Book Review - Soldiers Falling Into Camp

For some odd reason, my brother, dad and yours truly have always been fascinated by the Battle of the Greasy Grass (Battle at the Little Big Horn). All three of us -- though not together -- have traveled to Montana to explore the historical park and battlefield. In fact, my dad makes an almost annual pilgrimage there with a friend of his! When he returns each year, I always ask him, "Is Custer still dead?"

Last summer my dad loaned me three books on the topic. I tend to read in spurts and I've been concentrating most of my attention lately on the Wen Tzu and now the Chuang Tzu. This past week, however, I finally decided to dive into one of the three books: Soldiers Falling Into Camp by Robert Kammen, Frederick Lefthand and Joseph Marshall III.

Unlike many of the historical works of this last stand for the plains Indians, this volume tells the story from both the white and red perspectives. It begins its narrative with the Battle at the Rosebud when General George Crook first engaged the large camp of Lakota and Cheyenne warriors and then proceeds to George Custer's ignoble debacle.

The title of the book alludes to a vision beheld by Sitting Bull, the Hunkpapa Sioux spiritual leader. He dreamed of "bluecoats" falling into the Indian camp along the Little Bighorn River. And the battle with Custer's 7th Cavalry played out like the dream!

While the book reads very easily, I was a bit bothered by some of the purported conversations between soldiers who died during the fight. In one instance, George Armstrong Custer supposedly discusses strategy with his younger brother, Tom (a captain within the regiment). Since both died later that day and no one else was privy to the conversation, I don't see how it could be reconstructed over 100 years later! Even worse, there are times when the authors try to tell us what George Custer was thinking in his little noggin.

Though these elements of the book were a bit distracting, overall I enjoyed the back and forth perspectives culled from the oral histories of the Indian participants and the few white soldiers who made it through the ordeal alive. If you're interested in the history of "Custer's Last Stand," this book definitely is an interesting and eye-opening read.

Here's the product description from the publisher.

This New and Enhanced Second Edition of Soldiers Falling Into Camp , the highly controversial book that shocked historians and rocked TV audiences from coast to coast. Out of print for years, this new and dramatically enhanced second edition features over fifty five pertinent photos from that era as well as prints of original art drawn by Chief Red Horse. The historical pictures and other drawings in the work are courtesy of The U.S. Army, the Denver Library, the Library of Congress, the Smithsonian Institute, and by Native American artists. Nine Maps of the battle area and terrain expand the readers understanding of battle strategies and their short comings. The work is fully indexed and referenced. The authors have been invited guests and interviewed by major TV and radio networks including such shows as the "Tonight Show", "Good Morning America" and "Larry King Live". In addition the work was featured in "USA Today" and the "Wall Street Journal."