Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    Unavailable
    A Terrible Glory: Custer and the Little Bighorn---the Last Great Battle of the American West
    Unavailable
    A Terrible Glory: Custer and the Little Bighorn---the Last Great Battle of the American West
    Unavailable
    A Terrible Glory: Custer and the Little Bighorn---the Last Great Battle of the American West
    Audiobook15 hours

    A Terrible Glory: Custer and the Little Bighorn---the Last Great Battle of the American West

    Written by James Donovan

    Narrated by James Boles

    4/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    In June 1876, on a desolate hill above a winding river called "the Little Bighorn," George Armstrong Custer and all 210 men under his direct command were annihilated by almost 2,000 Sioux and Cheyenne. The news of this devastating loss caused a public uproar, and those in positions of power promptly began to point fingers in order to avoid responsibility. Custer, who was conveniently dead, took the brunt of the blame.



    The truth, however, is far more complex. A Terrible Glory is the first book to relate the entire story of this endlessly fascinating battle and the first to call upon all the pertinent research and findings of the past twenty-five years-which have significantly changed how this controversial event is perceived. Furthermore, it is the first book to bring to light the details of the U.S. Army cover-up and unravel one of the greatest mysteries in U.S. military history.



    Scrupulously researched, A Terrible Glory will stand as a landmark work. Brimming with authentic detail and an unforgettable cast of characters-from Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse to Ulysses Grant and Custer himself-this is history with the sweep of a great novel.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherTantor Audio
    Release dateApr 21, 2008
    ISBN9781400176748
    Unavailable
    A Terrible Glory: Custer and the Little Bighorn---the Last Great Battle of the American West
    Author

    James Donovan

    Born in New York City in 1916, James B. Donovan graduated from Fordham University and Harvard Law School. A commander in the Navy during World War II, he became general counsel of the Office of Strategic Services and was associate prosecutor at the principal Nuremberg trial. Mr. Donovan subsequently acted as chief counsel in major trials and appeals in over thirty states, and was an insurance lawyer and partner at Watters and Donovan. He was Democratic candidate for United States Senator from New York in 1962; served as general counsel for the Cuban Families Committee, obtaining the release of more than 9,700 Cubans and Americans from Castro’s Cuba; was president of Pratt Institute; and was president of the Board of Education of the City of New York. He died in 1970, and was survived by his wife and four children.

    Related to A Terrible Glory

    Related audiobooks

    Native American History For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      A Grave legacy

      Oct 26, 2021

      A Grave legacy
      10 min read

    • Article

      Must See, Must Read

      Mar 24, 2020

      Must See, Must Read
      13 min read

    • Article

      Must See, Must Read

      Mar 26, 2019

      Must See, Must Read
      12 min read

    • Article

      Letters

      Aug 5, 2021

      On reading your recent article about cricket (Batting for the British Empire, July ) I was reminded of a story my father told about his Great Uncle Willy. This was deputy surgeon-general William G Don MD, who served on the Duke of Wellington in the B

      4 min read

    • Article

      Letters

      Sep 24, 2019

      Letters
      3 min read

    • Article

      Mac At The Front

      Nov 17, 2020

      Mac At The Front
      4 min read

    • Article

      Digging Culp’s Hill

      Jun 29, 2021

      Digging Culp’s Hill
      6 min read

    • Article

      Worst Of The Sioux Wars

      Mar 24, 2020

      Worst Of The Sioux Wars
      12 min read

    • Article

      Letters

      Mar 18, 2021

      A New Low for US Democracy? (March) rightly held up a mirror to Americans who were quick to take comfort in their national identity by distancing themselves from the rioters on Capitol Hill [on 6 January] by saying “this is not who we are”. However,

      3 min read

    • Article

      Cree Credence

      Jul 28, 2020

      I read with interest Jon Guttman’s “Hunting Big Bear,” in the February 2020 issue of Wild West. There are a few sentences in his article that refer to the motives of the Crees based on the history created by the Canadians (soldiers, survivors, politi

      3 min read

    • Article

      Where Were They Buried?

      Jul 31, 2020

      Where Were They Buried?
      4 min read

    • Article

      Must See, Must Read

      Nov 26, 2019

      Must See, Must Read
      12 min read

    • Article

      Anniversaries

      Oct 27, 2022

      Anniversaries
      4 min read

    • Article

      Letters

      Oct 28, 2021

      As an ex-amateur boxer, I was interested in the reference to black American world heavyweight champion Jack Johnson in Prejudice on the Pitch (October). My great uncle Alan fought Johnson in Portsmouth on 11 June 1908. Because of Home Office interfer

      4 min read

    • Article

      When Earp Met Hearst

      Nov 8, 2022

      When Earp Met Hearst
      2 min read

    • Article

      Hero’s Welcome

      Dec 15, 2020

      Hero’s Welcome
      10 min read

    • Article

      Miscellany

      Mar 9, 2021

      Miscellany
      6 min read

    • Article

      Must See, Must Read

      May 11, 2021

      Must See, Must Read
      14 min read

    Reviews for A Terrible Glory

    4/5

    85 ratings6 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 5/5
      A well written and well researched on George Armstrong Custer's feats and misdeeds with the American Indians. It is amazing as how when we read of these people a hundred years after the fact, we so clearly see their follies and errors. Definitely worth your time. Also some mental comparisons between the enlisted soldiers attitudes after the batles and our currently returning home veterans from the middle east is in order. We may label it differently but the outcome in the same.
    • 5/5
      This is an excellent book in all respects, brilliantly structured and written. Extensively noted, almost exhaustively so, but the notes are definitely worth the reading, some are as fascinating as the main text. The author's decision to include a detailed look at the campaign as well as the battle is a great help to better understanding why things happened as they did. To anyone looking to read up on this battle, whether for casual reading or academic study, this book is the best place to start.
    • 4/5
      This excellent book is the latest and most comprehensive treatment of the Battle of the Little Bighorn. It incorporates the newest forensic finds, includes much first hand information from the Native Americans involved in the battle, and traces the fates of not just the major players in the drama, but also every minor character that has even a scrap of information available.The book is thorough and very readable. I felt I knew these people, smelled the sweat of the riders, heard the crash of battle while I stood on the hillside with Benteen and Reno and did nothing.The bibliography is extensive, and the chapter notes are most thorough. In fact, I ended up using two bookmarks - one for my place in the text, and one in the Notes section to keep abreast of the citations and additional information the author added.The book also covers in detail the hearings and the coverup in the aftermath of the battle. In addition, the author details the Wounded Knee Massacre and its connections with the Little Bighorn Battle. Thorough, well-supported, minutely detailed, but readable and exciting. Highly recommended.
    • 5/5
      A thorough and engaging book about the Battle of Little Bighorn, Custer, Sitting Bull and most all the parties involved in the Spring / Summer of 1876. Donovan does a wonderful job of setting up the political environment, the plight of the Native Americans, and the greed of the United States, all of these factors leading up to the Battle, which is covered with equal meticulousness, and finally the aftermath. Donovan's point of view seems to place fault on a lot of factors, not just the traditional Custer's ego; Officers Reno and Benteen's behaviors toward their superior officer, the lack of communications, the sheer numbers involved. Really a terrific read and perhaps the best book about the subject available without necessarily taking sides.
    • 5/5
      This book is a well researched and comprehensive history of the Battle of Little Bighorn, its back history and subsequent events. The author does a good job of providing historical perspective by providing just enough background on the key figures, without detracting from the focus of the book itself, the days immediately preceding and following the battle. It is true that the author takes a very kind view of Custer, seeking to deflect much of the blame for the event on both his superiors and his subordinates. He does not, however, completely absolve Custer and presents a relatively well organized and presented argument for his position. While much can be faulted in the performance of Terry, Reno and Benteen, the ultimate responsibility for the results of the battle must rest with Custer. It should not be forgotten, however, that while the reader, and historians, are presented with detailed maps, timelines and the benefit of 20/20 hindsight, none of these luxuries was available to Custer or the other actors in the drama. Was Custer reckless and impetuous? Certainly, but the absence of such characteristics in a cavalry officer fighting plains Indians most times resulted in a lack of results. History had highlighted few times that cavalry was able to identify and attack a massed Indian force. To wait, after locating such a force would have likely resulted in a repeat of past history; the dispersal and melting away of the targeted enemy. Unknown to Custer and his subordinates was the size, scope and fighting spirit of the Sioux at Little Bighorn. While he had received intelligence on the size of the encampment, such intelligence was conflicting and not usually completely reliable. Virtually no one, not in the Seventh Cavalry, not in the Army in general, and certainly not in the country at large, could possibly conceive of an Indian force capable of defeating Custer's army. While the performance of Reno and Benteen can be faulted, and the later inquiry was certainly a stage managed farce, it is difficult to argue that alternate actions by the forces under their command could have done anything but expand the scope of the slaughter. Reno, a confirmed alcoholic who likely was drunk throughout the battle could have done little to improve the performance of the troops under his command once overwhelmed by vastly superior numbers. While his retreat and repositioning could have been more orderly and better executed, it did at least manage to save many of the soldiers in his command. Benteen, on the other hand, in command of a fresh regiment and in possession of orders to advance and provide support for Custer's forces, somehow escaped as the hero of the battle. No explanation was ever provided as to why these orders were disregarded. In any event, Custer's last stand and the Battle of Little Bighorn have become historical legend and provided the last gasp of the Lakota Sioux in the long effort of the United States government to subjogate the plains Indians and settle the Dakota Territory. This book is a very good overview of the events leading to and following that legendary clash.
    • 5/5
      I really enjoyed this. I've read other books on this battle, so I knew in advance what happened (see also - lived in the US my whole life, and generally considered sentient), but Donovan pulls it all together really well. Prior to this, I would have said Son of the Morning Star was my favorite book on this topic, but now I'd have to think about it. SOTMS is more lyrical, more free-ranging, but it really focusses on Custer. Terrible Glory gives us the other officers - Keogh, Benteen and Reno particularly, but not exclusively - with enough detail to give their place on the battlefield and the decisions they made there some context. He also goes into some detail about what happened to the major characters after the battle. Sadly, no one seems to have ended well, withe the possible exception of Libby Custer. She never remarried, even though she was still young, and spent her life campaigning for Custer's reputation, but she was sucessful, travelled widely, was respected and liked even by people who despised her husband, and died wealthy. At this point, I'm thinking that a biography of Libby would be well worth reading.Highly recommended.