Randy Krehbiel

I think some readers are missing the point of this book: it's coverage *of the reporting* of the massacre, just like it says in the subtitle. I thought the author did an excellent job of making that clear, and also of following the task he set for himself of exploring what was reported in the newspapers at the time.

But he also brings in a lot of history, authoritative and well-cited, that I never knew about Tulsa. For example, I didn't know anything at all about the Civil War history of the region. I didn't know much about the city in the late teens and early 20s, even though my grandparents lived in Tulsa then. I certainly didn't know much about the massacre itself, and found it interesting that some of the more sensationalistic things that go around the internet every June 1 may or may not be totally on-point.

I thought the book was a good read, easy to put down and pick up again, but I'm certain that some readers will find it dry and not compelling. If you're after the kind of narrative non-fiction that imagines real people's feelings and conversations in detail, you will not find it here--which I, personally, appreciated, because I don't like that kind of narrative non-fiction. :-)… (meer)

Where previous books reviewed discussed the background and events surrounding the Battle of Little Bighorn is a social and cultural sense, via personal interviews and such, this book deals with the battle in a manner pertaining strictly to Military History by telling the event of the battle itself as well as the actions of the units, the strategies employed by the various commanders, as well as subsequent military operations taken by the United States in response the the annihilation of Custer's forces. Due to the subject matter and layout, the book was decidedly neutral in its presentation and point of view. This being said, the author does make and support the thesis statement that Custer led his men to destruction through his stubborn refusal to heed counsel and his overconfidence.
This book would be an excellent choice for students in Middle and High School with an interest in Military History.… (meer)