Vengeance: The Last Stands of Custer, Crazy Horse, and Sitting Bull

by Tom Clavin

A dramatic new look at Custer's last stand in time for the 150th anniversary of the Battle of the Little Big Horn, by the #1 New York Times bestselling coauthor of The Heart of Everything That Is .

On June 25–26, 1876, the Battle of the Little Bighorn, commonly referred to as Custer's Last Stand, was fought between combined forces of the Lakota Sioux, Northern Cheyenne, and Arapaho tribes and the 7th Cavalry Regiment of the United States Army. Along the Little Bighorn River in Montana Territory, the battle resulted in the devastating defeat of U.S. forces and was the most significant action of the Great Sioux War of 1876.

Now, for the 150th anniversary of this famous engagement, #1 New York Times bestseller and coauthor of the biography of Sioux warrior Red Cloud, The Heart of Everything That Is, Tom Clavin takes a fresh look at Custer's Last Stand.

This dramatic look at the Little Bighorn battle has to not only include the Native American point of view―with two dynamic Native figures, Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse, on prominent display―but also the impact it had on the Plains Indians. It turned out to be their last stand too because a vengeful nation quashed any remaining resistance, with a conclusive massacre at Wounded Knee in 1890, almost simultaneous with the murder of Sitting Bull.

In addition, Custer’s character by June 1876 is at the heart of this world-famous disaster. For all his celebrated bravery, especially at Gettysburg 13 years earlier, Custer became a devout media hound, desperate to gain fame. Even, some say, his own demise was a misguided attempt at grabbing national He envisioned a massacre—just not his own. As both the camera and the tabloid came of age, George Armstrong Custer became America’s first bona fide celebrity.

Vengeance is a thrilling listen, filled with action, legendary characters, and poignance for the impact this had on Native Americans and the shape of the American West.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, American History, Audiobook, Native Americans, Native American, Biography

334 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 12, 2026

About the author

Tom Clavin is the author/coauthor of eleven books. His most recent is That Old Black Magic: Louis Prima, Keely Smith, and the Golden Age of Las Vegas.

His articles have appeared in Cosmopolitan, Family Circle, Men's Journal, Parade, Reader's Digest, and others.

He was a contributing reporter for the New York Times for fifteen years.

Reviews

[Matt · Rating 2 out of 5]

“Why another book on the Battle of the Little Big Horn? After all, a whole stable of distinguished writers…has tackled one of the most famous topics in American history. That very fame is a reason. The battle on June 25-27, 1876, is like our version of a Greek myth. It is a story of warriors clashing in the most dramatic way, and it ends in tragedy. With every retelling we reexperience that epic event and learn new things – or change our opinions – about the battle and its participants…”
- Tom Clavin, Vengeance: The Last Stands of Custer, Crazy Horse, and Sitting Bull

George Armstrong Custer is perhaps the most famous loser in American history. While he had a stellar record during the Civil War, countless forgotten or semi-forgotten men had stellar Civil War records. Immorality required something more.

That “something” turned out to be Custer’s disastrous decision to split his famed Seventh Cavalry into four parts, launch an ill-conceived attack against overwhelming odds, and to die dramatically with his entire immediate command on a sunbaked ridge in Montana. Ultimately, the hill that Custer chose to die on was constructed of arrogance, poor reconnaissance, and uncharacteristic indecision. Without this grisly finale, Custer would likely be relegated to the long list of competent cavalry commanders – such as Wesley Merritt and Benjamin Grierson – known today only to those with an abiding interest in the War Between the States.

This event – formally known as the Battle of the Little Big Horn – has gone down in history as “Custer’s Last Stand.” Taking place on June 25, 1876, just before the United States’s centennial celebrations, the catastrophic defeat of the Seventh Cavalry gripped the nation. Since that day we have been trying to unpack the mystery of how a brilliantly successful commander leading seven hundred mounted soldiers and scouts found himself detached from the rest of his regiment and surrounded by a thousand Indians.

You will not find the answer in Tom Clavin’s Vengeance, for there is not enough evidence to achieve that result. You will, however, find an answer in this quick, easy-to-read volume. Unfortunately, that answer has been cribbed from other, better authors in other, better books.

***

I will start with the obvious. This is an unpopular opinion. I recognize that mine is a minority report, though one that I hope to substantiate below. I am not trying to be contrary simply for the sake of contrariness. I am also not opposed to Clavin’s brand of popular history, which is meant to be brisk, entertaining, and accessible to all. These are generally good things. I should also add that I enjoyed Clavin’s The Heart of Everything That Is – cowritten with Bob Drury – which did a fine job recounting the life of Red Cloud and his famous victory over William Judd Fetterman.

The thing is, there are other titles on the Battle of the Little Big Horn that are just as popular, just as accessible, and just as entertaining as this one. The only difference is that those prior works were original in terms of the effort, research, and thought put into it by their authors. Vengeance is a derivative work cobbled together from prior secondary sources. It is not unlike the results you get from artificial intelligence, which vacuums up the efforts of others and then regurgitates a slightly altered version.

The most obnoxious part is that with Clavin’s bestselling reputation, Vengeance will undoubtedly sell far better than the previous books used to construct this one.

***

The table of contents provides fair warning about Vengeance’s sham pretensions. It is divided into six sections and ninety-five chapters that purport to take us through the lives of George Custer, the Hunkpapa Lakota Chief Sitting Bull, and the Oglala Lakota warrior Crazy Horse, culminating in the violent ends of all three. The kicker is that Vengeance is only 316 pages long, which is a ludicrously short span to embrace so much material.

Clavin manages to compress this mass by a concision bordering on the pointless. Every topic that is touched upon is pared down to the barest essentials. The result is that there are chapters here that are only two or three pages long. On the upside, you will not get bogged down. I got through this in three sittings, despite being a slow reader with four annoying kids. The downside is that complex historical events are boiled down to pithy summaries shorn of texture, resonance, detail, and moral weight.

Almost every chapter leading up to the Little Big Horn, and every chapter following the Little Big Horn, felt like a waste of time. It is a context so cursorily conjured that I found myself skimming. Mileage will obviously vary, and if you are less familiar with this period, perhaps you might get something out of it.

I will gladly admit that the battle itself is quite a bit better than its hasty prologue and epilogue. During this sequence, Clavin’s small-chapter technique works well to break down a confusing series of oft-inexplicable cavalry movements into its component parts. Alas, there is no accompanying map to show the tactical situation, meaning that you either have to imagine all the various coulees, hills, ridges, and river crossings, or set the book down to look up a map on the internet.

***

There were hundreds of white survivors of the Battle of the Little Big Horn. None of them were anywhere near Custer at the end. The only eyewitnesses to Custer’s demise were the Indian warriors who beat him. Over the years, a precious few of their accounts were collected by mostly-amateur white historians who, no matter how well-intentioned, brought a language barrier, their biases, and their preconceived notions into every interview. This makes sifting the evidentiary record quite difficult, though many – such as John Gray and Gregory Michno – have done so diligently.

Clavin skips this whole part of writing history and relies entirely on previously published, mostly mainstream volumes. As near as I can tell, the closest he comes to primary sources are the memoirs of Custer and his wife Elizabeth. There are also no endnotes. Though many assertions are made, not a single one is cited.

***

I should make clear that Clavin gives attribution to those writers whose work he is using to sell Vengeance. More particularly, he credits Nathaniel Philbrick (The Last Stand), James Donovan (A Terrible Glory), and Stephen Ambrose (Crazy Horse and Custer) effusively.

The problem is that Clavin excerpts them wholesale. There are big chunks of Vengeance that feel stitched together by the actual, literal words of others. In my experience, this is wholly unusual. Not only do these extended quotations serve to remind you of Clavin’s pedestrian set-pieces, but it amounts to an abdication of critical thought. Instead of marinating himself in this material, weighing the evidence, and coming to his own conclusion, he borrows everything. It is telling that Clavin acknowledges early on that part of the reason he wrote this was to capitalize on the 150th anniversary.

Worse, it is unclear whether Clavin did enough preparation to even know what secondary sources to look at. The bibliography is very thin, and is missing several important entries. Meanwhile, his inclusion of Ambrose’s work – filled with plagiarized passages and factual inaccuracies – gives me pause.

***

Clavin is something of a cottage industry. He pumps books out at a rapid pace. While this must make his accountant happy, it makes things tough on his editor. In other words, Vengeance is sloppy. On page 56, General Winfield Scott Hancock is introduced as “John Hancock,” thus confusing the hero of Gettysburg with the famed purveyor of large signatures. On page 224, Clavin attributes the last written message from Custer’s battalion to “Lieutenant Clarke,” instead of Lieutenant William Winer Cooke. Most jarringly, on page 23, he recounts the wholly fabricated tale of Captain Fetterman telling his commander to “give me eighty men” to ride through the Sioux nation. Clavin knows this never happened because he wrote an entire book about it.

Mistakes get made. To err is human. But when you are slapping a $32 sticker price on a hardcover, you have to do much better.

***

History is the best kind of drug. I am an addict, and I like seeing others get addicted too. Studying history is a marvelous way to develop empathy, find commonalities among a huge range of human experience, identify longstanding structural inequities, and broadly understand why were are where we are. It is also a ton of fun.

The last thing I want to do is dissuade anyone from embarking on a new nonfiction adventure. Clavin’s calling card is that he provides an easy fix. With that said, many of the titles he namechecks also fit comfortably within the realm of “pop history.” They are just as manageable as Vengeance, with the further advantage of having real substance to them.

[LPosse1 Larry · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m giving Vengeance: The Last Stands of Custer, Crazy Horse, and Sitting Bull 4 stars — a strong entry from Tom Clavin and, for me, a bit of a pleasant surprise. I’ve not always been a huge fan of Clavin’s work, but this one hit the mark.

Clavin delivers an engaging, highly readable account of the Great Sioux War of 1876, the Battle of the Little Bighorn, and the devastating aftermath that followed. The book explores George Armstrong Custer’s ambition, celebrity status, and fatal overconfidence while also giving meaningful attention to the perspectives of Sitting Bull, Crazy Horse, and the Lakota struggle to defend their land, culture, and way of life.

One of the most interesting aspects of the book for me was the connection between the Civil War and the Plains Wars. Clavin does a nice job showing how the U.S. military carried strategies, leadership styles, and attitudes forged in the Civil War westward into campaigns against Indigenous peoples. As someone deeply interested in Civil War history, I found those parallels fascinating — and unsettling.

I’ll admit it: I’m the kind of reader who likes it when the Indians win.

Clavin’s discussion of Lakota and Sioux warrior culture was especially compelling. The training of Sioux youth, their horsemanship, discipline, and battlefield skills help explain why they became such formidable warriors. Too often, Indigenous fighters are reduced to stereotypes or footnotes in Western history. This book reminds readers that these were highly capable military opponents defending their homes against overwhelming pressure.

The narrative doesn’t stop with Little Bighorn, and that is one of the book’s strengths. Clavin follows the tragic trajectories of Crazy Horse’s murder, Sitting Bull’s death, and ultimately the destruction of the Plains way of life culminating in the shadow of Wounded Knee. The victories of Little Bighorn feel temporary and heartbreaking when viewed against what followed.

If I have one critique, it’s that the book occasionally leans toward dramatic, popular-history storytelling over deeper analysis. But honestly, for a general audience history book, that accessibility is also part of its appeal.

In the end, Vengeance is a vivid, fast-moving, and empathetic retelling of one of the most important and tragic conflicts in American history. For readers interested in Custer, the Lakota leaders, the Indian Wars, or the darker consequences of westward expansion, this is well worth the read.

I learned a lot from this one — and found myself thinking often about courage, hubris, cultural survival, and the terrible human cost of conquest.
Interested in reading this wonderful book? The signed first edition copy I read is available for purchase at my lovely wife’s online bookstore
https://pangobooks.com/books/0fce92e5...

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you, NetGalley, for providing me with a free digital copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

There's something about the American west that enchants us, and whatever that something is, Vengeance: The Last Stands of Custer, Crazy Horse, and Sitting Bull has it. Eschewing the meta-commentary favored by many modern historians (especially where race is concerned) in favor of straightforward storytelling, Tom Clavin presents a fascinating tale of clashing civilizations at the edge of the world. Thanks to both the short chapters and compelling subject matter, Vengeance flies by, leaving the reader eager to learn more about its robust cast of characters.

And what a cast it is! Just about every famous name associated with the Wild West pops up at one point or another, whether it be Calamity Jane and Wild Bill Hickock or Black Elk and Buffalo Bill. I hadn't realized just how closely intertwined all the major historical figures of this era were, and it has the effect of making the West feel like an epic, replete with tales of intersecting battles, journeys, and tragedies.

Clavin regales the life stories of the three warriors at the center of the Battle of Little Bighorn—Gen. Custer, Crazy Horse, and Sitting Bull—while painting a terrifying portrait of the danger and violence that was always just a heartbeat away on the western frontier. Most crucially, Clavin also places enough trust in his audience to know that they can deduce right and wrong for themselves, and therefore don't need to be told when they're witnessing something unethical. What began as a tug-a-war for land in the Black Hills devolved into a cycle of retribution on behalf of the departed. Little Bighorn is the main focus of this book, but the epilogue reveals what became of the Lakota after their triumphant victory, ending in the massacre at Wounded Knee and the closing of the frontier (personally, I'm waiting for a book that ends instead with the Lakota adopting Calvin Coolidge, but alas, I shall have to wait a bit longer).

The story is a tragedy, yet Clavin has managed to avoid writing a depressing book. Brisk and informative, Vengeance is an engaging read (or listen) for history buffs and newcomers alike. I look forward to checking out more of the author's work in future.

[Ken Karcher · Rating 5 out of 5]

This period of our history has been inspected from every angle, and this author has combined all of that to give us a complete picture encompassing the entire battle, what caused it and the direct consequences for everyone connected with the battle. There are no punches pulled and no excuses given, the cause and effect is laid bare with no judgment issued. I have read a great deal of the background materials but have never had both sides of the battle laid out so well to see how it all functioned. Highly recommend for those interested in the Plaines Indians and Custer's last command, you won't find any new information but will be able to appreciate the new viewpoint.

[Adam Coombs · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review of Vengeance: The Last Stands of Custer, Crazy Horse and Sitting Bull by Tom Clavin

Trivia Question for all readers: How many horses have been given a full funeral with military honours by any branch of the United States Military?

The surprising and delightful answer to this question is four (which is four more than I guessed). Even more surprising to me is that three of these came in the 20th century. The first equine military funeral and the only one to take place before 1900 came in November of 1891 when Comanche, a survivor of the Battle of Little Big Horn died at the age of 29 at Fort Riley in Kansas. Found badly wounded after his rider, Captain Myles Keogh, was killed along with many other members of Lt. Colonel George Armstrong Custer’s Seventh Cavalry, Comanche was nursed back to health and then kept as an unofficial mascot at Fort Meade for the next eight years. The final, unexpected twist in this tale is that rather than being buried, the horse’s remains were preserved and the taxidermy animal has been on display at the University of Kansas Natural History Museum ever since.

The story of Comanche is recounted in the final chapter of Tom Clavin’s new book Vengeance: The Last Stands of Custer, Crazy Horse and Sitting Bull. It offers a feel good anecdote and a moment of levity in what is not a feel good or lighthearted story. Rather, in recounting the interconnected stories of George Armstrong Custer, Crazy Horse and Sitting Bull, Clavin crafts a tragic narrative, both for the obvious loser of the battle in Custer, who ends up dead alongside his brother and most members of the Seventh Cavalry, but also for the supposed victors. It is fitting that Clavin closes his book with the massacre at Wounded Knee in December of 1890, well after the three main figures in his narrative have been killed. For, despite Crazy Horse and Sitting Bull leaving the Little Bighorn battlefield in triumph in 1876, the ultimate story of the Lakota Sioux is one of dispossession, betrayal and ultimately, massacre at Wounded Knee fourteen years later.

Clavin ably handles the complexities of the story, weaving together multiple narrative threads that converge at the battle in 1876. He is a talented and accessible writer and the book, despite its dark and sometimes violent subject matter, is easy to read. Clavin has an eye for an engaging anecdote and he keeps the reader engaged throughout, even if it takes more than half the book to get to the actual battle. Further to his credit, he resists the urge to frame any of the key players as villains or heroes. The trope of violent and hostile indigenous people countering heroic white men is a common one, particularly when dealing with the history of the American West, and Clavin reflects the reality that the west was a violent place where the most savage acts were often carried out by the supposed forces of law, order and civilization.

While an engaging writer who has a wealth of material to work with, Clavin relies extensively on the work of other historians and researchers. Vengeance is a work of synopsis and not original research. Luckily for Clavin, there is a massive body of literature published on Custer, Little Bighorn, Crazy Horse, Sitting Bull and the Lakota. Clavin draws on these works and quotes from them extensively, often to the detriment of his work. Especially given the short chapters, when 20% of a chapter is direct quotations from other authors, the reader is sometimes left with the impression that it might be more efficient to read the quoted works instead. The fact that Clavin is simply summarizing existing works in an entertaining manner is further emphasized in the introduction when he states that the fact that 2026 is the 150th anniversary of the battle was his motivation for writing the book. While it is not necessary for an author to have astounding new insight on their topic, when it is a subject as heavily written about as Custer and Little Bighorn, having something new to say on the matter would be appreciated.

Throughout reading the book I kept making a comparison between Vengeance and the podcast The Rest is History hosted by Dominic Sandbrook and Tom Holland. The two hosts did an eight part series on the same subject in 2024. While both are published historians who have conducted extensive original research for their books, for their podcast, Sandbrook and Holland synthesize other scholars and writers work to present a compelling story to listeners. In that sense, they are doing exactly what Clavin attempts to do. Yet in terms of analysis and engagement, I kept rating the Rest is History series over Vengeance. I was drawn to Clavin’s book after listening to the podcast series and wanting to learn more. I generally (maybe to my detriment?) view podcasts as introductions to topics I am interested in and then if I am hooked, I will seek out a book on the subject (Side note, the two Rest is History hosts often have excellent suggestions for books). Yet, I ultimately found the book in this case more superficial and less informative than the podcast. I do not want to give the impression that Clavin’s work is bad. However, I hesitate to recommend to someone interested in the story of Custer, Crazy Horse, and Sitting Bull that they sit down and read Vengeance.

Final Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

[Sherwood Smith]

I've read some of Clavin's other books. He really knows his stuff about the so-called Wild West, and he writes engagingly, bringing the individuals to life.

So I looked forward to Vengeance, and he did not let me down!

Anyone curious about our country's expansion into the West, Custer and the battle at Little Big Horn, about the indigenous chiefs Crazy Horse and Sitting Bull, should give this books a try. Clavin not only covers their lives but his expertise in the time and area means he furnishes fascinating details that you would probably not get in a more general history.

Beware, though. Though the bloody-mindedness could go both ways, often because of sheer cultural misunderstanding as well as all the other human motivations for brutalizing one another, it was the indigenous people who kept getting lied to and basically scrod as the United States began gobbling up continental USA.

[Gary Anderson]

Tom Clavin’s Vengeance: The Last Stands of Custer, Crazy Horse, and Sitting Bull is an overview of the battles between Native Americans and the U. S. military in the years after the Civil War. Although the book is packed with information, it’s a little too heavy on the names-and-dates approach to history. I need to understand the people a little better in order to comprehend and appreciate their actions.

Clavin does provide more personal context for the three individuals mentioned in the book’s subtitle. I already knew a fair amount about George Armstrong Custer because he most likely had a negative effect on my family history. It’s no surprise that Custer is portrayed as brash, arrogant, sadistic, and impulsive, as well as courageous and charismatic. Crazy Horse was one of America’s greatest warriors, and Sitting Bull was one of America’s greatest leaders. Vengeance makes clear that the Plains Indians were never outsmarted by the U. S. Army; they were overpowered.

Thanks to Libro.fm for early access to this intriguing title.

[Dr. Alan Albarran · Rating 4 out of 5]

Most students of American history know of "Custer's Last Stand" where General George Armstrong Custer and his calvary were wiped out in a battle with the Sioux and Lakota Indian tribes at a place called the Little Big Horn in 1876. Recognizing the historical significance of that event that happened 150 years ago, author Tom Clavin takes the reader on a detailed examination of the events and people leading up to the massacre and what followed after the tragedy.

Most of the attention of this book is focused on Custer, and the prominent Indian warriors Crazy Horse and Sitting Bull. Each man in his own way ambitious, narcissistic, and a visionary leader of men/tribes. All three would find the climax of their lives at Little Big Horn (LBH).

Custer is an enigma. A talented yet egotistical soldier who rose to early fame in the Civil War, only to lose his rank and leadership role due to hubris and other shortcomings. The book offers a biographical examination of Custer, his life, and his wife and brothers, who died with him in Montana. Custer is not the hero we were taught in school, but a flawed soldier seeking his own glory with the hope of someday becoming the President of the United States.

Crazy Horse is an exuberant warrior who wants nothing but revenge against the white man. Angered by the murder of his loved ones, Crazy Horse wants to kill "yellow hair," the name for Custer.

Sitting Bull is the senior warrior, living more off reputation and respect than his role as a warrior. Sitting Bull did not fight in the Little Big Horn, but he put into place the formations of his tribes to kill Custer and his troops.

The actual battle takes up a large portion of the book, and Clavin delivers the action much like a play-by-play announcer for a playoff football game. The action is powerful, the blood and gore visceral and seemingly never ending. Even after Custer and his men are routed the women, children and elderly of the tribes mutilate the bodies of the soldiers, take anything of any value, and smash their heads open.

The impact of Little Big Horn led to the final battle between the white warriors and the Indians with the massacre at Wounded Knee, where over 300+ Indian men, women and children were murdered as revenge. After Wounded Knee there would be no more Indian Wars.

The author also offers us much briefer glimpses of the end of Crazy Horse and Sitting Bull, whose lives were actually taken by soldiers when they were held in prison. The remains of Crazy Horse are unknown. Perhaps fitting that the giant sculpture being built in South Dakota appears to be looking for something; maybe his own grave. Sitting Bull had years of life as a celebrity before his death, appearing in various cowboy shows and a long tenure with Buffalo Bill. Sitting Bull is buried in Mobridge, South Dakota, roughly 250+miles from the LBH battleground memorial.

Clavin dissects the key events of the Battle of LBH by drawing from four other established biographies of the event, culling facts here and there and adding his own unique touches. There is not original research in this book but that's ok; Clavin does a good job of retelling the story of Custer and LBH for a new generation of readers, as he has done with other subjects in his books.

I give the book 4.25/5 stars, primarily because it is a retelling or secondary analysis of this historical event, with no real "new" material added except for a few anecdotes here and there. It is a good place to start if you have not read any of the other literature on Custer/LBH. However, for more on the Indian Wars, readers should add Dee Brown's Bury Me at Wounded Knee to their list of important literature about Native Americans and their struggles to remain independent as the white man moved westward.

My thanks to the author, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for the chance to read an ARC of this new book.

[Janalyn, the blind reviewer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Vengeance the Last Stand Of Custard, Crazy Horse And Sitting Bull, by Tom Clavin, this is a well put together story that covers everything up until custard ‘sd‘s last stand in 1876 but before we get to there we learned the bios of all the key players and just know this isn’t your daddy‘s white washed history version but the real version where promises were made to the Native Americans and at the first sign of gold absolutely ran through the treaty without a second thought. as the story revs up to the last stand you will be asking yourself who’s vengeance? Hearing what really happened not only to the native Americans but the hubris that got some of the white men killed it really leaves you rooting for the Native Americans and we can go back and say but they would kill innocent homesteaders blah blah blah but Native Americans really lost everything with the colonization of white people they lost the way they lived how they fed their families and even when they with honor made a treaty with the American government that two was broken but this book isn’t about who’s right and who’s wrong it tells the real story of what happened who was involved and of course everything that happened because of it this is a great book it has a much more broader version with the biographies of sitting bull and crazy horse it’s more factual it’s just a great book that I definitely recommend I even ordered a hard back version for my husband for Father’s Day this is a great book for anyone who loves history especially American history. I love Tom Clavin‘s books it’s so I knew I would like this one but it makes me have even more respect for him. #NetGalley, #TheBlindReviewer, #MyHonestReview,

[Anna]

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.

This book was a bit of a disappointment, as I’m very interested in this historical event and had heard great things about the author. However, I decided to stop reading at around the 23% mark.

First, I found the writing style drier than expected and more textbook-like than narrative. I tend to prefer immersive, narrative-driven nonfiction.

Second, I noticed limited use of primary sources in the portion I read, with much of the material seeming to rely on secondary sources from other writers on the same topic.

Third, the author’s perspective felt quite pronounced. Personally, I prefer history books that strive for as much neutrality and balance as possible.

Finally, the very short chapters (often only a few pages each) didn’t work for me. They made the reading experience feel somewhat fragmented and surface-level rather than deeply developed.

For those reasons, I decided this book was not the right fit for me.

That said, readers who enjoy straightforward military history overviews, brisk pacing, and concise chapter-by-chapter structure may have a better experience with this one.

[Judith Holley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks NetGalley for an advance listeners copy.

This was awesome. Bite size chapters, with a whole lot of info per. What a messy messy time period. I truly enjoy hearing about the making of the United States, but I get easily thrown off when there’s a whole lot of “settlers were the good guys” type narrative. This was the opposite of that, and it was refreshing. Perfect mix of POVs, and I felt like I got a good look from all sides. Will for sure be buying this one.

[Larry · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 1/2 stars. Calvin’s account is good.

[Jim Kownacki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gave me new insights into a battle that helped define the American west at the time.

[Andrew Puente · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice and short. A good general overview of the subject material. I found it strange how many times the author referenced Stephen Ambrose. Halfway through I almost put this book down to go and get Ambrose's book.

[Brian Shevory · Rating 5 out of 5]

A corrupt government is populated with friends and relations of the president who seem to plunder and take advantage of lax oversight in the bureaucracy. The government displays animosity and weaponizes the military towards a disempowered minority, attempting to silence critics and minority factions that resist attempts at command and control. American society has been torn apart by serious issues of race, identity, and the economy, while politicians and people grapple with the future direction of the country.
Although these events seem like they may be ripped from today’s salacious headlines, it’s really a summary of some of the events that gripped America nearly 150 years ago 1876, as America grappled with westward expansion and removing the indigenous plains Indians from their roaming ways and proposing a more farmer like existence for these nomadic people. Tom Clavin’s excellent new book, Vengeance: The Last Stands of Custer, Crazy Horse, and Sitting Bull, captures much of the turmoil and resentment that festered between the government and the Plains Indians, resulting in one of the most stunning military defeats in American history.
I’m generally fascinated by this time period, and have read some other books about Indigenous People, but Clavin’s book was one of the more compelling and engaging books I’ve read about the frontier expansion. Maybe because he focuses on three of the primary characters in the Battle of Little Bighorn, Clavin is able to create a story where three distinct individuals collide in a violent fashion in this epic battle of the plains when America was still expanding its western territory, frequently making and breaking treaties. Clavin acknowledges that he’s not the first to write about this battle, and some of the other authors who he references throughout the book have wrote distinct and significant books outlining and analyzing the factors leading up to the battle and its aftermath. However, Clavin likens the story to a myth, where we recount the deeds of epic heroes, seeming to result in tragedy, whether through hubris or ignorance, and learn something new every time we recount the story. Thus, his contributions to this epic battle frame the battle by following the paths of Custer, Sitting Bull, and Crazy Horse, and how they all ended up converging in June 1876 on this field in the territory that would become Montana.
I loved how Clavin organizes the chapters to focus on each individual, and he keeps them brief, which kept me reading. The book is organized into 6 parts- The Invaders, The Defenders, The Expeditions, The Searchers, The Avengers, and the Last Stands. Each section focuses on events leading up to the battle, and Clavin’s keen eye for details limits overwhelming readers with too much information about how the Indian Plains Wars against the Sioux especially started. Nevertheless, he provides a fair amount of information to let us know about how Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse eventually came to power, as well as how Custer, a lackluster West Point graduate, leveraged some heroics and bravado during the Civil War to eventually become a general. Through Clavin’s recounting and analysis of the events, it seems like some of Custer’s meteoric rise and bravado created a kind of arrogance that brought about his violent end. Interestingly, I learned that Crazy Horse, while exalted as a great Lakota warrior, also experienced his own downfall in claiming the wife of another man before they were officially divorced. It’s these kinds of little details that provide a broader idea of the decisions and strategies that Custer, Sitting Bull, and Crazy Horse may have implemented during other events, giving us a sense of the kind of flawed heroes that our textbooks or high school history don’t always present to us for various reasons.
Clavin not only isolates these individuals but provides some important background in the policies of the US around the time of the Civil War, and how the focus was off westward expansion, during this time. When the war ended, it seemed like there was a large army in need of work and vast lands where gold and other resources were with people looking to move out of overcrowded cities for new opportunities and adventure. This led to threats and attacks on settlers, necessitating the building of forts and protection of the US Army on certain routes, like the Oregon Trail. It was fascinating to learn more about how these events and policies boiled tensions between different plains Indian tribes and the federal government. Along with broken treaties, reduced rations, and disease and illness, readers can also learn how the plains Indians were reduced in numbers and spirit, and yet leaders and warriors like Sitting Bull and Red Cloud arose to challenge the authority of the US government and the great father in DC.
Clavin’s recap of the battle alternates between the US forces, and the divisions of Custer’s men, who split up into separate groups, which ultimately led to their demise, and the warriors who followed Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse. Clavin’s even-handed research presents much of the arrogance and mismanagement, including the drinking from Major Reno, and the friction with Captain Benteen, which also seemed to factor into the poor decisions and fractured strategy in this campaign. Although there were no survivors in Custer’s actual group, Clavin referenced other books and the Sioux and Cheyenne survivors who participated and provided accounts of what exactly happened. It presents an important recounting that challenges many of the myths and heroic portraits of Custer that were pumped out as propaganda after the battle. As Clavin notes, Custer was considered a potential presidential candidate and was set to speak in Philadelphia for the Centennial celebration about a week later. However, due to the vast distance and limited reporting at the time, people were unsure of where he was or what happened in the battle. This kind of limited access to information allowed the military and Custer’s widow, Libbie, to reshape the narrative, which ultimately painted Custer as a hero and victim, a view that persisted for many years.
The last section of the book went by quickly, and it moves from the summer of 1876 to the aftermath in the next few years, and how this led to the last stands of Crazy Horse shortly after and Sitting Bull more than a decade later. Clavin also frames this idea of the government and military continuing to seek and harass these tribes for the defeat at Little Bighorn. Sadly, it ends with the slaughter at Wounded Knee, where nearly 300 Lakota people, mostly women and children, were murdered by the military. Clavin notes like Little Bighorn, the limited information available at the time worked to the military’s advantage, allowing them to frame this as another battle like Little Bighorn, but that was ultimately prevented from major military casualties. In fact, there were several commendations and awards given. Tying these events to the present, Clavin notes that there have been recent attempts to rescind these awards and commendations, although the current administration has fought that, despite legislation that has authorized taking these awards away from the unjust murder of hundreds of Lakota women and children.
Clavin has written a compelling and important story detailing the history and facts of a inflection point in American history, one which has been mythologized and used to create a kind of narrative about American exceptionalism while denigrating the role of Indigenous people in American history and has helped to educate and reframe the narrative. I learned a lot from this book. Furthermore, Clavin’s clear and engaging prose and his focus on the main protagonists in this tragedy, Custer, Sitting Bull, and Crazy Horse, creates a compelling story of three flawed men who converge on a hot battlefield in June of 1876. The story still resonates today, and it serves an even more important lesson in understanding the truth in history, and how events can be twisted and propagandized to either avoid accountability or to create American heroes. This is a really important and engaging read. Highly recommended! Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for sharing an advanced copy of Tom Clavin’s latest historical book Vengeance: The Last Stands of Custer, Crazy Horse, and Sitting Bull.

[Rob · Rating 3 out of 5]

As we approach the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Little Bighorn, “Vengeance” presents a timely account of this momentous piece of US History. While not necessarily a new piece of research, author Tom Clavin instead brings together a neatly, detailed retelling of the prelude, climax, and aftermath of Custer’s Last Stand by drawing on many prior lauded works. Easy to read, and fast paced throughout, this would be recommended for anyone looking to be introduced to this topic, which ultimately marked the beginning of the close of the Great Plains. A special thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced copy of this book.

[Carrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I went with 4.5 stars for the way that author Tom Clavin managed to relate the events leading up to and following the Battle of Little Big Horn (LBH) and all the various cast of actors involved through second-hand sources; which I have seen some reviewers somewhat fault Clavin for using too many direct quotes from those sources.

At the start, Clavin states that all he is doing is pulling together various sources to mainly tell the story, or last stands, of Custer, Crazy Horse, and Sitting Bull, and allowing the reader to draw their own conclusions about the events. Considering how many different people were involved, especially the minor players, I commend Clavin for the way he made Vengeance quite readable chronologically, logical, well-structured and included what I felt where interesting followup notes at the end of most chapters.

Before I go further, I would like to thank St. Martin's Press, NetGalley, and the author, Tom Clavin, for providing this advance review copy (ARC) for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

In the author's note at the start of Vengeance, Clavin explains why he wrote, yet "another book on the Battle of the Little Bighorn"--considering the many others, like Stephen Ambrose, James. Donovan, Nathaniel Philbrick, and Robert Utley, etc.--with a reason being is "that very fame" and accounting each re-telling of this epic story provides the reader with new materials that might help change one's opinions regarding those who participated and the battle itself. Plus, his book is intended to come out just in time for the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Little Big Horn--June 25-27, 1876. And an underlying, deeper theme that Clavin delves into is the very name of this book--Vengeance and how the story of vengeance can easily describe the events that lead up to, and followed this infamous battle, with the ending coming in 1890 with Wounded Knee.

In my opinion, I felt that Clavin did a wonderful job weaving multiple narrative threads and engaging anecdotes throughout, proving just how vengeance was a very strong theme, time after time, and one that I hadn't before given much thought when recounting the history involving Custer and his "last stand." Sometimes, the telling involved more darker sides of human nature, and of course the violence that took place on the battlefield.

Despite having had a great high school history teacher who had us read parts of the book Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee by Dee Brown, and told us to consider history from two sides, we pretty much glazed over the history of Battle of Little Big Horn, so this was a very engaging read for me. Vengeance wasn't too long, and the chapters were rather short--and lately some of the other non-fiction ARC books I have been reading have been full of extremely long chapters with very long "walls of text." With the secondary sources woven into main text of Vengeance, Clavin does offer an interesting and extensive bibliography that includes Custer's wife, Libby's book, "Boots and Saddles," or Life in Dakota with General Custer, from 1885.

I would highly recommend Vengeance for anyone having an interest in the history involving our country's expansion into the West, Custer and LBH, Crazy Horse, and Sitting Bull, and a few other major historical figures (both Native American and American). Additionally, Clavin offers little tidbits of lesser known history throughout. For example, it was great finally knowing the name of the town of Garryowen (I have passed countless times driving up to Billings, Montana) was named for the march of Custer's 7th Cavalry Regiment taken from the Irish song "Garryowen." Some other reviewers have also mentioned the horse Comanche, Captain Myles Keogh's mount, which survived the battle after having sustained multiple bullet wounds and other injuries. For those who may know quite a bit of history surrounding Custer and LBH and even Crazy Horse and Sitting Bull, perhaps they might find the book more tedious or less interesting.

I have a few other older ARC titles by Clavin, and I can't wait to read those and review them, as I enjoyed his writing style for Vengeance; though, this book may not be for everyone. However, for the many books written about Custer and LBH, it was nice having all the facts provided, and allowing the reader to make their own conclusions.

Sidenote: This book has inspired me to take a trip to Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument this summer, since I live only 2 hours away. Thank you Tom Clavin!

[Cyrus · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks to Edelweiss+ for providing me access to this book in advance.

I mean, it's fine. It's about as middle of the road as you can possibly get with a book. I'll admit, I'm not really a fan of Tom Clavin. No big reasons why, but I couldn't get into his writing style with other books from him I've tried. Having read this one, the first Clavin book I've finished, it's not bad. The book is perfectly readable, especially because dude starts a new chapter every five paragraphs or so.

To me, I guess the issue I have with it is it's pretty shallow. Like if you need the most basic, barebones explanation of these guys and LBH, then this is a good book for that. It almost has the feel of a college essay with how much he relies on secondary sources from other LBH/Custer/Native history writers like Utley, Philbrick, Donovan, and so on. It's not egregious, but I did start to find it annoying how much he quoted these guys. You're writing the book. It's fine to quote secondary sources on occasion but I feel like it's getting near being a crutch in this one.

And I do understand why. There has been an astronomical amount of writing done about these events and about every single person involved--particularly Custer, who has had endless books written about his life, about his dogs and his horses and his family and the time he stubbed his big toe on the dresser or whatever. It is natural to cross-reference these many other authors who have tackled the subject, but still. Like I said, it's not egregious though.

But the issue is because there is so much literature on the subject, I kind of wonder what this book contributes to the landscape of Custeriana and the study of this period. I'll definitely say I learned at least two new things that I didn't know before: one, that Custer went a school called "Normal School" which is very funny, and two, that Libbie Custer contacted Philip Hamilton, son of Alexander Hamilton, for help with her husband's body after his death.

Other than that, not much new to learn. There's much better books about the subject out there. There's also much worse ones out there, so you're not really in bad shape if you pick this up. If you want a great book about the Last Stand, however, try The Last Stand by Nathaniel Philbrick, though I have my issues with that one too (namely him taking Benteen's claims at complete face value, which is such a funny concept to me that he just takes for granted a guy afflicted with terminal Bitch Eating Crackers Syndrome about Custer is telling the truth about Custer) and if you want a great book about Custer himself, you can read Custer's Trials by TJ Stiles which is not referenced once in this book funnily enough.

This book is generally accurate, though one big question mark I still have is when he said that Marcus Reno was mad about the death of Joel Elliot. I've literally never heard that claim before--ever, and I have read a lot of Custer books. Frederick Benteen was the one who spearheaded the conflict over Joel Elliott's death at Washita, not Reno. I can find no mention of Reno ever bringing up the issue with Elliott's death anywhere online, and the way Clavin says it in the book implies Reno was at Washita and inspired Benteen to get mad about it. I don't think Reno was even there, so I'm not sure what's going on with that claim.

Other than that, nothing stood out as inaccurate aside from whatever bits and bobs I didn't necessarily agree with his interpretation of. I also find it funny that he insists Custer was generally being super honest during the Belknap Affair, then turned around and quoted Philbrick saying Custer was completely full of it. Very funny writing decision to just quote a guy completely contradicting you like the quote agrees with you.

I do appreciate his going into more depth with the past and the endings of some of the big Native figures in this fight/era, since someitmes that gets shoved to the wayside to focus on the big personality that was George Armstrong Custer. Like I said, middle of the road. If you don't know where to start and want the basics, try this. If not, there's better LBH books out there for you.

[Richard Derus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: 4* of five

The Publisher Says: A dramatic new look at Custer's last stand in time for the 150th anniversary of the Battle of the Little Big Horn, by the #1 New York Times bestselling coauthor of The Heart of Everything That Is.

On June 25–26, 1876, the Battle of the Little Bighorn, commonly referred to as Custer's Last Stand, was fought between combined forces of the Lakota Sioux, Northern Cheyenne, and Arapaho tribes and the 7th Cavalry Regiment of the United States Army. Along the Little Bighorn River in Montana Territory, the battle resulted in the devastating defeat of U.S. forces and was the most significant action of the Great Sioux War of 1876.

Now, for the 150th anniversary of this famous engagement, #1 New York Times bestseller and coauthor of the biography of Sioux warrior Red Cloud, The Heart of Everything That Is, Tom Clavin takes a fresh look at Custer's Last Stand.

This dramatic look at the Little Bighorn battle has to not only include the Native American point of view―with two dynamic Native figures, Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse, on prominent display―but also the impact it had on the Plains Indians. It turned out to be their last stand too because a vengeful nation quashed any remaining resistance, with a conclusive massacre at Wounded Knee in 1890, almost simultaneous with the murder of Sitting Bull.

In addition, Custer’s character by June 1876 is at the heart of this world-famous disaster. For all his celebrated bravery, especially at Gettysburg 13 years earlier, Custer became a devout media hound, desperate to gain fame. Even, some say, his own demise was a misguided attempt at grabbing national headlines: He envisioned a massacre – just not his own. As both the camera and the tabloid came of age, George Armstrong Custer became America’s first bona fide celebrity.

Vengeance is a thrilling read, filled with action, legendary characters, and poignance for the impact this had on Native Americans and the shape of the American West.

I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA NETGALLEY. THANK YOU.

My Review: I wondered what the hell there could be left to say about this military engagement that could illuminate the events in a light, through a lens and filter, that could deepen the focus and increase the contrast. "Hold my beer" said Author Clavin.

I know there are full biographies of all the men at the center of the story being told, excellent ones that delve into psychology, racism, nationalistic myth-making and resistance to it. The short chapters and broad focus of this historical analysis of causes and effects can't offer that depth or completeness. It can, and does, offer more accessible takes on the dramatis personae and thus that much more context for the pyrrhic victory won at the Little Bighorn River.

It's not a story where breaking news is likely to occur...the souces cited in the notes tell you we're not hot on the trail of some newly discovered textual evidence breaking open some of the enduring mysteries of Custer's uncharacteristically stupid actions. It's not that book; it's very much a useful primer, broadening its intended white, history-buff audience's awareness of how the battle looked from its different combatants' eyes. I enjoyed the quick-hit chapters because I'm only very slightly interested in the battle bits, more in the people bits. The carnage is not stinted herein. But we're not *immersed* in it because no piece of the story as retold here lasts long enough to make the reader feel he's going to need to scrub blood off his footgear after the read.

It's a popularization of more scholarly, and a contextualization of more white-triumphalist, works that have come before it. As I do not care to subject myself to the dizzying heights/depths od historiographic work done on Manifest Destiny and its concomitant Native American genocide, it's a work that suited my reading needs.

[June Price · Rating 5 out of 5]

I honestly think my first introduction to George Armstrong Custer and the Battle of the Little Big Horn was due to my horse focus. I recall badgering my grandparents to take me to the drive in, yes, I'm that old, to see the Disney movie "Comanche". I don't recall being bothered at all by the violence of the battle, probably due to Disney magic, though certainly filled in the gaps as the years passed. This one definitely doesn't spare us the details of the battles, including the mutilation of bodies...by both sides, mind you. So, be prepared. There are some tough scenes included but it's well worth the read to get an honest, informed idea of all that went before Custer was turned into a mythic hero. There's even a bit about how his widow contributed to that, I might add, not to mention that Comanche the horse gets some space, too.

Needless to say, I'm not going to even try to summarize. This is definitely not a lighthearted read that will leave you admiring Custer. It will also give you the reasons behind the title choice, a choice made by the United States government that had little love for the natives slowing their westward movement. How ironic to read about Native leaders even being honored by a visit to the White House and meeting the President, not to mention a visit to NYC, but their tribes still being hunted down and massacred. It's a complex, tragic story. There are no heroes or villains here, just flawed humans on both sides. The author has pulled from the massive works of other authors here, too, and managed to pull it together in an easily readable, albeit frequently uncomfortable read. I did grin that he managed to work in a descendant of Alexander Hamilton, btw, though you're going to have to read the book to discover who and how. You're sure to catch more than a few other historically significant names, too.

What I particularly enjoyed was how Clavin blended the stories of not just Custer, but Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse. You get their backgrounds, some history leading up to the battle that changed history forever, and their demise. Of course, military leaders get their moment, including a rather detailed sense of how Major Reno handled himself throughout and after the battle. Oddly enough, though many of the scenes and history depicted are violent, the book manages to avoid falling into being a sad, depressing read by making readers think. Clavin doesn't waste his time trying to point fingers or blame one side or the other. Instead, he leaves it up to his readers to digest the info and come to their own conclusions. It's a lengthy read for some, I'm sure, but well worth it if you have any interest in history and the many ups and downs that created the current nation, one even now dealing with its treatment of Native Americans.

Bottom line, it's been quite a while since I've delved into the Custer legend, so I have to admit to being fuzzy what I knew and didn't know going into this book but I found it intriguing. Organized into six different "acts" covering various phases, it opens with a prologue on Custer's Washita attack, setting the stage for what follows. Although in theory the Native Americans won a great victory at the Little Big Horn, it was also an ending for them, all of which is covered. My thanks to #StMartin'sPress and #NetGalley for allowing me this early look at a piece of history I've always found sadly intriguing. It was great to refresh my memories and perhaps be shown another viewpoint at time. And, of course, I was glad to see Comanche's days of being an icon of sorts and what happened to him given coverage. Rather took me full circle back to those days of anxiously waiting for the movie to begin at the drive-in.

[Paul Emilio · Rating 4 out of 5]

Americans are a**holes. There, I said it.

If there are any takeaways from Vengeance: The Last Stands of Custer, Crazy Horse, and Sitting Bull, by Tom Clavin, it’s the above statement. The book chronicles the events preceding Little Bighorn and ends with the massacre of Wounded Knee. It also provides details of everyone involved in these events.

George Custer, with his larger-than-life confidence and battlefield savvy, took many risks in his military career, most of which paid off. Graduating from West Point in 1861, his rise was steady but included ups and downs, especially since brevet U.S. Army officers at the time led commands but did not wield the title or the compensation. Always referred to as “General Custer,” his official rank during Little Bighorn was lieutenant colonel. The death and that of others in the Seventh Cavalry was not a result of his mistakes, but of his underestimation of the Lakota Sioux, Northern Cheyenne, and Arapaho warriors, especially their numbers and tactics.

The Native Americans fought quite differently during Little Bighorn. Usually, they attacked in smaller, separate, unorganized bands, which were easily fended off by the more regimented U.S. Army. This was the first time that all of the tribes involved were organized into one cohesive unit, led by Sitting Bull and his “field general” Crazy Horse.

During the latter part of the entire U.S. and Native American conflict of the 19th Century (1830-1890), Sitting Bull mostly sued for peace. He was usually the last one to enter a conflict, enter a battle. Yet he was an integral leader and uniter of the different tribes who fought at Little Bighorn. After surrendering, he entered show business for a spell, following Buffalo Bill Cody’s Wild West Show. Even during his “last stand” in 1890, when he was in a standoff against U.S. Indian Police officers in his retirement cabin, he defiantly fought authority, winding up being shot and later dying of his injuries.

Crazy Horse, defiant from the get-go, led the warriors against the vastly outnumbered officers and enlisted men of the U.S. Army. The Oglala-Lakota warrior was integral in organizing all of the Native American tribes into one cohesive force and a key factor in their Little Bighorn victory. Knowing that his people were starving and that they were no match for the American military, he led over 900 of his followers to the Red Cloud Agency on May 6, 1877, where he surrendered. On September 5, 1877, Crazy Horse realized that he was being lied to yet again by the United States government. In a guardhouse, he made his final stand and was bayoneted to death by a U.S. soldier.

The people and events involved in this dark time of U.S. history remind us all of the fallacies and brutalities of Manifest Destiny. Yes, we became a coast-to-coast independent nation, and duly prospered as a result, but incidents like Wounded Knee and others were the price we paid. Are we so proud of our accomplishments?

I recommend this book if you can stomach the historical hypocrisies and atrocities of our government. If you cannot, then choose another book. I hear that the story of Annie Oakley is quite rosy by comparison. I’ll soon know, since a biography of her is on my TBR List.

[Doug Phillips · Rating 5 out of 5]

Vengeance is another strong and engaging work from Tom Clavin, an author whose books I have consistently enjoyed. I’ve been fortunate to read and review several of his titles courtesy of St. Martin’s Press and the author, and this one continues his tradition of clear storytelling backed by solid research. Clavin has a real gift for making history feel approachable without stripping it of complexity.

The book is presented in a logical, well-structured way, guiding the reader through events before, during, and after the battle most commonly known as Custer’s Last Stand. Clavin carefully reconstructs the political tensions, military decisions, and personal motivations that shaped what happened. The result is a narrative that feels complete rather than narrowly focused on a single dramatic moment.

Roughly the first half of the book lays essential groundwork, tracing Custer’s career, his early successes, and the missteps that defined his later years. This context is critical, and Clavin handles it well, showing how ambition, reputation, and overconfidence all played roles in the outcome. By the time the story reaches the Little Bighorn, the reader understands not just what happened, but why.

The heart of the book examines the clash itself, detailing troop movements, terrain, and the decisions made under pressure by all sides involved. Clavin also explores the aftermath, including how the event was interpreted, mythologized, and debated in the years that followed. Together, these sections provide a full arc rather than a single snapshot of history.

Having lived in Montana and visited the battlefield multiple times, I found Clavin’s descriptions of the geography especially effective. This book would make an excellent primer for anyone planning a visit, as it brings clarity to the terrain and helps the reader visualize how landscape influenced strategy and outcomes. It deepened my appreciation for a site I thought I already understood.

Overall, Vengeance is a thoughtful, well-paced, and informative account that balances biography, military history, and narrative drive. Clavin respects the complexity of the subject while keeping the story readable and engaging. For readers interested in Western history or military decision-making, this is a rewarding and worthwhile read.

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tom Clavin’s Vengeance is like the Cliff Notes version of all the other extensively researched and intricately written books about the events of the Battle of the Little Bighorn. In fact, in the Author’s Note he acknowledges this, and notes the 150th anniversary of the battle and the fame of it as reasons. He also states that he wanted to tell the story from his own lens, without over analyzing and taking detours.

It is true that he doesn’t over analyze things. But he often DOESN’T tell the story from his own lens, as decent parts of this book are direct quotes from the authors who preceded him in writing about the subject, and doing so in greater detail.

In many of his books he is also prone to detours, making his way up to a particular point in the history that is a feature of the book, and then backtracking to cover the life of one of the major players up until that point or providing interesting side history related to the event, but not necessarily pertinent to it. This happens multiple times in this book, though perhaps not to the extent it does in some of his other books.

I think the main reason this book was written was because he is interested in the battle and wanted to write his own version of it. It’s just that so many other people have already written about it, and done a better job. It DOES make me want to go back and read books he quotes extensively by prominent historical writers like Stephen Ambrose, Nathaniel Philbrick, and James Donovan, among others.

The book does do a pretty good job of being objective in explaining the events that played out, as well as pointing out some of the multiple atrocities the people of the United States committed against indigenous tribes, including repeatedly breaking treaties and deliberately murdering innocent women and children to provoke the warriors. I maintain my stance that Custer and all of the men who decided to encroach on the already reduced lands to strip the tribes even more for the benefit of white people looking to get rich shouldn’t have been surprised it ended badly for them. Unfortunately for the Sioux, it ultimately hastened their demise as a free people as well.

I guess if you want an abridged version of the Battle of the Little Bighorn this isn’t a bad book. But there are better books out there. I wish Clavin had chosen to write about something little written about that I could learn from, or at least covered this particular event from a different angle not written from before, instead of rehashing something that seems rooted in his personal desire to cover.

A complimentary copy of this book was provided by the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Robert Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you, St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley, for providing me with a free digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Vengeance: The Last Stands of Custer, Crazy Horse, and Sitting Bull is the author Tom Clavin’s latest book on the events that brought participants to the Little Bighorn battle. I have been a devoted fan of his, reading books about Dodge City, Tombstone, Wild Bill, McNelly’s Texas Rangers, and so many others. His books are a thorough examination of his subject, without burying his readers in a myriad of small details. His style is “less-is-more.” His latest book follows Lakota Sioux Crazy Horse and Sitting Bull through their lives, which brings their story to the Little Bighorn. He also follows George Armstrong Custer’s life, as it also brings him and his Seventh Cavalry to the Little Bighorn. It describes the collision of forces that will change the West and all of their lives in unexpected ways.
Writing in both short chapters and using compelling subject matter, Vengeance flies by, leaving readers anxiously wanting to learn more about its forceful cast of characters. Along the way, we read about Red Cloud, Spotted Tail, Reno, and Benteen, as well as a host of both familiar and unfamiliar Native Americans and American soldiers, as they struggle against the inevitable tide of time.
Clavin writes in a clear and muscular way that gives readers a gripping overview adding to our understanding of the forces that shaped the lives of the participants. Commemorating the 150th anniversary of the Battle of the Little Bighorn, it’s an important book, as it preserves the history of both sides to this event without pulling punches.
I have read many books about the battle. There are certainly enough books on the subject and on Custer himself to fill multiple bookshelves. So why read another? It is the way Clavin brings readers to the fight. We are pulled into the struggle with a sense of inevitability that we dare not look away from.
Casual readers will appreciate the overall story and how much they learn along the way. Those of us who have extensive knowledge of this time period will admire how the author neatly ties the overall events together for a better understanding of this rich historical time.
I have always enjoyed Tom Clavin’s writing, and this book is no different. I highly recommend it.

[Kristi Hudecek-Ashwill · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve always been interested in the history of the West and have always had an interest in General George Armstrong Custer. This book had an astounding view on him and the Battle of the Little Bighorn. Most everybody knows the story about it, but there was so much more at play than what I realized. The book is not just about Custer, but also about the Native American heroes…Crazy Horse, Sitting Bull, Gall. It dives into their lives prior to the battle and also what happens to them after the battle. Much of it is tragic and some of it actually made me scratch my head.

Times were different back then, and I have to take that into account when I question the wisdom of some of the acts of the federal government of the time. It is all predicated on greed and the lengths they went to to get what they wanted. It was abhorrent, but we can’t change history. We can only learn from it and do better.

This book was excellent in the facts that were given and depicting things as they were. My only drawback, for the whole thing was the overuse of the word wasichu. The word means white people and has negative connotations. Were the white men the bad guys here? Absolutely, but even the dialogue quoted in the book from the Native Americans called them white people, so why beat the word wasichu to death like this? Is it to shame this generation or just make sure we know what that word means? Frankly, I got a little resentful of it.

It was still a good book and worth the read. I did learn a lot. It was interesting to find out what happened to Marcus Reno and the other officers who were involved with the battle as well as what happened to our Native American heroes.

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

[Jennifer Lara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Vengeance: The Last Stand of Custer, Crazy Horse and Sitting Bull by Tom Clavin is a dramatic new look at the events leading up to the infamous battle as the 150th anniversary approaches. On June 25-26, 1876 The Battle of the Little Bighorn, also known as Custer’s Last Stand, was fought between the combined forces of the Lakota Sioux, Northern Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes and the 7th Cavalry Regiment of the United States Army. The battle would result in a devastating defeat of the US forces and the most significant victory of the Great Sioux War of 1876. Featuring the points of view of the US Forces and the arrogant Lt. Colonel George Armstrong Custer as well as the Native American figures of Sitting Bull and Crazy House, the book looks at the impact on the Plains Indians and the events leading to the massacre at Wounded Knee in 1890.
I remember studying the famous battle in history classes and I always sided with the Native American as Custer was an arrogant, narcissistic man whose ego was boosted by his celebrated bravery at the Battle of Gettysburg (1863). He was searching for more and more fame and envisioned it as he would be the one to end the Native American resistance. What he didn’t envision was his failure and his own demise as he underestimated the Native American forces and their determination to fight for their way of life and freedoms. Mr Clavin deep dives into the historical record and presents the nitty gritty of the events which shaped the individuals involved with this massive battle and how the events shaped the US response in the aftermath. Vengeance is filled with action, legendary characters and the profound impact on the US, the Native Americans and the American West. I highly, highly recommend Vengeance.

Vengeance: The Last Stand of Custer, Crazy Horse and Sitting Bull
Is available in hardcover, eBook and audiobook

[Donna semi-hiatus Davis · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded downward.

Tom Clavin is the co-author of Blood and Treasure: Daniel Boone and the Fight for America’s First Frontier. I learned a great deal from that book, and decided that I was going to read everything this author writes. Although he does a creditable reporting job with his new book, Vengeance, which details the last battles of Custer, Crazy Horse, and Sitting Bull, it lacks the luster of his Boone biography. Nevertheless, my thanks go to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Macmillan Audio for the review copies. This book is available to purchase now.

My motivation in reading this book was in knowing that for once, Custer wouldn’t defeat the Native forces he sought to annihilate. Had I thought a little harder, I would have realized that the American Indians never came out on top in the long run, and that a hard-fought battle in which Custer is killed—primarily through his own stupidity—was not going to end well for anybody. Nevertheless, I came away feeling that this story was both duller and also more depressing than was necessary.

The facts that are used here, as well as the documentation for them, are beyond reproach. The point of view, however, leans more toward the U.S. Army than the tribes and their leaders. It would have been nice to have present day Native historians weigh in and be heard more. Also, when a hard, horrible tale must be told, a truly skilled author can find ways to break up the horror. My sense is that Clavin didn’t really try.

Johnny Heller narrated the audio version, and he did a fine job of it. Without his narrative, I might not have finished it.

For those looking for the basic facts of this conflict and its aftermath, Vengeance will serve well. For those in search of a general historical read, I’d look elsewhere.

[Joyce · Rating 4 out of 5]

352 pages

4 stars

Vengeance is a remarkable book about the circumstances that led up to the incident that history recalls as Custer’s Last Stand. It recounts the political, military, Native, cultural and Custer’s own actions at the time of the disastrous confrontation between Natives aligned with Sitting Bull, Crazy Horse and their allies in 1876.

The lies told by the American government to the tribes did much to foster mistrust and subsequent perceived negative actions by the Natives. This would only escalate the negative behavior of the government.

While this was going on, we are treated to the history of Custer’s own behavior resulting in court martials and suspensions. His impulsiveness, short-sightedness and hubris are all on display. He was inclined to tout himself in the media as well.

All of these factors combined to lead to the disaster of Little Big Horn. But it turned out to be a pyrrhic victory for Sitting Bull, Crazy Horse and their cohorts. For it led to the end of their freedom - and their dreams.

Well written, laid out in easy-to-read prose, this book is a triumph of research and clarity. I applaud Mr. Clavin for his hard work and excellent writing skills. This is perhaps my favorite book of his that I have read.

I want to thank NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for forwarding a copy of this very good book to me for my reading enjoyment. The opinions expressed in this review are solely my own.

[Janine · Rating 4 out of 5]

A “serviceable” retelling of Custer’s Last Stand commemorating the 150th anniversary of the Battle of the Little Bighorn. It’s an important book as it preserves the history of both sides to this event.

At the heart of this story are three larger than life men: George Custer, hero of the Civil War, and Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse, Lakota Sioux leaders as passionate as Custer. The book tells their stories in short chapters filled with accurate historical information. NOTE: For readers who avoid history books, this construction facilitates easy reading.

The sadness of the Battle of the Little Bighorn Horn is that while Custer’s drive for fame lead him down a disastrous path, the victors were then annihilated by a vengeful nation at Wounded Knee in 1890, “almost simultaneous with the murder of Sitting Bull.” Custer’s ego is central to the massacre. He became something of a media hound attempting to gain national headlines (for those interested in more of this read T.J. Stiles Custer’s Trials). With the death of an American “celebrity,” the Lakota Sioux, people indigenous to this county long before the white man, were doomed. Their relegation to reservations and deaths at Wounded Knee is no different to today’s ICE raids I believe.

This is a great book for history lovers of all ages. It provides detail and information about the history and lives of the participants and the battle itself. It’s easy to read and you come away with important US history information.

I’d like to thank NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for allowing me access to this ARC.

[Greg · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very quick read, with sufficient backstory for the key players (especially those listed in the title), a compelling description of the Battle of Little Big Horn, and the subsesequent last stands of those involved.

Having read several books and articles on the native populations of North America and their subjugation by colonizers and settlers, this book is a good primer on the prevailing attitudes of the era. The author doesn't directly address the intentional attempts to eradicate the indigenous populations, as it's not the purpose of the book, but it's easy to discern by reading between the lines. I admit to my bias in how I read books about that era of history from a human rights perspective.

Overall, this is a helpful, brief, engaging account of major influencers of the time. I'm not sure it adds much new to the stories, although the map and battle accounts, perceived motivations, acknowledgments of a "fog of war" (sans the term) element to all of it added perspective for me.

Vengeance is an apt title for the book and the timing, 150 years after the Battle of Little Bighorn coinciding with the 250 year anniversary of the founding of the U.S. are illustrative considerations in themselves.