lengthy letter from a member of General Terry's staff officer who wrote the letter just after Terry's death. The letter is a defense of Terry who is characterized as a kind man who did not want to criticize Custer after death too harshly. The letter details how in the opinion of the staff officer, how Custer disobeyed orders particularly in the lack of use of scouts that were suppose to contact Colonel Gibbon's column prior to attacking. Fuels more fire in the controversy. The Custer Myth is the better of the two Graham books.

This is one of the classic books on the Little Big Horn fight. The author, W.A. Graham, was a retired Army lawyer who spent his retirement in the study of the 1876 Sioux Campaigns. Graham is almost unique within the tightly knit universe of Little Big Horn scholarship. His training and career as a lawyer made him attempt to be as objective as possible in his gathering and assessment of the evidence he presents. Graham indulges in little, if any, of the polemics and special pleading which seems to characterize much writing about Little Big Horn. For that reason alone, this volume is recommended highly. While somewhat dated by more recent scholarship (this is a reprint of the 1941 Second Edition) it is a "must have" in the library of anyone interested in this famous battle of the Plains Indian Wars.

...and I hate to say that, because I was really, REALLY looking forward to reading this book! Alternate histories fascinate me (as they do many readers) and although I'm happy to say that the author appears to have a good grasp of Custer as a personality and doesn't paint him as a heartless, Indian-hating, glory-grabbing brute (which is refreshing!), his style is extremely dry. The research is sound, but it's more like reading a history textbook than a novel. So, if you're looking for a teeth-rattling page-turner, I'm afraid this isn't it. "Marching to Valhalla" is a much better bet!

I have been reading alternative histories on and off since MacKinlay Kantor wrote "If the South Had Won the Civil War" several decades ago. The two key factors in any alternative history are (1) what happens differently to alter the flow of history and (2) what significant chances result from that alteration. Such stories are usually flawed because the first part becomes convoluted beyond belief, but that is certainly not the case with "Custer's Luck," written by Robert Skimin with researcher William E. Moody. The pivotal moment is, of course, the Battle of the Little Big Horn, and the authors have George Armstrong Custer discover the true size of the Indian camp he is about to attack. So instead of continuing with his suicidal charge he reunites his elements of the 7th Calvary with those under Reno and Benteen. With a unified command Custer is able to compel Sitting Bull to surrender by employing his standard tactic, threatening the women and children. Therefore, instead of the newspapers being full of the massacre of Custer's troops on nation's Centennial, "Long Hair" is credited with a great victory. All of this is certainly plausible.

Equally reasonable is the idea that Custer would then have been tapped to run for President in 1880. The main thrust of "Custer's Luck" is therefore going to be what happens to the destiny of America with Custer in the White House. If you have a reasonable grasp of American history--and there is no reason to be reading these types of books if you do not--then half the fun is recognizing where and when the authors are lifting ideas and events. This goes from such relatively minor things as the court-martial of a black West Point cadet to Custer insisting the U.S. cannot afford to be Isolationist, the political philosophy that was the flaw in American diplomacy throughout the 20th century. Ultimately, "Custer's Luck" wants to have the United States try to begin that century the way it ended it, as the preeminent military and political power on the planet. Consequently, Custer fast-forwards the nation in terms of developing a strong navy, building the Panama Canal, provoking a war with Spain over Cuba, and even supporting women's suffrage.

The main sub-plot of the novel focuses on Red Elk, a young Sioux Warrior who vows over the dead body of his pregnant wife that he will kill "Long Hair." Red Elk is a fictional character, originally created in Skimin's "The River and the Horsemen: A Novel of the Little Big Horn." Given that previous novel along with the fact Moody is the editor of "The Journal of the Little Bighorn Associates," it is not surprising that several of those who died with Custer--his brothers Tom and Boston, Myles Keogh, Mark Kellogg and William Cooke--are prominent throughout the novel. Even Frederick Benteen, never a Custer supporter, becomes a Congressman bent on derailing his former commander's ambitions. There are also some soap opera elements; at one point Custer even ends up in the arms of Lillie Langtry. But even before we get to Skimin's final postscript comment "Any comparison to Camelot is in the mind of the reader," it is clear that John F. Kennedy is the major model for the Custer Administration and its theme of "The New American Empire." After all, Custer puts brother Tom in a Cabinet post while his brother Boston is elected a Congressman, Libbie wants to fix up the White House and Custer has the government supporting the fine arts.

I am perfectly willing to grant that many of the things Custer does in this novel could have been done at that time. I will even agree that a national hero such as Custer would have been after winning the Battle of the Little Bighorn could be swept to the Presidency (although Custer's narrow victory in the election does not ring true to me, even if the man was a Democrat). What I find hard to believe is that a President Custer would have been so visionary. When he works out diplomatic solutions to get both Geronimo and Sitting Bull back to their reservations, it is clear that Skimin and Moody are offering us a different Custer than the egotistical daredevil of history's current judgment. Then again, this only underscores that the character is ultimately only a device that allows the authors to shape their alternative America, so there is a logic to their alterations. However, the ending of "Custer's Luck" conveniently frees Skimin from having to finish what he has started. The significant changes that should be at the heart of this alternative history are therefore secondary to the parade of historical figures Custer and his cohorts encounter in the novel. To say the least, I find this to be an unsatisfactory way of concluding this story, essentially negating much of the momentum Skimin and Moody had in creating their alternate America.

I thoroughly enjoyed this "what if" story of a successful Custer who seemed to be ahead of his time, and yet suffered from the same character defects as more recent leaders. While the details surrounding some of the lesser characters was a little tedious, it was a quick,interesting, and fun read. In the final analysis, Custer could not escape the Little Big Horn and, as with JFK, the promise of a great leader was not realized. Don't miss this book if you enjoy alternative history and Custer mythology.

I agree with Bob Reece on that score. At the time _Touched By Fire_ was published, we also saw publication of another Custer biography by Jeffery Wert. Barnett's bio was by far and away the better of the two. Custer comes to life for modern readers in a way few authors have made him come alive. My personal favorite Custer "bio" is still Evan Connell's _Son of the Morning Star_, but Barnett's work is also one that I refer to regularly.

Bob Reece spends a lot of his review addressing the issues raised by "a reader from San Francisco" covering the "experiment" that was illustrated in the A&E (and possibly the History Channel as well) documentary in "The New Explorers" series. The New Explorers documentary was seriously marred, I think, in swallowing hook, line, and sinker author Robert Nightengale's almost paranoiac ravings against Benteen and Reno. Any reader interested can refer to Nightengale's _Little Big Horn_ for details there. What I want to note about the "experiment" mentioned is an interesting fact, namely that it appears that those in the Reno-Benteen contingent who claimed to hear firing in the distance were also those who were younger officers who were not Civil War veterans. It is very probable that Reno and Benteen simply did not hear any firing in the distance owing to partial hearing loss induced by their Civil War service.

But that's irrelevant to Barnett's biography. Don't ignore Connell's _Son of the Morning Star_ in your Custer researches, but for an excellent introduction to the life of one of the most colorful Army officers in U.S. History, you can't beat _Touched by Fire_.

I adamantly disagree with the reviewer, below, from San Francisco. This is one of the best biographies of Custer's life with his wife, Libbie. Their relationship comes to life in Barnett's book.

The reviewer's mention of the "New Explorers" program on the History Channel and it's reference to Reno and Benteen not coming to Custer's aid when they knew he was under attack was a sham to historical research. Frankly, I was embarrassed for the History Channel when I viewed this program. It has always been understood by historians of the battle of the Little Bighorn that the men under Reno and Benteen's command heard firing to the north coming from the Custer Battalion. Reno had just got whipped soundly by the Sioux and Cheyenne warriors in the river valley forcing him to retreat to the high bluffs overlooking the river (now known as the Reno/Benteen defense site); it was from this position that they heard firing to the north. Reno had lost over 30 men during the valley fight and retreat. His men were demoralized and there were many men wounded. Custer was five miles to the north beyond the hills; it might as well been a 100 miles. The "New Explorers" premise is that it's some great mystery whether the soldiers' heard gun firing or not. So, they conduct a makeshift "experiment" with a tape recorder on the Reno/Benteen defense site. Over the hills, to the north, they have a few guys waiting to fire some carbines. So, the guys with the tape recorder are talking through walkie-talkies to the men who are waiting to fire their carbines and they begin to countdown to zero. At zero, the men fire their carbines and it's recorded on the tape. Wow! The "researchers" got all excited and said this was proof that Reno heard the firing and, because, he didn't come to Custer's aid, Custer met his death. What a joke! This "experiment" was conducted on a quiet afternoon. The "researchers" didn't take into consideration that the Reno/Benteen site, during the battle, would not have been so quiet. Most importantly, their premise is nothing new. It's their conclusions that are subjective and childish.

Barnett doesn't stoop to such stupidity like these "researchers." She portrays the life of Custer and Libbie as one of genuine caring. After Custer's death, Libbie resolves to spend the rest of her life protecting her husband's reputation. Libbie was ahead of her time; she was a strong, independent woman who faced all kinds of hardships with courage and strength.

And, Custer? He was a man like some people today. He was ambitious and wanted to move forward with his career, yet he didn't let his ambitions affect his decisions on the battlefield.

Once you start reading TOUCHED BY FIRE, you will find it hard to put down. It is a moving story.

Sometimes overlooked in this book are Louise Barnett's fascinating sidebars on women on the frontier. She could make another book out of her research in this area.

Sadly, this nicely designed book with many excellent photographs falls well short of the mark in content and in proving that Billy Heath survived Custer's Last Stand. The author thinks otherwise though, as he writes with 100% certainty that Heath indeed survived the battle. Last Stand survivor accounts have always fascinated me, since the most far-fetched are often humorous and entertaining. The Heath claim is not in the humrous category though. If you are interested in such accounts, you should probably consider buying this book, as Genovese may have unknowingly identitified a Seventh Cavalry deserter whom at least two other writers (Edgar Stewart in 1955 and Doug Ellison in 2001) have deduced left the ill-fated L Troop shortly before its demise.

This book leaves much to be desired though, due to the following:
1. The author decides to forego the use of footnotes, defending the decision on the grounds that it would bog the work down and hinder its readability. A book as ambitious as this ought to gladly bog the reader down! How else to build a solid foundation on what turns out to be a very weak claim?
2. 90% of the text is context--Custer, Indian Wars, coal mining conditions in Pennsylvania in the town where Heath came from, Gilded Age politics. This is the case since there is so very little the author can actually tell us about Heath, which isn't the author's fault as Heath is scarely documented (other than in census and tax records) and left no written accounts behind at all. The details of his life are tabla rosa. Is it necessary to devote an entire chapter of a book about Heath to Custer when the book is comprised of eight chapters, especially when what is presented is a one-sided, negative view of Custer? Readers interested in the details of that controversial commander's life should turn to more balanced biographies by authors such as Utley, Wert, and Barnett.
3. The author states that he hasn't read any other sole survivor accounts and can't provide details on other claims. Here, he could have provided context by at least studying the Frank Finkel story that has been examined in at least three other published works. Finkel's account has been the most highly regarded of sole survivor claims but it, too, falls victim to facts. There are other source worth checking as well--Edgar Stewart, Brian Dippie, various newspaper articles on such accounts, etc.
4. Mr. Genovese does document the existence of a William Heath in Pennsylvania, his 1875 enlistment in the army and assignment to Troop L, one of the five dooomed companies that perished with Custer's command. Heath's name appears on the mass grave monument that has stood since 1881 on Last Stand Hill. The author claims that Heath returned to his wife in the spring of 1877 (note that MEN WITH CUSTER that contains biographal sketches of everyone with Custer at the Little Bighorn states that Heath was unmarried). A William Heath continues to show up on tax records. His statement that he survived the final phase of this legendary battle was passed down through the family. According to family oral tradition, he somehow left the field of carnage, and was picked up by a westward-bound family named Ennis that nursed him back to health (this "miracle rescue" is a characteritic shared with Finkel, who claimed to have somehow stumbled onto a cabin where the occupant nursed him back to health. All this occuring in the wilds of Montana). Heath died in 1891. So sparse are the details surrounding the key question of HOW he survived that the author must speculate on this key point--he "may" have made a run for safety, may have made it to the river, may have hid until dark, etc. Three different survival scenarios are presented.

Conclusions? If the author has the liberty to speculate, the reader can do so as well. Perhaps Heath was one of the members of Troop L who remained with the packtrain in the rear and thus escaped the fate of most of his fellow troopers. The "survival" account was started after his death by family members at a loss as to how he could have survived the 7th's famous battle, unaware that many did through serving under Reno and Benteen, the commands that the packtrain ended up with. His listing as killed in battle was in error and never corrected as he could have deserted in the confusion following the battle. The picture is further clouded by the author's disclosure that Heath had an alias. Most likely though, Heath may well be the unnamed deserter that Doug Ellison's recent booklet MYSTERY OF THE ROSEBUD indicates may have departed the 7th Cavalry prior to the battle, on June 22, three days before the fateful encounter. Nearly fifty years before, Edgar Stewart reached a similar conclusion in his classic CUSTER'S LUCK. Ellison was made aware of Stewart's belief only after he arrived at the same answer
just a few years ago.

One thing is for certain though, even if Heath were actually a survivor of the last stand, his survial significes nothing for history. Survivor or deserter, he totally failed to leave behind any written accounts that could in some small way begin to answer some of the questions about the fabled engagement that his family's oral tradition claims he survived. Instead, we have only one more mystery about an event that already has more than its share of such conumdrums.

Wonderful read, a unique and groundbreaking perspective about the battle of little bighorn. A must read for all historians and teachers of history. Genovese presents convincing facts and informative details about how one person was able to live through the battle and later return to his PA home. Many have speculated about survivors. For the first time they can point to the PA grave of the only known soldier to return home from the bloodiest battle of them all. This book is sure to change the perspective of all who have studied this battle, especially the skeptics like myself who doubted the possibility.

Hardorff writes well but its an awful waste of time to put out two small books, one for the Dakota and one for the Cheyenne which are essentially reprints of the Camp interviews. It is nice to have these interviews available but you can order Camp direct. This particular book I thought was flawed because it starts with American Horse who by all other accounts (but his own) was not in the Little Bighorn Fight.

When I started reading "Commanding Voices Of Blue And Grey" By Brian M. Thomson, I'll admit I wasn't exactly thrilled to read it, but after a while it started to grow on me. The book was kind of hard to read because it wasn't in a story format like I'm used to. This book didn't really have a main character through the whole book, and it was kind of like a textbook, except much more interesting. Brian M. Thomson did a terrific job turning the experiences of different people that served in the civil war into short story like scenes. This book had some good battle scenes and some very important people that turned the tide in the war. This book was extremely good about showing both sides of the story. This book helped me completely understand the civil war and it was also surprisingly good.

Follows Custer's military life from battle to battle from the Civil War to Indian fighter to his gloriously stupid death at Little Big Horn. An inspiring leader who always rode at the front of his troops, he finally led them into the greatest victory ever won by the Sioux. Much is made of his devotion to wife Libbie. Disobeying orders, he once abandoned his regiment to check on her well-being and was suspended without pay for almost a year. Drawings, photos, maps, glossary, bibliography, websites, index, chronology all included

Having read many books in the genre of historical novels, I approached this work with certain expectations. I look to authors of such works to find a period in history populated with people of interest and "fill in the blanks" left by historical accounts. For examples, conversations leading characters from one point to another, along with emotional accounts that go beyond the sometimes dry reporting of the historian are all appropriate.

I was not prepared for an author (who had obviously done her historical research) to choose deliberately to ignore certain key events in the lives of her characters or, in essence, re-write actual history.

George Armstrong and Elizabeth Bacon Custer are certainly fascinating characters who lived through fascinating times in United States history. The author has chosen a wonderful backdrop ranging from the Civil War through Lincoln's assassination, and Indian wars on the Plains, culminating with the loss of Custer and his command in the Battle of Little Big Horn. Much of the work is taken, almost word for word, from the three books Mrs. Custer herself wrote in recording the Custers' life together from the close of the Civil War to the final days at Fort Lincoln (Tenting on the Plains, Following the Guidon, and Boots and Saddles).

I was distressed to see circumstances of the Custers' wedding deliberately falsified, real historic acts attributed to different persons for the sake of presenting a fictionalized romance between Mrs. Custer and a soldier in Custer's command, and specific recollections of Mrs. Custer directly attributed to someone else.
These devices detracted from the story, in my opinion, and could be very misleading to a reader who reads this genre for historical background as well as for a good novel.

Those who have researched the lives of General and Mrs. Custer will find this book entertaining and will have the ability to separate the misleading from the reliable historical fiction. No one should use this book as a basis for understanding these real and human people.