Death at the Little Bighorn: A New Look at Custer, His Tactics, and the Tragic Decisions Made at the Last Stand

An interesting take on the battle...but it needed an editor. Could have been half as long as it is.

I lost track of the times the author repeated himself in just the introduction- used the word "paradoxical" in almost every paragraph.

“Death at the Little Bighorn” by Dr. Phillip Thomas Tucker was such an educational and interesting read. For academia this book reads very well. When reading academia I often find myself getting lost easily if I’m not trying to pay attention, but Dr. Tucker does an incredible job of providing a large amount of very educational content, in a way that is entertaining and interesting to the reader no matter what their background may be on this subject. I enjoyed the way that he illustrated the incorrect views of this battle, and compared it to the suspected true events that occurred during this battle and was able to highlight the reasons with supporting testimony that he felt were how this battle really took place. He was also able to highlight some of the traumatic events that took place in great deal while remaining very respectful to those who lost their lives in these battles. There are also several areas throughout the book where Dr. Tucker takes the time to discuss in detail some of the soldiers backgrounds, their families, their good qualities, and allow the reader to learn a bit more about them which truly helps the reader develop an even deeper level of reverence towards these individuals. I also enjoyed how Dr. Tucker provided some of the drama between the different soldiers, especially as this played a crucial role in how some of the events played out. For someone who wasn’t familiar with this particular battle, it helped to truly understand where everyone was coming from. Overall, I did feel this was a great book and would recommend, especially to those who are looking for more clarification on the events at Custer Hill!

This is not the first book I have read from Dr. Philip Tucker, and I do enjoy his interpretations of historical events. I believe a good historian not only presents you with the facts, but tells you about their interpretation of what all those facts add up to. I vaguely remember Little Bighorn being covered in my high school history class, but Dr. Tucker’s book represents a new, fresh analysis of this important moment in military history. I was rather taken aback by the length and tendency towards praise in Dr. Tucker’s biography page, but I was happy to find that the book was able to stand on its own. I especially appreciated the incorporation of perspectives from Native American tribes such as the Cheyenne and Sioux peoples, as I find that often, history forgets or erases Native voices. Also, I am sometimes wary of history books as I think they can sometimes be quite dry, depending on how intensely the author wants to stick to just the facts, but I quite enjoyed Dr. Tucker’s writing style, making the book feel more like an epic tale as opposed to the history textbooks most people grew up with and avoided reading. Finally, there is an extensive number of works cited at the end of the book, a few of which I have noted as excellent sources for further reading.

The authors mantra must be “Never use one word when you can use ten words”. As others have mentioned, this book could have been shortened to 50 pages. Many items are repeated over and over ad nauseam. The introduction itself is highly repetitious. Apparently the author, like many speakers, doesn’t know when to stop - or maybe he is just mesmerized by his own writing.

If you can wade through the writing you will find it is based on flowery assumptions that are poorly supported. He pontificates that he alone “discovered” that Custer was wounded trying to cross the river and this led to the disorganization and defeat of Custer’s command. In fact, this been hypothesized in other books. In summary, the author is pompous and overblown. Skip this book and read something that is well written and more accurate.

He had some interesting points. However, the book could have been reduced in length by 2/3 if had not made each point over and over and over again.

I always loved history class throughout school and rarely felt bored no matter what the historical subject was. Though, try as I might, the only thing I could recall regarding Custer and the battle of Little Bighorn was how big of a failure it was. This surprised me given that I grew up in Wyoming and currently reside in Montana. This was local lore to me but I didn’t even know half of what happened.

Like most, I’m sure, the section regarding the actual battle and what went wrong for Custer was the most interesting for me. While Custer had everything lined out and had a tactical advantage, the ambush awaiting him created a completely different dynamic. I was always taught that Custer had an incomplete plan that was set up for failure, but the only piece he didn’t plan for was the additional support that arrived without his notice.

I will say that I would struggle to figure out where I was in the story if I put the book down for a few days. I often had to backtrack to get my bearings back. I think long chapters and paragraphs can make the text feel overwhelming and it’s easy for me to get lost or skim through a particularly long section. While this is an interesting subject, I still struggled to find myself engrossed in certain sections. Overall, though, this was an engaging and informative book that taught me a completely different side of a historical story.

Death at the Little Bighorn: A New Look at Custer, His Tactics, and the Tragic Decisions Made at the Last Stand is as much about Lt. Colonel George Armstrong Custer as the battle itself. Author Philip Tucker Thomas presents a fresh look at what occurred on June 25, 1876 and what would be Custer’s demise.

The young leader had earned a reputation for being a masterful tactical coordinator gaining him the authority to lead the United States Army 7th Cavalry through the Battle at Little Bighorn. The intention of the United States government was to take over the lands at which the Sioux, Cheyenne and Arapaho Indians had settled. The settlements were areas of vast beauty with buffalo roaming the land. They survived and thrived on buffalo for food and as source of trade. While the U.S. had signed treaties with various tribes, it still intended to push the tribes out and keep the rich and fertile land for itself. Enter Custer who was chosen to expel the Indians from the land virtually by any means necessary.

Having defeated the Southern Cheyenne tribe led by Black Kettle who was killed in Oklahoma at Washita River, Custer’s confidence increased as did the United States determination to break the treaties with the Indian Nations. While there were many battles and massacres between 1868 and 1876, Little Bighorn became most significant because it left no surviving soldiers from the five companies accompanying Custer survived to tell the story. The causes of these deaths were the unexpected challenges they faced. The author goes into great detail about these difficulties Custer faced as the Cavalry planned to charge the Indian settlement camp. When things were not going according to Custer’s tactical plans the Indians unknowingly had a big advantage as their small group watched the soldiers come toward them at Medicine Tail Coulee Ford in Montana Territory.

Thomas reveals reports from surviving soldiers who were flanked on the other sides of Medicine Tail Coulee
ford as well as narratives from the Indians themselves. Some information is conclusive while other information remains debatable. Nonetheless, this is an interesting piece of history about how Custer performed as a leader and how the Indian tribes chose to protect their land. The author also includes drawings and photos that bring his book to life.

Oh dear! I so look forward to new books on the LBH but this one was not worth the wait or the money. Professes over and over again to be bringing you "new" information and facts that everyone else ignored but brings nothing to the table except his theory that Custer tried to charge the camp via Medicine Tail Coulee with his entire battalion, was rebuffed, probably wounded, and everything fell apart thereafter. Most scholars believe Custer sent Yates and 2 companies to the river crossing to feign a charge and draw pressure off of Reno. Donovan in his splendid book (reads like a novel) thinks Lt. Sturgis was killed at the river, among a few others. Philbrick speculates whether it was Custer or not, and thinks not since the subsequent actions of Custer's five companies are not very explainable if Custer was mortally wounded in a river charge early on. Regardless, this author could have stated his case in a 20 page paper. I agree with all the others who say this is poorly written in a ponderous style reminiscent of Custer's own writings, poorly edited, and repetitious. And the notion that he has some new Native evidence or testimony or witness account or archaeological evidence? Forget it. If you have read virtually any book since (and of course including) the Fox archaeological study you are up to snuff on Native testimony and the new scholarship of recent times. Nothing new here. I still recommend Donovan and/or Philbrick for new students. Donovan reads like a novel. Fabulous. Philbrick a bit less dramatic in approach but still superb. Read them both and compare. Add in Fox on the archaeology and Son of the Morning Star and you are all set with some great reading. This author, to be fair, has a definite point of view: that Custer and all 5 of his companies charged the village at Medicine Tail Coulee ford. To my knowledge, few if any other scholars agree with that. He outright challenges Donovan, which is fine. I just wish this author had written a less ponderous story and made his case cleaner, tighter, and better edited.

Death at the Little Bighorn: A New Look at Custer, His Tactics, and the Tragic Decisions Made at the Last Stand by Ph.D. Phillip Thomas Tucker provided the average reader and history buff a genuine look into a history at its finest, a most heroic advance spreading across five sections. The subtitles are catchy, with those named as “Forgotten Turning Point,” “The Blame Game,” and “Going for Broke,” to name a few in early chapters. The writing is clear and structured, and referenced accurately and Tucker remains neutral and carries great knowledge regarding the historic recap of events at hand. History so to speak repeats itself in various forms and Dr. Tucker methodically weaves the character analysis and story development in an emphatic and uniform way. By examining the content alone, the writer presents history in an authentic approach, paying homage to the classification of a war hero and significant themes of history and war. General Custer’s character, for instance, sheds a whole new light upon the missing cracks found in history and the presumptions of what really happened or didn’t. Not too much is known about the author, which I find to be mysterious because it’s the privately secluded minds that cultivate knowledge unbeknownst to man in an alarming and significant way that is empowering to present day events. I found the ending to be extremely appealing with Joe Medicine Crow, thoughtful and brimming with symbolism. The entire text is not only factual and informative, but thorough in the way a true historian would reveal themselves. It was an engaging, detailed, and refreshing portrayal on the wars among mankind in addition to maps and a striking front cover illustration. I’m on my way to expanding some history knowledge and am eager to read more research and study from Dr. Tucker.

Death at the Little Bighorn by Dr. Philip Tucker explores General Custer and the 7th Cavalry as they make their last stand at the Little Bighorn. I always find it ironic when historians try to dramatize how significant and mysterious an event is: and then proceed to write a whole book on it. After reading it, I understand how many actions were misinterpreted and misunderstood. This book is in it for the long haul. As with all his books, Dr. Tucker explains his thesis and highlights the general details in the Introduction preceding Chapter 1. For the reader, this is an excellent opportunity to preempt the pages and see if the book is really for them. The story of the Sioux and Cheyenne warriors is a key factor in this book. Their testimonies are what brings out a lot of information. I appreciated that perspective and why it was included when it was previously ignored.

I love that the book includes maps and figures of the area. While some history books include graphs, many do not. Having never visited the area, I was pleased to see the terrain and envision the plot unfolding. He also includes a list of participants in the battle, in his appendix. I found this invaluable, as it gives credit to the names of individuals we do know and allows for further research into the subject. His bibliography is also helpful, in case anyone needs to reference things for research. I purchased the E-book which links all the pages in the Index. Very helpful for looking up topics or names in the book quickly.