Greasy Grass: A Story of the Little Bighorn

by Johnny D. Boggs

Boggs brings the events and personalities of Little Big Horn to life in a series of first-hand accounts.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Westerns

266 pages, Hardcover

First published December 18, 2013

About the author

Johnny D. Boggs is a Spur- and Wrangler Award-winning author of the American West and frontier. Born in 1962, Boggs grew up on a farm near Timmonsville, South Carolina, around the old stamping grounds of Revolutionary War hero Francis Marion (chronicled in his frontier novel The Despoilers). He knew he wanted to be a writer at an early age. He lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico with his wife, Lisa Smith; son, Jack Smith Boggs; and basset hound, June.

Reviews

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Boggs has done an amazing job in telling the story of the Battle of Little Big Horn on June 25, 1876. He does so by telling the story from the perspectives of many different participants, both American and Native American. We hear first-hand accounts by General Custer himself as well as other officers and men of the 7th Cavalry and by the "Indians," such as the Lakota leaders Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse.
One interesting account is from "Libbie" Custer, widow of the slain general. The story opens in 1926 and Libbie is in New York following the 50th anniversary commemoration of the "Custer Massacre" on the radio. She has spent the last fifty years working to commemorate her husband and making sure that the nation will never forget the yellow-haired military hero who died fighting the "savages."
We also hear from Black Elk, a Lakota boy, who was swimming in the river when the first attack of the "wasicus" (whites) came. At the end of the story, it's 1933 and Black Elk is an old man. He still remembers "the Greasy Grass Fight," as the Indians call it. He says, "It was the greatest Lakota victory. Yet, also, it proved to be our downfall. Yes, we defeated Long Hair. We sang victory songs that evening for we did not know the truth, and the truth was this: Our world ended, too, at the Greasy Grass."

[Ken · Rating 5 out of 5]

Greasy Grass: A Story of the Little Bighorn by Johnny D. Boggs
Based on personal accounts and court board of inquiries, personal letters, testimonies, family histories of participants from young Lakota women & warriors and Chief's to lowly american soldiers who were freshly arrived immigrants, to wily civil war veterans with some very canning solutions & a type of cunning veteran soldiers have & even soldiers wives who were a over the bullshit army propaganda and sickened at several individuals, but as army wives completely understood that the army's honor trumps all & absolutely the army can't be tainted by any "real truths"

All of this information Boggs has formed into a story that was easy to follow even though it's a seemingly well known story it all seemed fresh to me, my only complaint well not really a complaint but a wish is that it was a little bit longer and certain parts fleshed out a bit more it came to an end very quickly.

It has some very intense battle scenes brutally and vividly portrayed so if your not into that type of action then give this a miss. But I thoroughly enjoyed all the different perspectives.

[Joyce · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't know what the reading experience is like, but listening to this book read by a full cast is an exceptional experience. Most of us are familiar with the Battle of the Little Big Horn—named for the river called the Greasy Grass in the Lakota tongue—where Custer’s ego led to the massacre of the 7th Cavalry by a much larger force of Lakota and Cheyenne in 1876. Nine narrators inhabit the 47 characters, and their memorable performances immerse listeners in compelling first-person accounts from both the army’s and Native American’s points of view. A wide range of historical characters are represented from Custer, his generals, and soldiers to Sitting Bull, Crazy Horse, and even Custer’s wife Libbie. The story is told in short pieces from various points of view, and that makes it feel so immediate. Custer’s braggadocio sets the stage for the debacle, while his soldiers and generals bicker among themselves. Native American guides offer disturbing news that is assiduously ignored. On the Lakota/Cheyenne side, warriors and women dream and plan. Vivid descriptions, sometimes of savage brutality, add drama and authenticity to these fictionalized narratives. The even-handed examination of what went right and wrong on both sides and the haunting voices that tell their own tales make this engrossing western-set novel an example of historical fiction at its best.

[Juni Fisher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Never before have I read (via audio) a book about the battles along the Little Big Horn that carried such heart-wrenching power. Quite simply, this is the most stunning work of historical fiction I've seen, and I found myself caught up in the anguish, fear, confusion, and resignation of the people Johnny D. Boggs has brought to life. It's a matter of literary genius to voice such diverse characters, from native American warriors, to teenagers, from the spoiled Mrs. Custer, to a woman searching for her husband following a battle, from an Italian transplant who speaks little English but is charged with delivering a desperate plea for help, to a hardy Irishman who, driven by thirst, takes part in a heroic run for precious water.

I hoped to hear accounts, and recount history through this book, and instead, felt the sting of gun smoke and alkali dust, and saw the battles from within the battle, through the eyes of those who never got a chance to tell the stories. It's a brilliant piece of story-telling, and I predict whatever awards can be bestowed upon Mr. Boggs shall be bestowed, but moreover, this work should go into every library in the nation as testament to what happened that summer day in the valley of the Greasy Grass. Bravo, Mr. Boggs.

[SamT · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a work of fiction and the reader is told that right up front. It is an account of the Custer Massacre told in a manner that is much different from most of the "Custerology" I have read before.
In forty-nine chapters, the author writes a first person account of the involvement of many of real participants in the battle including Custer himself.
I liked the book and think it is an entertaining change of pace from the speculation of many historians who have written of the battle.

[Andrew McBride · Rating 4 out of 5]

In ‘GREASY GRASS’ multi-award-winning western novelist JOHNNY D. BOGGS tells the story of probably the most famous event in the American Indian Wars – the battle of the Little Big Horn, aka ‘Custer’s Last Stand.’ And he does it in 50 or so short chapters, each told from a different first-person viewpoint. The novel is narrated by participants on all sides of the conflict. And rank doesn’t carry here – a Cheyenne woman, a Sioux boy or a lowly private or trumpeter in Custer’s Regiment rate as much space as the more famous players like Crazy Horse, Sitting Bull, Captain Benteen or Custer himself. As far as I can tell all the narrators are historical so ‘GREASY GRASS’ is more ‘faction’/ ‘non-fiction novel’ than straight fiction – so I was afraid this might just be a dry re-cycling of facts. And, as a novelist myself, I would have thought this format wouldn’t work. How could you possibly engage readers with 50 briefly-introduced characters, who can never be more than thumbnail sketches? And yet it does work. Boggs focuses on just the right aspects of these characters to humanise them and make them distinct. And the pacing of the novel makes it a thrilling ride. We start off – as the campaign did – in an orderly fashion but by the time we’re in the mayhem of battle events pass in a blur of fear, chaos and confusion. Some of the narrators at this point barely speak before they’re facing death from a bullet or tomahawk. ‘GREASY GRASS’ reminded me of a first-rate drama/documentary (e.g. John Prebble’s ‘Culloden’) that would work extremely well visually. While not shirking controversial aspects (particularly in his depiction of Major Reno) Boggs is even-handed in his story-telling. This is no good-versus-evil clash but a portrait of flawed men and women in a desperate situation spiralling out of control. And, from a writing viewpoint, Boggs breaks what I would consider significant rules in novel writing and still brings it off. Recommended.

[Buck Edwards · Rating 4 out of 5]

Greasy Grass is a work of genius, nothing short of poetry, albeit, violent poetry in a violent time. Told through the eyes of both whites and natives, Johnny Boggs lays bare the sentiments of his characters, fictionalized, of course, but well researched. Excellent.

[Juni Fisher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved every minute of this! If you are a history buff, and you have ever had an interest in the Battle of the Little Big Horn, this is a must...great historical fiction.

[Marvin · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you have a choice, I recommend you listen to the audiobook. The large cast adds greatly to the impact of this tale of Custer’s last stand.

[Kyle Fenwick · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading the book Greasy Grass. Throughout each chapter a new story is told from a different perspective on the same battle being fought throughout the entire book. It gives a new and rather cool perspective on the battle with each new chapter and it goes into great detail about everything that is going on to the point it may be too much for certain readers. I liked this book a lot because it made me wanna keep reading. It didn't get boring at all for me and I like books with topics such as wars and big battles so it was nice to read. I have now finished the book and would recommend it to anyone with an interest in history or military based writing that can handle the blood and gore portrayed in the book.

[Patrick SG · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fictionalized account of the Little Big Horn battle, this novel approaches the subject through the eyes of multiple participants - some famous, some not so. It necessarily has to put words into the mouths of those who could leave no written record of their experiences, but it does so in a believable manner that hews closely to the known or conjectured record. The most moving section for me was where cavalry survivors have to run a gauntlet to fetch water from the river in order to survive the aftermath.

[Meg · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting fictional take on the Greasy Grass Fight, often called the Battle of the Little Big Horn. Based on many recountings of that day and narrated from the view of many different people involved, this helps to bring it to an individual, human level.

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

First person views from both sides. Easy and entertaining

[tiffany · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very well written!

This is quite possibly the best written book I have ever read about the battle of the Little Bighorn. To me it ranks right up there with A Terrible Glory and The Last Stand. While those books are highly factual, they are told in 3rd person, and can' t put the reader in the middle of the fighting like a 1st person account can. When a person thinks about the battle, they usually ask, "What must it have been like on that hill, in the valley, or even in the village of teepees by the river?". Even though this is a work of fiction, because no one can say for certain what was going through the minds of Custer and the soldiers who died with him, many known facts are presented. So much so, that one gets the feeling of, "This is what it must have been like."

[Donald Paulsrud · Rating 5 out of 5]

A short read, but a good one. Boggs turns the story of the Little Big Horn into a historical fiction tome. He uses numerous people who were there (from both sides) and gives us his version of how they would have seen the events. It is a very interesting way to write a book and I actually enjoyed it quite a bit. A few of the "chapters" were pretty short (1 page or less) but a few of the major players got a little more print. One heads up - if you are a Major Reno supporter you probably will not like the chapters that five his personal views of the battle as it unfolds. After reading numerous books on the Little Big Horn fight from historians (and enjoying all of them) the historical fiction viewpoint was a good change of pace.

[Gerald Hickman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoy J. D. BOGGS WRITING. His story about the battle of Greasy Grass is important to me. I wrote a book about the same subject. My title is Medal of Honor, and I wrote chapters about many of the participants at the battle as well. Especially is his chapter on Mike Madden and you should compare my chapter with his. My book is available on Amazon.com and many other outlets. I was a Park Ranger at Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument so my take on the battle and the. history of the time in question shouldmbe of interest to all those students of the history of this era of American Frontier History.

Gerald Hickman

[Ryan Hopping · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty fun read from different perspectives of the battle. The short chapters make for a quick read. A few inaccuracies, but otherwise well worth the time. My only complaint, the author used a lot of factual histories to bring the reader up to speed (i.e. Calhoun being an in-law, Benteen and Joel Elliot) rather than let the story tell itself.

[Al Berry · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well done, but not my cup of tea.

Historical fiction / speculation surrounding the Little Big Horn as told from many different personalities point of view. For instance at one point it is told from an Indian’s point of view, who has heard that Longhair (Custer) has cut his hair before leaving the Fort, he analogizes to Samson, that it will mean the loss of Custer’s power and his defeat.

[Bob Spears · Rating 3 out of 5]

It should probably get a 4-star rating for the historical content. And the various “assumed” reports/accounts were interesting. It felt disjointed the way it went from voice to voice, from Indian viewpoint to Soldiers. Good though.

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written account of the Battle of Little Big Horn. The inhumanity committed by both sides is graphically described.
I have been to this battlefield and it helped to visualize what was going on during the battle as described in the book.

[Noreen Fish · Rating 4 out of 5]

Listened to audio

[Darren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Engrossed

Good read, really enjoyed the concept and found it educational. This was my first novel by Johnny Boggs will definitely read another. Recommended.

[A.T. · Rating 2 out of 5]

The first hand accts didn't read like oral stories, diaries or letters or ecen first hand recollections. They sounded so overly dramatic that it made them hard for me to get into.

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found the format of this really difficult to get into.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good historical fiction. Boggs has researched this heavily, and presents first-person narratives across the entire Battle of Little Bighorn spectrum. Fascinating stuff.

[Teri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not an easy subject to read about, but the book is well written, from several different perspectives; some that served alongside Custer, some Lakota people.

[David W. Kasich · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting viewpoint from the Lakota perspective. Good writing!!

[Don · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very Thought-provoking

To hear this story told in the words of the participants is very interesting. However one must remember that poetic license is used in places. That said it's not detrimental to the story and as a person who has life long been interested in these events I found it via Ryan enlightening to my thoughts on the battle.

[Vincent Andersen · Rating 3 out of 5]

“First hand accounts” from the participants that died….how does that work?
Some interesting information, but so slanted it’s impossible to rely upon.