Roy Bird

The Better Brother

Tom & George Custer and the Battle for the American West

• Broschiertes Buch

Produktbeschreibung

Years of painstaking research have uncovered more detail on Thomas Ward Custer, the younger brother of the legendary General George Custer. Historians are now coming to understand the full influence of Tom Custer on his brother and American life, from his heroic exploits during the Civil War to his legendary bravery during the Indian Wars, where he served under his brother as his aide-de-camp. Had Tom not been overshadowed by his more famous brother, he might well have become one of the more notable characters and military officers of the American West. Despite winning two Congressional Medals of Honor, his legendary feud with Rain-in-the-Face, the shooting scrape with "Wild Bill" Hickok, and many other fearsome exploits, Tom has taken a backseat to George in the American imagination. Only recently has his influence on the history of the United States become fully understood and appreciated by scholars. Author Roy Bird takes us inside the circle of Tom and Autie, whose close-knit relationship and intense rivalry in hunting, military skills, business, and even romance would span from their boyhood farm in Ohio to their heroic end at the Battle of Little Bighorn, where they were, as always, together. Bird's The Better Brother is not only the story of two brothers whose incredible talents and healthy rivalry drove each other to greatness, but also a story at the center of American history.

Produktdetails

• Verlag: Turner
• Seitenzahl: 310
• Erscheinungstermin: 12. Juli 2011
• Englisch
• Abmessung: 229mm x 152mm x 18mm
• Gewicht: 506g
• ISBN-13: 9781596527706
• ISBN-10: 1596527706
• Artikelnr.: 33112115

Autorenporträt

Historian, fiction writer, professor, and longtime Custer researcher Roy Bird was born in Herington, Kansas. A graduate of Kansas State University and Emporia State University, he has written or edited more than a dozen books and over two hundred articles and short stories about Kansas and the American West. Roy is on the adjunct faculty at Washburn University. He and his family live on a farm near Auburn, Kansas.

Inhaltsangabe

Introduction xi
1. The Formative Years 1
2. Military Life 18
3. Intermission and Introspection 39
4. Into Kansas and Back to the Service 58
5. Back on Campaign Again 77
6. The Winter Campaign 97
7. The End of the Winter Campaign and Kindred Matters 115
Image Section 131
8. Is It True What They Say? 135
9. A Shootout in Hays City 153
10. Reconstructing Erring Sisters 167
11. Return to the Plains 179
12. A Warrior Angered 194
13. The Last Campaign 209
14. The Last Battle 227
Conclusion 243
Afterword 252
Notes 255
Bibliography 275
Index 285