There are two popular histories of The Battle of the Little Big Horn of 1876. The earlier book, Crazy Horse and Custer by Stephen Ambrose was published in 1975. The Last Stand – Custer, Sitting Bull and the Battle of the Little Big Horn was published in 2010.
Both are well written. But if you are interested in the lives of Crazy Horse and Custer in particular, Ambrose’s book should be your focus. However, if you are interested in the Battle of the Little Big Horn you should read The Last Stand.
The strength of Ambrose’s book is his telling of the lives of the Siouxs in the Great Plains. However, he only devoted one chapter to the battle itself. The maps of my Simon and Schuster 2016 edition are also too small and frankly disgraceful.
The strength of Philbrick’s book is his meticulous telling of the build-up to the battle right to the ultimate death of Custer. My vintage 2011 edition has excellent maps. There are also wonderful descriptions of the Sun Dance and the life of the legendary Sitting Bull. This is an excellent book.
For a genuine reader, I recommend reading both books.