My Life on the Plains
George Armstrong Custer
Lu par texttalker
George Armstrong Custer (December 5, 1839 – June 25, 1876), one of the most mythologized figures in American history, was an United States Army officer and cavalry commander in the American Civil War and the Indian Wars. He eventually met his fate in the battle of Little Big Horn in one of the most notable defeats of American armed forces. (17 hr 44 min)
Chapitres
Critiques
on balance, he wasn't the Indian hater I heard about.
Wm Clark
He wouldn't stand up to today's insane PC environment, but he praised the Indians in many ways and occasions. He put much of the blame for bad relationships between settlers of the plains and the Native Americans on the Indian Agents. The agents were all getting rich by holding back much of what was given by the government for the Indians, and selling it to either the Indians at inflated prices, or to the settlers. As the Indians received less provisions, the black market prices increased along with the frustration; and the Government was seen as not fulfilling it's good faith promises. So even if it seems like the Indians broke treaties first, the greed of the Indian Agents were the first evil force.
Fascinating
Hunt
The reader has a relaxed style which is pleasant to listen to. the only consistent error he makes is in referring to cavalry as Calvary. My great-grandfather was a small child when Custer's accounts of life on the plains were published in newspapers around the country. fascinating insight of lives of Native Americans. It's only a shame that white people and US Government broke every treaty that they made with the Native Americans. No telling what would have happened had they been left ro themselves because they were constantly at war with each other. The introduction of firearms made a huge difference in the violence. It's unfortunate that buffalo were nearly driven to extinction by white people as a means of suppressing the Native Americans, in fact which custard does not touch upon. nevertheless I learned a lot from listening to this.
Derring-do in the Age of Empire
NorfolkAJL
Please note that these are the memoirs of a cavalry officer from the mid-nineteenth century. If casual racism and hypocrisy are too much for you then avoid this work. That said, Custer is a fine writer and tells a good story well. His account of the Wabash Battle/Massacre is important historically and pretty accurate (bar his considerable over-statement of the enemy dead). Custer probably knew he was recording Indian and frontier life as they were passing into history - he certainly didn't know that he was doing the same for the horse cavalry officer. Anyway, for any student of the Old West or cavalry or nineteenth century sentiments this is a fascinating account. The reader has an appropriate voice and accent for the work and he does an excellent job throughout.
excellent!
Jody Whitaker
Excellent book! It was nice to learn about a person who is mainly only known by his means of death. I found this read both educational and exciting. Not long into it I found myself craving more of the story and not wanting it to end. I loved the reader of this book as well.
Very well written journal by General himself
Dima
Story written with great attention paid to details. Exposes fight between US troops and Indians. Indians weren't peaceful as I have believed before listening to this book.
excellent
A LibriVox Listener
pleasant voice, good quality audio
History, mostly factual I believe
Joseph Brown
In "Son of the morning star" Major Benteen was to have called the book "my lie on the plains." Maybe, however, the story it tells, even if some was embellished, would still be more truthful in many ways, as it was generally a first person account of that time period, then a similar story today would, by necessity, be reconstructed from many sources as things like this must be, in this age all these years later. I enjoyed the story very much and, the reader, and I'm glad it was the same reader for the entire book, was first rate!
Wivancic
A bit long, but interesting. I listened while walking the dogs. It is amazing the distances traveled by both cavalry and indians. Also, the amount of ponies the Indians maintained.