Little Bighorn

Once known as "Custer’s Last Stand," the battle of Little Bighorn was the last triumph of the Plains Indians over Federal troops. Yet, the story of the battle is not simply one of Native Americans triumphing over Federal forces. Rather it is a gripping and poignant story of how the winners—the Native Americans in this case—became the ultimate losers of everything they held dear as a result of an overwhelming and unanticipated victory that served only to accelerate the use of military force against them.

Little Bighorn presents a balanced view of the battle and its context in a clear, informative and engaging way. It does this not only by covering the battle’s background, course and aftermath, but also by setting the scene, describing the way of life of the Lakota and Cheyenne Indians, the movement of white settlers West, and how their actions and attitudes quickly began to erode the Indian way of life.

The battle of Little Bighorn continues to fascinate people today, both because the battlefield itself continues to yield secrets and because it stands as a rare Native American victory in their struggle to preserve their way of life.

Numerous illustrations, maps and relevant quotations enrich the substantial text of Little Bighorn. The book ends with a section on the battlefield today, which includes information on recent archaeological finds, along with a timeline, a glossary, and lists of books to read and places to visit.

See how military conflicts influence history in unexpected and surprising ways.

Leila Toledo - Children's Literature

Historians are not really sure about all the details of the battle of Little Bighorn. Questions persist—like, why did Benteen not support Custer during the battle? Was Custer being reckless in leading his men into battle? Since all of the federal troops were killed we may never know. We do know that the Plains Indians, who came together under the leadership of Sitting Bull, defeated the federal troops but, in the end, lost everything that was important to them. They were eventually forced onto reservations and were unable to roam the plains as they had for centuries. The conditions and events prior to the battle, the details of the battle itself, what happened following the battle and how it changed the Native American's way of life are explained. A memorial to the soldiers and Native American warriors has been established on the site. The author provides the known details of the battle and the makeup of the Native American village by using maps, documents, colorful illustrations, paintings and photographs. Additional resources are also included. 2004, White-Thomson Publishing Limited/Enchanted Lion Books, Ages 13 to 16.

Brendan January has an A.B. from Haverford College and an M.S. in Journalism from Columbia University. He has written numerous nonfiction titles for young readers, 24 of which are in print, including The Thirteen Colonies, Fort Sumter, The Assassination of Abraham Lincoln. He lives in New York City.