Inventing Custer: The Making of an American Legend

Authors: Edward Caudill and Paul Ashdown
Author info: Professors of Journalism and Electronic Media
Publication Date: September 2015
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
Synopsis: Custer’s Last Stand remains one of the most iconic events in American history and culture. Had Custer prevailed at the Little Bighorn, the victory would have been worthy of a few newspaper headlines. In defeat, however tactically inconsequential in the larger conflict, Custer became legend. This book bridges the gap between the George Armstrong Custer who lived and the one we’ve immortalized and mythologized into legend. It explains how Custer became mythic, shaped by the press and changing sentiments toward American Indians, and shows the many ways the myth has evolved and will continue to evolve as the United States continues to change.