In the election year of 1876 the Battle of the Little Big Horn was
horrifyingly fresh to opinion makers, who divided along political
lines in assigning blame. The late General George A. Custer, who
had been a Democrat with aspirations to high office, was more
pilloried than praised by President Grant and influential editors
of Republican newspapers. Coming to the defense of Custer was
Frederick Whittaker, who less than six months after the disaster
published this first biography of him. "A Complete Life" was the
beginning of a legend, and Whittaker did more than anyone else
except Libby Custer to make the flamboyant Boy General a permanent
resident of the national consciousness.
Quite aside from its contribution to the public image of Custer,
this important book placed him and his associates against a
concrete background of onrushing events. Drawing on newspaper
reports and the general's own words, Whittaker captures the
excitement of the era. In Volume 1 a boy's life in Ohio is made
immediate. Then Custer's escapades as a cadet at West Point (where
he was called Fanny because of his golden locks), his courtship of
Judge Bacon's saucy daughter, and his singular service as a
cavalryman in the Civil War are described in vivid circumstantial
detail. From the first Battle of Bull Run through Gettysburg and
the Virginia campaign he is seen in action, conspicuously defying
death and winning promotion. Volume 2 deals with Custer's fighting
in the West, ending with a memorable description of his last stand
at the Little Big Horn in June 1876.
The introduction to Volume 1 is by Gregory J. W. Urwin, who won
praise for "Custer Victorious: The Civil War Battles of General
GeorgeArmstrong Custer," also a Bison Book.
General
Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate?
Let us know about it.
Does this product have an incorrect or missing image?
Send us a new image.
Is this product missing categories?
Add more categories.
Review This Product
No reviews yet - be the first to create one!
Welcome to Loot.co.za!
Sign in / Register |Wishlists & Gift Vouchers |Help | Advanced search
