Custer

Written by Larry McMurtry

Narrated by Henry Strozier

Pulitzer Prize winner Larry McMurtry crafts works synonymous with the grandeur and beauty of the American West. Here McMurtry turns his attention to George A. Custer, a complex man who has captivated historians for over a century. From graduating last in his class at West Point to leading the ill-fated 7th Cavalry in the attack at Little Bighorn, Custer forged a legacy- still very much alive today- as one of the West's most enduring historical figures.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.
• Release date: Nov 6, 2012
• ISBN: 9781470328337

Larry McMurtry

Larry McMurtry is the author of more than thirty novels, including the Pulitzer Prize-winning Lonesome Dove. He has also written memoirs and essays, and received an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay for his work on Brokeback Mountain.

Reviews for Custer

[Desander Más · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Provided a great deal of insight into Custer, the period in which he lived, and the lives and mindset of the western Indians. Enjoyed the audio version - well read.

[William Neary · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Very well written and researched. A must for the amateur and professional historian.

[Dan Failla · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Quick and a no frills take on Custer. Painted my living room while listening.

[lpg3d · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

The only reason this book is getting two stars instead of one, is that most of the illustrations are excellent. In particular, the two stereo photos on pages 30-31 and 142 are outstanding. However, the stereo pair on pages 30-31 is not labeled as a 3D photo (view it with crossed-eyes) and most people probably think that the publisher mistakenly place the same photo on the two pages. Also, the illustrations really need more description than just their titles. It would be nice to know who painted some of the paintings, when they were painted, and where they reside. That covers all the good points of the book, now on to the rest... The text is pathetic. It appears to be just random thoughts of a Custer history fan. The paragraphs don't follow a logical flow and often repeat a phrase or thought that was written just a couple of paragraphs previously. I really can't believe that Larry McMurtry wrote this book. The text does not appear to follow any kind of chronological (or any other) order and is simply a jumbled mess. It assumes that the reader is very familiar with the biography of Custer, and vaguely references events without explaining them. I'm really glad I bought this one used and didn't pay full price for it. Welcome to my sucks-ass bookshelf Larry.

[nwieme-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Listened to this... really enjoyed it!

[reinadecopiaypega · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Meh.

I am unclear as to why this author chose as his subject someone he clearly does not like and leaves snotty and snarky comments throughout the book.

Being that this is my first book on Gen Custer, I have no gauge for knowing what is true and what is not, as there are many many reviews on this book that claim it is inaccurate, grammatically incorrect, a bad editing job, etc.

I will have to read other books because it is very hard to get the truth when someone is writing about someone they clearly do not like or respect.

[yvonne.sevignykaiser · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

History on George Armstrong Custer and the Battle of Little Big Horn. This book is filled with a lot of great information and pictures from the period as well as many art depictions of the battle. Great Coffee Table book and history.

[joeydag · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Very short read that opens the big questions about what Custer and Little Big Horn mean to American History. One factoid the author repeats is the US government made 341 treaties with the Native Americans and broke every one of them. I may have misremembered the exact number but the author honestly describes himself as no historian but asserts the history is disgraceful. Lots of photographs and reproductions of artwork. As James Joyce said "History is a nightmare from which I'm trying to awake."

[artymedon · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Beautifully illustrated "Custer" is a book in which the author's skill resides as much in the text as in the choice of pictures, some early photographs, which reveal the psychology of the participants in their youths and in the case of Custer, in his abbrieved maturity - if he ever had one. They are better than paintings in which artists try to reconstruct the grim reality of the "Last Stand". The Author stated that his intention was to complete a short biography simply because he felt the abundance of existing books about Custer and other Custerology documents did not justify a new narration of the famous battle. Yet he highlights how important was this battle despite the small number of participants and the fact it was "won by the losing side".Yet it remains that the June 25, 1876 cavalry charge of 350 troopers and officers against 2,500.00 Sious and Cheyennes warriors ..."ended the American settlement narrative".A copy of Custer's last written message to Benteen" "Come on, be quick. Be Quick. Bring Packs" are the many details that make McMurtry's book sensational, giving a glimpse into how Custer's life in the plains was perceived by his contemporaries and how it resonates to the present.Admirable book throughout. Tough men or exterminators, the judgement of history will remain that exquisite cultures were nearly anihilated by government officials who signed 350 treaties and broke each one of them. Could the West have been shared with the various native cultures who lived in their territory? The Author leaves Black Elk respond when talking over :Wounded Knee": "I did not know then how much was ended."...

[cantbe20 · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

To put it simply, this is a very bad book. Larry McMurtry has written some fine books, but this is not one of them. It feels like he knocked it off over a long weekend. It is full of irrelevant asides; the structure is non existent. It feels like he tossed all the sentences up in the air, and printed them as they fell.The illustrations are beautiful, as they should be in what is essentially a picture book. But there is far too little information included: who painted this? who took this photograph and what was the occasion? This is extremely lazy and irritating.

[eeharris · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

Custer, by Larry McMurtry, promises to bring the complexity of George Armstrong Custer to life by illuminating his difficult marriage and his glory-seeking in an assessment of Custer’s fame and the power of his personality while redefining the common understanding of the American West. This title is published by Simon & Schuster, ISBN: 978-1-4516-2622-3 as an ebook.The author begins by explaining that his work will cut through much of the irrelevant guesswork that is common in most of the writing on Custer. For example, he seriously questions the necessity of discussing why one corpse was found with 150 arrows in it. It’s irrelevant, he argues. However, in chapter 30, the author expressly raises that very question. After considering CPT Tom Custer’s death, the author is puzzled as to why 105 arrows were found in a body and that this fact should really fascinate “students of mutilation”. The narrative then launches into a lengthy comparison of Fremont, a man who was once employed as a topographer. This rather long section seems to be more of a set up for character assassination than it does with serious historical engagement. The reader is informed that Custer abandoned his men, like Fremont. Custer was court-martialed, like Fremont. Custer wanted to be president, like Fremont. Fremont is not relevant to the purpose of the book.Many of the illustrations are carelessly mislabeled. Most of the photographs have no contextual significance. One picture bears the text “Custer with his horse, Comanche” yet it is not a picture of Custer (it’s Gustav Korn) and it’s not Custer’s horse (it belonged to CPT Keogh). The picture itself was taken long after the battle anyway. Another picture is described as being Custer and the scout Curly in 1876. It isn’t. It is a picture of the scouts Goose and Bloody Knife with Custer in 1874. Lastly, a photo of “Custer and Little Wolf” is actually a photo of C. Lyon Berg taken in 1908. Incidentally Charles L. Von Berg was a known “Custer battle impostor” who claimed that he was the inspiration for Buffalo Bill Cody’s Western tales. Why are those pictures placed in those chapters? What is the relevance? There needs to be some fact checking before Simon & Schuster unleashes this inaccurate study on the public.Other examples of areas that need work are where the author claims General Custer wrote the famous last message, carried by John Martin, to Benteen. He even provides a picture of it with the actual signature, not by Custer, but by the real person who wrote the note, and the historical record bears this out, of Lt. Cooke who was Custer’s adjutant. Another is that this book claims Private Thomas Coleman was the first Soldier to arrive on the battlefield after the defeat. But this is far from true. LT Roe was the first US Soldier to see the carnage from a distance. LT Bradley, from Terry’s command, was the first physically on the battlefield, even performing the first body count before reporting the fate of the 7th Cavalry back to General Terry. Details matter. It is careless to go to print without diligent research. This book is not a reflection of serious study.Overall, I did not find any of this title’s claims to be borne out in the text. I did not find scholarly participation with the subject. Much of what I read was conjecture or inspired by rumor. The errors struck me as minor at first--surely no historian can get every detail right¬--but error compounded error so much that I was overwhelmed by the careless mistakes. I do not believe this is a good introduction to the subject of Custer and the Little Bighorn battle. It does nothing to contribute to the works already available. It does not meet a single of its intended purposes. It holds no content that is new or revealing about the topic.Almost as if the author knew the work was faulty are the final statements appearing after the bibliography where the author accuses most Custer historians of being “peculiar” and “cranky.” Perhaps it is good to listen to cranky, peculiar scholars from time to time in order to avoid academic embarrassment.