The Summer of 1876: Outlaws, Lawmen, and Legends in the Season That Defined the American West

by Chris Wimmer

From the creator of the "Legends of the Old West" podcast, a book exploring the overlapping narratives of the biggest legends in frontier mythology.

The summer of 1876 was a key time period in the development of the mythology of the Old West. Many individuals who are considered legends by modern readers were involved in events that began their notoriety or turned out to be the most famous — or infamous — moments of their lives. Those individuals were Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer, Sitting Bull, Crazy Horse, Wyatt Earp, Bat Masterson, Wild Bill Hickok, and Jesse James.

The Summer of 1876 weaves together the timelines of the events that made these men legends to demonstrate the overlapping context of their stories and to illustrate the historical importance of that summer, all layered with highlights of significant milestones in 1876: the inaugural baseball season of the National League; the final year of President Ulysses S. Grant’s embattled administration; the debut of an invention called the telephone by Alexander Graham Bell; the release of Mark Twain’s novel “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer;” and many more.

Contextualizing these events against the backdrop of the massive 100th anniversary party thrown to celebrate the signing of the Declaration of Independence, The Summer of 1876 is the ultimate exploration and celebration of the summer that defined the West.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, American History, Audiobook, Westerns, Historical, Crime

317 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 30, 2023

Reviews

[Blaine DeSantis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Talk about a rip-snorting book, this is it!!! What a wonderful job Chris Wimmer has done by transporting us back to the US Centennial year of 1876, and refreshing all our memories of all that happened that eventful summer. Wimmer gives us a great overview of all that happened that year, from the Centennial to Custer's Last stand, with personalities and details galore. The book never slows down, and one of the easiest to read non-fiction books I have had the pleasure of reading in years. In addition to the above, we also have a bit about the formation of the National League of Baseball Clubs, Western lawmen and celebrities such as Bat Masterson, Wild Bill Hickok, locations such as Dodge City and Deadwood; there are famous Native American chiefs Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse, and even Buffalo Bill Cody gets into the act!
What makes this book so special is that Wimmer shows all the coincidences that occurred that year, and even how miscommunication resulted in both tragedy and inept failure. If you want to learn about Custer's Last stand Wimmer covers that in detail from all angles, and to me the best part of the book is the Northfield (MN) bank robbery involving the Jesse and Frank James, along with all the Younger Brothers (Cole, Bob & Jim). Wimmer gives us the stories behind so many of the names and legends. The authors passion for story-telling and the Old West shine through in this fast-paced book that is sure to be a hit for young and old. Can't think of a better way to be transported to that legendary period. Get y0ur spurs on, saddle up and get ready for a rip-snorting ride!!

[Brendan (History Nerds United) · Rating 2 out of 5]

If I had to sum up this book in one phrase, it would be "too much of a good thing." Chris Wimmer's The Summer of 1876 is a book about a lot of things and despite Wimmer's easy writing style and clear love of the people and time period, the book is disjointed and frustrating.

The Summer of 1876 covers the lives and activities of the following people and events: George Armstrong Custer and his last stand, Jesse James and his robberies, Bat Masterson and Wyatt Earp in Dodge City, Sitting Bull, and for the most baffling reason, the National League, as in, baseball. The good aspects of this book are Wimmer's enthusiasm for these people and events along with his ability to distill down the information.

However, the good can't save the book. Custer's actions and his last stand take up an inordinate amount of space in the narrative when there are so many stories. Every one of the people and events explained above need their own explanations. The reader gets whiplash because the first half of the book is explaining the backstory of all of these people. With the exception of Custer's Last Stand, nothing else in the book gets enough attention to really enchant the reader. The inclusion of the National League's creation is particularly baffling. The story is usually slapped on the end of a chapter and has no effect on anything else other than it happened in 1876. Admittedly, Wimmer says in the beginning that he did not intend to be writing exhaustively on any of his subjects. However, the book suffers for it and would have been much better off taking the time to analyze less characters and events.

(This book was provided as an advance copy by Netgalley and St. Martin's Press. The full review will be posted to HistoryNerdsUnited.com on 6/13/2023.)

[Vivian · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is written in a way that jumps between wildly differing events, but chronologically simultaneous--NL formation and Battle of Little Big Horn. Just doesn't appeal to me stylistically.

[Eli - Bookworm & Vine · Rating 4 out of 5]

The subtitle makes this seem like there will be a bunch of great stories from the old west, but it was mostly about Custer’s last stand. The book still flowed well and was an easy read.

[Chet · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ve seen a lot of movies about the “Old West” in my life, but I haven’t done a lot of reading on the subject, so The Summer of 1876 seemed like a good place to start. The blurb presents it as almost a compilation of the Old West’s Greatest Hits, and for better or worse, that’s what it is. The problem is that, while the narrative weaves through the many different historical events that happened during the Summer of 1876, it never manages to successfully become a cohesive body.

Most of the book focuses on George Custer and the events that led to his demise at the Battle of Little Bighorn. This is interspersed with smaller sections of information about Wild Bill Hickock, Deadwood, Wyatt Earp, Bat Masterson, and the James-Younger gang. That’s not really a huge issue, but the reader begins to wonder what the point of the book may be. If the author wanted to write a book about Custer and Little Bighorn, why not just do that? He still could have added some tidbits of information about the other things, but nothing besides Custer is really fleshed out. I suppose one could argue that the point is to be an overview of several different things that the reader can then go and read further on each subject at their leisure. But again, why? I won’t say I didn’t enjoy The Summer of 1876, because I did, and it piqued my interest enough to add several books to my TBR list. But one wonders if my time wouldn’t have been better spent just getting into those other books right from the start.

The bottom line is that, if you’re a little bit interested in the Old West but not enough to seek out more specified reading on the subjects mentioned, this might be the book for you. I don’t feel it was a waste of time, but I kind of feel like I ate a burger when I could’ve had a steak. Either way, Chris Wimmer does have a fine writing style and keeps things interesting throughout the book. He does manage to weave the many subjects together even if they don’t always make much sense in the context of the rest of the happenings. The baseball interludes are especially jarring amid gunfights. Still, The Summer of 1876 could be a good starting point if you’re interested but not sure where you want to start. Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for providing me with an ARC of the book.

[Joseph · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brief overview of one of the most historic summers we've experienced as a nation, this book hits on all cylinders. The diverse subject matter includes Custer, the James-Younger Gang, Wild Bill Hickock, and the origins of major league baseball. The only complaint I had about this book was that I wish the author had expanded on the controversial Hayes-Tilden presidential contest. But seeing as that was outside the parameters of the book, I'll let it slide. Overall a very good effort, especially considering this was the author's debut effort!!!

[Bryant · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good portion of this book is dedicated to the Battle of Little Big Horn which I especially enjoyed. We learn about the lead up of the battle, the campaign to attack down the Lakota, and the details of how the battle went. We learn about Custer and his officers along with the leaders of the Native Warriors, Crazy Horse and Sitting Bull.

My one criticism is that the author frequently jumps between story’s within chapters (from Wild Bill Hickok to The James-Younger Gang to National League Baseball). That while they may track chronological they break up each individual story.

[William Richardson · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the best books I've read this year.

[Emg · Rating 2 out of 5]

Another mistitled book - 75% Battle of Little Bighorn, all the other stuff was fill-in. To add even more pages to the book, a lot of the information was repeated (in case we didn't remember reading it the first or second time or third time) and sort of thrown in anywhere in a paragraph which gave the narrative a jumpy feel.

[Casey · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had high hopes for this book, but unfortunately it was a major disappointment. A better title would have been “Custer’s Last Stand and Other Events of the Summer of 1876”. The majority of the book deals with Custer’s Last Stand with some other vignettes dealing with other western individuals and the National Baseball League which really didn’t have any teams in the west. I author had a propensity of mixing different events in a chapter without a smooth transition and kept repeating himself within a chapter and in following chapters. Overall, I cannot recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a comprehensive and orderly presentation of the events of 1876.

I received a free Kindle copy of this book courtesy of Net Galley and the publisher with the understanding that I would post a review on Net Galley, Goodreads, Amazon and my nonfiction book review blog. I also posted it to my Facebook page

[Nick Guzan · Rating 3 out of 5]

focusing on Western legends from Wyatt Earp and Sitting Bull to Jesse James and Wild Bill, Chris Wimmer delivers an accessible, well-meaning and objective volume outlining what made the summer of 1876 one of the most significant periods in American history

but perhaps its greatest asset is that it made me crave to rewatch Deadwood, and that’s a call I’ll always answer

[Bruce Wadman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic book! Very hard to put down. 1876 is about the events that took place during the Summer months of 1876 as well as the cities, towns, villages, and legendary people that made the headlines then. The author covers the Battle of the Little Big Horn and its long-lasting after affects. Also covered is the development of Deadwood, SD and murder of Wild Bill Hickok in a saloon there. Also detailed is the rise of Dodge City and lawmen such as Wyatt Earp and Bat Masterson who tried to rein in the violence in that town. Also, the exploits of Jessie James and his gang are fascinating as are the accounts of the beginnings of baseball’s National League, the origin of the curveball, and a record that has never been broken and likely never will. If you are a history buff at all you should read this, it’s a great experience.

[Bill Wallace · Rating 3 out of 5]

History "lite" but amusing enough, Wimmer takes us through a few months in 1876 that underscore just how compact the era of the wild West really was. The writing style is fast-paced and informal and does a fair job of capturing the excitement of battle, desperate flight, gunplay, and all the other things that made the West wild.

Criticisms? Of course. This is the second recent work of "history" that I've read with a barely discernable connection between some of its contents, other than the author's interest. The outfield issue here is baseball -- a topic that has virtually nothing to do with Northfield, Deadwood, or the Greasy Grass, but that somehow in the writer's head relates to the violent actions beyond the great diamond. If this is a trend, I'm firmly against it and would rather not have my nonfiction wander freely over an open range. That and the author's tendency to repeat himself within a page or two ( maybe the kind of reminders that would be effective in a podcast but that just sows confusion in print?) made the book a tough trail to follow for the first few chapters.

What I was hoping for from this book that I got only in small doses was some development of the reasons these events had such an impact on American culture. No fault on the author, but the book (or podcast) I'm looking for is one that provides more detail on how these frontier events were reported in their day, both in the newspapers but also in broadsides , dime novels, and barroom paintings. The few paragraphs in this volume just whetted my taste for more.

Mostly recommended.

[Nick · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book bills itself as a fast paced story of the summer of 1876 including the Battle of Little Bighorn, the demise of Wild Bill Hickok, mentions of Wyatt Earp, Jesse James bank robbery and lastly the first season of baseball’s National League.

The book is fast paced in terms of writing style, following as if it were a podcast, which makes sense given the author is a podcaster. However what lacked significantly is the pacing of all the topics the author wanted to cover.

While there was good story telling recounting the lead up to and Battle of Little Bighorn and the Jesse James Northfield bank robbery and manhunt, these two topics covered about 75% of the book. The remaining quarter of the book focused on Wild Bill going to Deadwood, some things Wild Bill Cody did, a few mentioned of Wyatt Earp, and a handful of paragraphs about baseball.

The meat and potatoes of the book were clearly Custer and James, whereas the other pieces seemed like filler/transition pieces, especially baseball. It read almost like where the author couldn’t figure out how to link events, he tossed in a random paragraph about baseball that frankly seemed outta place.

The story telling about Custer and James was actually done quite well. There was good descriptions that could help visualize what was happening as actually saved the book.

[Samantha · Rating 5 out of 5]

A rollicking spin through a monumental year of American history.

Author Chris Wimmer takes us on a wild ride through America’s centennial of independence, from the Battle of Little Big Horn to bank robbers to baseball.

I liked the second half of the book better than the first, which focuses more on a notorious gang fleeing after a bank robbery. The first half is largely about General Custer and Little Big Horn. Both events are well rendered in Wimmer’s account, but detailed trips through a military operation really never do it for me, so I found the central topic in the second half of the book to be far more fun.

Wimmer does a lovely job of interspersing different events in 1876 throughout his central narrative, as well as clocking reactions to these events from different parts of the country. I could have done with far fewer details on troop movements and far more about baseball in the inaugural year of the National League, but this is a fun and informative romp through a wild year that reads like fiction.

*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.*

[Nate Piccini · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a fun book!! I don’t read a lot of non-fiction these days but having grown up in a household where my father was and is obsessed with the Old West, the title of this book caught my eye. Combining the Old West theme with one of my favorite political periods to study, I really wanted to read this book.

Wimmer brings characters like Frank and Jesse James to life alongside lawmen like Wyatt Earp and Bat Masterson. His integration of other interesting events like the creation of the National League make this a great integrated story! The material on Little Big Horn and the military campaign against Crazy Horse is some of the harder material to get through. It bogs down in minutiae and is hard to follow with different commanders moving in different directions. It’s also interspersed with the stories of Earp and Masterson making it harder to build momentum.

It has a wonderful epilogue that revisits the authors thesis and provides some color to the decades that follow as well as character resolutions for some of the prominent historic figures.

[Audrey Ashbrook · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Summer of 1876 by Chris Wimmer is a history book recounting the Battle of Little Bighorn, the Northfield Bank Robbery, the gold rush, and the events in the towns of Dodge City, Kansas and Deadwood, South Dakota during the year of 1876. 

This was a sort of mash-up history, and it was a good read. I've never read anything about General Custer, Sitting Bull, Crazy Horse or the Battle of Little Bighorn but after reading this, I absolutely need to know more. Custer's Last Stand, such an insane battle. 

I enjoyed reading more about Wyatt Earp, Bat Masterson, Wild Bill Hickock, Charlie Utter, Calamity Jane Canary and the James-Younger Gang. It was interesting to have all these events play out during the same year, and I now understand more about why this was such a definitive year in the American West.

[Rod Innis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. I watched TV shows about quite a number of the people talked about in this book - Wild Bill Hickok, Wyatt Earp, Bat Masterson, Jesse James, and many others when I was growing up. The description of the Battle of Little Big Horn was well done and thorough. The robbing of a bank by the James Younger gang was vividly described as was the chase of the robbers afterward. They got just over 26 dollars and paid a high price for the robbery.

[Nate · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book, but it simply didn’t resonate with me. I understand that its goal was to move chronologically, but I felt like the inclusion of baseball in this made no sense whatsoever, beyond it happening at the same time. It jumped around for me a little too much, which made it fall flat for me.

[Tawnya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow. A wild ride through through one memorable summer in the west. Who knew all those events were happening at the same time. Thanks to Chris Wimmer I now do.

[Alison Notter · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting book: focused a lot on Custer, would’ve loved more on Dodge City. Jump cuts felt kind of random sometimes but I understood the intent. Learned some cool stuff!

[Kelley Kimble · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 via Libby. You’ve heard most of these stories but like me, may not have realized they all happened in the same summer, 100 years after our independence.

[Jim Castine · Rating 4 out of 5]

loaded with information, almost to a fault. a lot of names come at you early on, but the author does a good job separating their stories as the book goes on

[FlorencePPratt · Rating 5 out of 5]

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[Russ Bertetta · Rating 3 out of 5]

1876 certainly was an exciting year. I wish I could say the same about this book. This doesn't mean it was a bad read, it just wasn't great. In fact, I found it a little dull and repetitive over the first 2/3 of the book which revolves with events on the Great Plains, fare removed from the celebration of the Centennial, the election of 1876, the formation of the National League-all occurring on the other side of the country.
Although Custer's defeat at Little Bighorn is one of our most well-known battles, I didn't know all the details, failures, mistakes, and bungled strategies that led to it. After reading page after page, chapter after chapter, I found that I was glad I hadn't.
The second event that Wimmer focused on was the Great Northfield bank robbery which was certainly less than great as far as the James Gang were concerned. This easily captured my interest more than Custer's fate had. The resiliency of the town's citizens who battled the gang was nicely contrasted with the incompetence and futility of the posses that chased the gang for days, eventually allowing Jesse and Frank to escape. The incompetence of the detectives was matched by the incompetence of Custer's officers and scouts as they searched for Sitting Bull's warriors.
The sporadic references to Deadwood, Al Swearingen, Charlie Udder, Bullock and Star, Calamity Jane and Bill Hickock made me think of watching "Deadwood" on HBO and what a great show that was and how it made history come alive (even in the mud-filled "streets" of Deadwood). I just wish this book had been able to this a bit more.

[Patrick Tullis · Rating 2 out of 5]

In this book the author attempts to give an entertaining overview of the events in the United States during the year 1876. The author mostly succeeds. I found the book enjoyable and informative, however I’m not sure all the information presented is accurate.
The author’s background is in journalism/podcasting, and this is his first book. I would have preferred the book to be fleshed out a little more with contemporary primary sources so that I could easily verify the information in the book. There are no footnotes or citations to show which sources are used by the author. There is also quite a bit of inferred motivation/conjecture for historical figures, especially about the Battle of Little Big Horn. I expected better documentation of sources even though the author is not a historian and the book is written for the general audience. There is a good book here somewhere, I hope the author revises and re-releases this book in the future.

[spencer wright · Rating 4 out of 5]

Too often, history books never provide context outside of the event(s) they're covering. The reader is left in a vacuum, with little idea of the other events happening simultaneously. This book aims to rectify that by taking the summer of 1876 as the focal point, and showcasing all of the events and people that were making headlines during that time. It allows the reader to see the big picture, and to make the connections that wouldn't be present in a book with a narrow focus. I look forward to seeing what books Wimmer writes going forward.

[Socraticgadfly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Three stars making allowance for Wimmer noting this is a compendium and no original research, for its length, and dinging it for its "imbalance," noted by several other reviewers.

First, there are a couple of unforced errors, even more unforced because ... no original research.

In reality, no, Kansas and Nebraska did not enter the Union in the 1840s or 50s, but the 60s, and Custer was actually east, or northeast to be more precise, of the Sioux-Cheyenne village in late May 1876, and not west of it. These errors are ultimately on Wimmer, but in a pretty short book like this, copy editor(s) shouldn't have missed them. Fortunately, there weren't more like this. And, I appear to have been the only reviewer so far to notice them.

Second, we have a "one thing that's not like the others" here. Wild Bill and Buffalo Bill easily tie to the events of the Little Bighorn. The James-Younger gang not so much, but, it still says "Old West."

Baseball? Not so much. Wimmer appears to think it simply needs to be thrown in because the NL was founded in 1876.

No it doesn't, and before you get to copy editing, an acquisitions-type editor should have told him to throw it back out and tighten focus.

OK, ignoring it?

I've read multiple bios of Custer and multiple books about the Little Bighorn/Greasy Grass. Did learn one new tidbit, and that was the dumbness of Gibbon in not keeping a scouting party on the Sioux-Cheyenne village after first spotting it. Derp! This ties to the conundrum that got Custer out of Grant's doghouse. The nominal Seventh Cav commander, Sturgis, had no Indian fighting experience. Neither did Terry. And, neither did Gibbon. (Crook had pre- as well as post-Civil War experience against Indians.) I have also been to the battlefield site, as well as to the Black Hills, leading to the next bit.

There is one other seeming misframing by Wimmer. While Reno's troops got off lots of shots, due to panic and related issues, including largely having single-shot rifles, Richard J. Fox makes a convincing case Custer's troops did NOT. Read that as the best overall book on the battle; Philbrick is second. Skip Donovan. Read TJ Stiles among newer authors or good old Connell for Custer bios, novelistic style and all with Connell.

Nothing really new on Wild Bill or Buffalo Bill. I've been in the area of Cody, Wyoming, from his later life, but not in it. I've been to the Cody Museum in Golden, Colorado.

On Dodge City? I've been there numerous times. I've already read full bios of Wyatt Earp and been to Tombstone. Boessenecker was OK until he started going political; Clavin on Dodge City is meh. Start with Fradkin's Stagecoach for Earp.

On the James-Younger gang, I knew the basics of the Northfield robbery itself, but not of the pursuit.

As others have noted, though the book says "summer of 1876," well over half of it is about the run-up to and aftermath of the Little Bighorn. But, by itself, there's not enough for a book and there's nothing new for a book. So, even with eliminating baseball, you've got a neither fish nor fowl.

The writing style was still good enough for 3 stars, not 2, if but barely. (Without the fleshing out of Northfield, it would have been 2.) But, as a recommend? Only if you know nothing about the two big events of the book, and even then, move beyond this. See those links above.

Related? The bibliography is barely 1 page long, and that, while it includes Stiles' Jesse James book, does not have either him or Connell on Custer, does not have Fox, but does have Clavin on Dodge City, which makes me think of this as a Clavin-esque book.

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

My thanks to both NetGalley and the publisher St. Martin's Press for an advance copy of this history that looks at a particular time in history where legends were made, reputations destroyed and the crack of the bat became an American pastime.

Reading history I am always amazed at the little things that lead up to larger events, when events can actually be called linchpins in history. My father deciding after school to not go right home, but stop by his favorite cousin's house where he meet his cousin's new friend from school, my mother. And now we can all read this review. Not a major event in history, but it is a good example. A person being shot in the hip, becoming a lawman later because hunting was hard, or a president who trusted to easily allowing a lot of shady characters into his cabinet. Even a leader who thought he knew so much better than everyone else riding off into the hills to teach those Indians a lesson. Little things that led to legends. Chris Wimmer, writer and podcaster in The Summer of 1876: Outlaws, Lawmen, and Legends in the Season That Defined the American West looks at a time when the West became the west, from small fights, to larger battles, robberies, and corruption, and even a little bit of baseball.

1876 was a anniversary year, 100 years since the Declaration of Independence. Events were planned, parades, parties, and celebrations. However 1876 was a year that not only looked 100 years back, but looked ahead to a new time in America, a time of growth, legends, even organized sport. The biggest, of course, was the events at Little Big Horn and the elimination fo George Custer and his men, by the indigenous people. Gold was thought to be in those hills, and a country in recession needed it, treaties be darned. Into that rode the 7th Calvary Regiment, whose losing fight darkened the idea of celebrating an American anniversary, but also made the Indian Wars, as this time was called, more real, and much more vicious. This is at the center of the book. However also covered are Wyatt Earp, Wild Bill Hickcok and Bat Masterton, men who wore badges and gave rise to many stories about lawmen and the west. Jesse James, who was just as legendary for the other side. In fiction there was Tom Sawyer, even the rise of organized sports with the National League in baseball, and much more.

The book is more of an overview of the era and what the consequences are. Much of the book is about Custer and Little Bighorn, with a whole lot of profiles, of others, presidents, lawmen, outlaws and other people. Some people might wish for more information, but this book is like a podcast in book form. Readers get the basics, and some stories, and if more information is wanted, there is a quite complete bibliography at the end for more reading. Wimmer is very good though at getting to the heart of people, sharing stories, and though they might be short they are very succinct. Wimmer has a nice style, and readers can tell he not only likes writing about the era, but wants others to enjoy what Wimmer is writing. Some might call it pop history, but it is vy good pop history, and would be a good place for people to start trying to get behind the legends which have been printed about many of the people in this book.

Recommended for readers who are new to history of the old west, and how events were far more interesting and complicated than television shows or movies made them. Definitely a good gift for Father's Day, or even Mother's Day if either parent cares about history.

[Aaryan Agrawal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Here is a 4-star review for #thesummeof 1876:outlaws,lawmen,andlegendsintheseasonthatdefinedtheamericaweest by #chrismimmer:

Genres: #history #biography #western #popculture #nonfiction

The Summer of 1876 is a well researched and informative book that focuses on the lives of several famous figures from the Old West, including George Armstrong Custer, Sitting Bull, Crazy Horse, Wyatt Earp, Bat Masterson, Wild Bill Hickok, and Jesse James. Wimmer weaves together the stories of these individuals to show how their lives intersected and how they helped to shape the mythology of the Old West.

Author Chris Wimmer does a good job of weaving together the timelines of these individuals to create a cohesive narrative.

Here are some pros and cons of the book:
Pros:
Well-researched and informative
Interesting stories of famous Western figures
Cohesive narrative

Cons:
Dry writing at times
Focus on larger-than-life characters can overshadow the mundane details of everyday life

Here are some improvement suggestions for this book:

Provide more context for the events of 1876:
The book does a good job of describing the major events of the summer of 1876, but it would be helpful to provide more context for these events.
For example:
Why was the Battle of Little Bighorn such a defining moment in American history?

What were the long-term consequences of the Ghost Dance movement?

Dig deeper into the lives of the people involved:
The book does a good job of introducing the major figures of 1876, but it would be helpful to dig deeper into their lives. What were their motivations? What were their personal relationships like? How did they view the world?

Include more primary sources:
The book relies heavily on secondary sources, such as biographies and historical accounts. It would be helpful to include more primary sources, such as letters, diaries, and newspaper articles. This would allow readers to hear directly from the people involved in the events of 1876.

Read the book in conjunction with other books about the Old West:
This will help you to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the events of 1876 and the people involved.

Watch documentaries and films about the Old West:
This is another great way to learn more about the time period and the people who lived during it.

Visit historical sites related to the Old West.
This is a great way to see firsthand where some of the most important events of the time took place.

Overall, "The Summer of 1876" is an informative and well-written book. However, it could be improved by providing more context for the events of 1876, digging deeper into the lives of the people involved, and including more primary sources.

Here are some other books that you might enjoy if you liked The Summer of 1876:
Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee by Dee Brown
The Virginian by Owen Wister
Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry
Unforgiven by David Milch
True Grit by Charles Portis

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