{"product_id":"the-fights-on-the-little-horn-unveiling-the-mysteries-of-custers-last-stand-9781612005638","title":"The Fights on the Little Horn: Unveiling the Mysteries of Custer's Last Stand","description":"\u003cb\u003e\"Gordon's work is not just an analysis of the battle, but also does an excellent job of debunking many of the myths that have sprung up around the battle... To that last point, forensic analysis plays an equally important role in this work, being of particular importance in explaining how the battle unfolded and the work of the burial teams and mapping of the locations where the men of Custer's command last fell. If you have any interest in the Battle of the Little Big Horn, then I cannot recommend this book enough.\" - Globe at War\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWinner of the 2014 John Carroll Award, presented annually by The Little Big Horn Associates, as their Literary Award for the best book\/monograph during the preceding year. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eWinner 2014 G. Joseph Sills Jr. Book Award \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eThis remarkable book synthesizes a lifetime of in-depth research into one of America's most storied disasters, the defeat of Custer's 7th Cavalry at the hands of the Sioux and Cheyenne Indians, as well as the complete annihilation of that part of the cavalry led by Custer himself. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eThe author, Gordon Harper, spent countless hours on the battlefield itself as well as researching every iota of evidence of the fight from both sides, white and Indian. He was thus able to recreate every step of the battle as authoritatively as anyone could, dispelling myths and falsehoods along the way. Harper himself passed away in 2009, leaving behind nearly two million words of original research and writing. In this book his work has been condensed for the general public to observe his key findings and the crux of his narrative on the exact course of the battle. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eOne of his first observations is that the fight took place along the Little Horn River--its junction with the Big Horn was several miles away so that the term for the battle, \"Little Big Horn\" has always been a misnomer. He precisely traces the mysterious activities of Benteen's battalion on that fateful day, and why it could never come to Custer's reinforcement. He describes Reno's desperate fight in unprecedented depth, as well as how that unnerved officer benefited from the unexpected heroism of many of his men. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eIndian accounts, ever-present throughout this book, come to the fore especially during Custer's part of the fight, because no white soldier survived it. However, analysis of the forensic evidence--tracking cartridges, bullets, etc., discovered on the battlefield--plus the locations of bodies assist in drawing an accurate scenario of how the final scene unfolded. It may indeed be clearer now than it was to the doomed 7th Cavalrymen at the time, who through the dust and smoke and Indians seeming to rise by hundreds from the ground, only gradually realized the extent of the disaster. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eOf additional interest is the narrative of the battlefield after the fight, when successive burial teams had to be dispatched for the gruesome task, because prior ones invariably did a poor job. Though author Gordon Harper is no longer with us, his daughter Tori Harper, along with author\/historians Gordon Richard and Monte Akers, have done yeoman's work in preserving his valuable research for the public.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Casemate\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 12\/28\/2017\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN:\u003c\/b\u003e 9781612005638\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 408\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 1.20lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 8.90h x 6.00w x 0.80d","brand":"Gordon Harper","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52537429688501,"sku":"9781612005638","price":21.21,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0473\/0804\/6492\/files\/img_314078dd-4434-4563-b99b-09d54d3d5c3b.jpg?v=1779169513","url":"https:\/\/pastforward.org\/products\/the-fights-on-the-little-horn-unveiling-the-mysteries-of-custers-last-stand-9781612005638","provider":"Past Forward","version":"1.0","type":"link"}