Custer and the Epic of Defeat

Custer and the Epic of Defeat is a scholarly work of military history and biography that examines the gap between historical fact and American folklore. The text analyzes the battle of the Little Big Horn, contrasting the reality of the defeat with the legendary account of the Last Stand. By applying literary criticism and psychology, the author explores how the image of George Armstrong Custer was shaped by dime novelists, poets, and painters to create a lasting national myth.

This volume compares the American narrative to other global epics of defeat, including the defense of Thermopylae and the fall of the Alamo. The book investigates how the human imagination dramatizes reality through these stories of charismatic losers. Through historical analysis and a study of oral traditions, Custer and the Epic of Defeat provides a comprehensive look at the intersection of United States history and cultural legend.