Bestselling author and National Book Award-winner Nathanial Philbrick reveals the context and realities of Custer's unexpected 1876 defeat at the hands of his Indian enemies under Sitting Bull, and the character of each leader.By Up to Date
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It's been said that more has been written about the Battle of Little Bighorn than any other battle fought on American soil.?
Little Bighorn and Custer are names synonymous in the American imagination with "unmatched bravery" and "spectacular defeat." Mythologized as "Custer's Last Stand", the June 1876 battle has been equated with the Alamo.
Sitting Bull led the Plains Indians in what was believed to be one last stand for the Sioux and Cheyenne Indian nations - holding their ground in southern Montana.? Within a few years, all major tribal leaders would be confined to reservations.?
Steve Kraske and author Nathaniel Philbrick discuss his narrative on the battle, subject of his new book The Last Stand: Custer, Sitting Bull, and the Battle of the Little Bighorn.
Additional Information:
You can visit Nathaniel Philbrick's website here.
Nathaniel Philbrick is a leading authority on the history of Nantucket Island. His In the Heart of the Sea won the National Book Award. He's also the author of Mayflower and Sea of Glory, about the epic U.S. Exploring Expedition of 1838-1842. His other books include Away off Shore: Nantucket Island and Its People, 1602-1890 and Abram's Eyes: The Native American Legend of Nantucket Island.? He has written an introduction to a new edition of Joseph Hart's Miriam Coffin, or The Whale Fisherman, a Nantucket novel (first published in 1834) that Melville relied upon for information about the island when writing Moby Dick. Philbrick, a champion sailboat racer, has also written extensively about sailing, including The Passionate Sailor (1987) and Second Wind: A Sunfish Sailor's Odyssey. He was editor in chief of the classic Yachting: A Parody (1984). In his role as director of the Egan Institute of Maritime Studies, Philbrick, who is also a research fellow at the Nantucket Historical Association, gives frequent talks about Nantucket and sailing. He has appeared on NBC Today Weekend, A&E's Biography series, and National Public Radio and has served as a consultant for the movie Moby Dick, shown on the USA Network. He received a bachelor of Arts from Brown University and a Master of Arts in American Literature from Duke. He lives on Natucket with his wife and two children.