Posted on 09/01/2018 5:56:55 AM PDT by Kaslin
If kids aren’t reading books, maybe it’s because they don’t have exciting books to read.
According to the American Psychological Association, a third of all teens have not a read a book for pleasure in a year. The report cites the usual culprits, especially the prevalence of spending time on social media, which is even more popular than television, the traditional bête noire of the bookish.
At the same time, kids are desperately in need of reading material that teaches them something positive about American history. The history books that schools foist on them are riddled with anti-American narratives and explicitly unpatriotic themes that leave them questioning the value of being an American at all.
I've just read a book that could change that. Dubbed "A Dangerous Book for Dads (and Their Sons)," Armstrong, by best-selling author H.W. Crocker III, is a hilariously funny alternative-history adventure story set in the Old West. The premise has Lt. Col. George Armstrong Custer surviving the Battle of the Little Big Horn to become a heroic knight-errant, in the tradition of Shane or Paladin.
Custer – taken unconscious from the battlefield and enslaved by the white wife of a Sioux warrior he killed – adopts the persona of Armstrong, and sets off on his adventures. He is soon joined by a colorful cast of characters including a troupe of Chinese acrobats (of course!), a Crow Indian scout, a former Rebel solider and others they encounter along the way. They soon become embroiled in righting wrongs in the aptly named town of Bloody Gulch, Montana, with plenty of adventures and twists of fate to keep the pages turning.
Custer’s multicultural band of vagabonds is the only politically-correct aspect of this book, which revels in period tropes but always in a positive and humorous spirit. Harry Crocker’s bold prose will definitely not please your average humorless progressive social justice warrior, but then again what would? Crocker treats his subjects with respect while not descending into the fawning preachiness that characterizes much contemporary period fiction.
Armstrong, which is the first in a series, is written from a historically-informed point of view that is reminiscent of George MacDonald Fraser’s Flashman novels. There is also an element of mystery that evokes the TV series “The Fugitive,” as Custer maintains his anonymity in order to hunt down the man who betrayed the Seventh Cavalry and led them to destruction at Little Big Horn.
I know the real Custer; I even wrote the book. Custer’s true-life story reads like fiction, so it is an easy transition into the “What-if” scenario in which he continues his adventures. This is the kind of book young people should want to read, which will challenge them and widen their horizons. It is part history, part humor, part drama, and all-around entertainment. If anything will get them to switch off corrosive social media and enjoy reading just for the fun of it, Armstrong has a shot. It may be against heavy odds, but when did George Armstrong Custer ever back down from a challenge?
I dispute the notion that Custer's tactics at the Big Horn were "arrogant" or even "blunders." He basically ordered a pincer attack, with Reno on one flank and his own troops on the other.
He failed to understand that the indians were present in far greater numbers than he had thought, and that they would fight much harder to defend their camp.
If anyone can be blamed for the utter failure of the pincer to succeed, it would have to be Reno, who conducted one of the worst cavalry assaults in history and ended up collapsing, freeing the indians to divert their forces to attack Custer in overwhelming numbers.
Custer's decision to split off Benteen's column came from a desire to cut off any possible escape by the indians.
There were a lot of mistakes at the Big Horn, but Custer's tactics were pretty standard. The image of him being motivated by pure vanity is bull droppings.
NO thanks.
Pretty sure the Southern Generals knew who Custer was.
He was the man most responsible for their surrender at Appomattox.
To quote one of my favorite bumper stickers from the 1970’s - Custer was an idiot.
What’s more interesting is Elfego Baca and John Slaughter were bitter enemies.
From what I’ve read, Custer biggest mistake at Little Big Horn was to not take his two Gatling guns with him because he thought they’d slow him down.
What’s bad about historical novels is they are often made into even worse movies, like the very funny but totally inaccurate LITTLE BIG MAN.
Most people today believe Custer woke up one morning in 1868 and 1876, looked out the window and said...”It’s such a nice day I think I will go out and kill me a bunch of Indians!”
I personally like REAL history such as MASSACRES OF THE MOUNTAINS by Dunn Jr, ON THE BORDER WITH CROOK by Bourke, MY LIFE ON THE PLAINS by Custer, THE INDIAN WAR OF 1864 by Capt Eugene Ware, THE ROMANCE AND TRAGEDY OF PIONEER LIFE by Augustus Lynch Mason, THE SAVAGE YEARS edited by S. Rifkin, written at that time in history.
Sitting Bull: “Custer, you magnificent bastard. I read your book!”
HA!...Thanks!
The mouth of the Maumee river is at the MI/OH border and is the outskirts of Monroe, MI.
That is what makes Monroe the walleye capital, the Maumee river on one side, and the Detoilet river on the other.
A friend of a friend caught a walleye last year there that was a ounce short of the world record. 17+ lbs.
My best walleye was about 11-12 lbs. I didn’t get weighed because the guy I was fishing with that day had friends coming from out of town and wanted the fish for a fish fry.
I told him he could have all the fish (20 walleyes), but he had to save me a picture of the big one (31 1/2”). He had them all cleaned before he remembered the picture.
Somewhat related post, triggered by yours:
When I was a kid, I had tons of Landmark Books. Hard cover, biographies and histories. The Wright Brothers, Lewis and Clark, Martin Luther were some I remember. Custer’s story was my favorite.
Your post prompted me to google “Landmark Books”. Of course, they still exist, as soft cover/comic book versions of politically correct history.
But the real ones are still out there. They are scarce, and sought after. I saw a series of 29 of them where the bidding on eBay is up to $270.00
If your kids, especially your sons, read these when they are 9-12 years old, it will a) make them want to read, and b) greatly decrease the chances of them being f***ed up in school.
A FRiendly tip for those of you with kids.
Not as farfetched as you might think. after Custer’s defeat, many wondered if Sitting Bull had learned his craft at a US Military Academy. Someone found a photo of a graduating class with a dark skinned cadet and wondered if this might be Sitting Bull, under another name.
I believe this was mentioned in the book CUSTER’S FALL which I read way back around 1965.
> once he goes west, things go dark <
Custer was a major general (brevet) during the civil war. After the war he reverted back to the rank of lieutenant colonel. That was not unusual in those days. And it was not seen as a demotion.
But for someone with Custer’s ego, going from major general to lieutenant colonel - that must have really stung.
Particularly since he wasn't even the actual commander of the 7th Cavalry Regiment. The actual commander was Colonel Samuel D. Sturgis.
Little Big Man...
T’was good eating! Walleye dinners here ain’t cheap...
> once he goes west, things go dark <
Custer was a major general (brevet) during the civil war. After the war he reverted back to the rank of lieutenant colonel. That was not unusual in those days. And it was not seen as a demotion.
But for someone with Custer’s ego, going from major general to lieutenant colonel - that must have really stung.
Actually, at the end of the Civil War, Custer reverted to his permanent rank of Captain in the Regular Army. He was promoted to Lt Colonel when he assumed command of the 7th.
On that fateful day, Custer was told to wait for General Terry’s column approaching from the north. He would have none of that....he would relive his glorious charge at Gettysburg, only this time, at the Little Big Horn. Custer, approaching from the south, split his command sending Benteen and Reno further to the south. Custer then “rode off into the heat of the day”, and history. Custer’s blind ambition and arrogance cost him his life, and those who rode with him.
> Custer’s blind ambition and arrogance cost him his life, and those who rode with him. <
Yep. There are a lot of heroes that would make good role models for the youth of today. But I don’t see Custer as being one of them.
Bump
Juan McQueeg didn’t build heaven and earf.
According to the liberal view of creation, it was the (illegitimate) wun who built that and everything else.
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