Considered by many to be the architect of the modern U.S. Army, Union General Emory Upton commanded troops in almost every major battle of the Civil War's Eastern Theater. Witnessing some of the war's bloodiest engagements convinced him of the need for comprehensive reform in military organization, professionalism, education, tactics and personnel policies. From the end of the war to his 1881 death by suicide, Upton led an effort to modernize U.S. military culture. While much has been written about the politics of his reform campaign, this book details his wartime experiences and how they informed his intense fervor for change.

During the Battle of the Little Big Horn, five entire companies of the 7th Cavalry, including their leader, George Armstrong Custer, were lost. For years the shadow of blame for the defeat has been cast upon Custer. What role did his subordinates play in the battle? Did they contribute to the Custer failure, or was he the only one to blame? In Custer's Shadow presents the complex life of Major Marcus Reno, Custer's second-in-command. Employing photographs and maps to help the reader visualize the text, Ronald H. Nichols unravels the controversy surrounding Reno's role in the battle and questions the scrutiny to which he was subjected in the years following.