Wednesday 14 October 2009

CUSTER

CUSTER
WILL HENRY
LEISURE BOOKS


Faction - this is re-telling historical facts in a fictional presentation can be difficult to get right, but writer, Will Henry was a master and he produced novels about many iconic character of the true west - and in this book he looks at the story of George Armstrong Custer.

This is actually two books in one - they were originally published separately as Yellow Hair and Custer's Last Stand.And this Leisure edition in which both volumes are collected in one book is great value.

As you'd expect Yellow Hair tells of Custer's early days and Custer's Last Stand does what it says on the tin, being a look at the latter days and the bloody battle at the Little Big Horn.

The author paints Custer initially as the brash, young man who will stop at nothing in his quest for military glory and the character evolves before finding true lasting fame in the greatest defeat ever suffered at the hands of the American Indians - the battle of the Little Big Horn. There are some sweeping scenes in the book, all told with startling realism and the reader really does feel as if he/she is in the head of George Custer and through this fiction we perhaps come closer to understanding what drove this man that legend as recorded as both a brave and solid warrior and a foolish braggart. But whatever your opinion this book is well worth seeking out

Not for nothing was Will Henry a multiple Spur Award winner.

Excellent stuff.

2 comments:

Cap'n Bob said...

The honor of suffering the greatest loss of US troops belongs to General St. Clair during a war with Northwest Indian tribes.

Charles Gramlich said...

My favirite Henry book is No survivors. Very fine book, also involving Custer's last stand.

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