A collection of letters to the editor, Even Custer Had Better Odds: Being Blue in a Red (Hendricks) County reflects Dean Pappas' divergent political opinions on contemporary issues. Topics range from the attacks of "911" to Hurricane Katrina. Pappas makes his opinions known even to those who strongly disagree. Pappas spends a lot of time showing the fallacy of the Bush Administration's tax cuts and the reckless government spending of "borrow and spend." He points out that Bush wants to do away with the Estate Tax and the billions of dollars that it provides-just at a time when we desperately need revenue, especially to finance the war in Iraq. Also, he points out that there is not enough money to adequately fund programs for veterans, education, and health care. Furthermore, he describes Bush's philosophy as "No Millionaire Left Behind." Pappas also discusses other issues such as gay marriage, abortion, high gas prices, and Supreme Court nominees. He shows his own religious beliefs when he opposes gay marriage and abortion. Also, he is critical of Bush's Supreme Court nominees and has a strategy for what the Democrats need to do to win the next presidential election. Overall, Even Custer Had Better Odds: Being Blue in a Red (Hendricks) County reflects one man's divergent political views and is available from authorhouse.com.

The legendary Jack Crabb takes another riotous romp through the Old West in an acclaimed novel that’s “impressive and delightful . . . very Mark Twain” (Daily News, New York). Jack Crabb is now 112 years old, and he isn’t done spinning yarns. In this sequel to Berger’s beloved novel Little Big Man, one of literature’s wiliest survivors continues his breathtaking tall tales of the Old West. Crabb claims to have witnessed most of the great historical events of the western frontier: hiding behind a wagon after a drunken Doc Holliday provokes the shootout at the OK Corral; joining Buffalo Bill Cody and Annie Oakley on tour with their international Wild West show; even taking tea with Queen Victoria when she came out of seclusion after a quarter century. No matter where Crabb lays his hat, he keeps his wizened, wry, and sharp commentary at the ready. The Return of Little Big Man is a sidesplitting novel of surprising emotional depth. This ebook features an all-new introduction by Thomas Berger, as well as an illustrated biography of the author including rare images and never-before-seen documents from his personal collection.

CONFESSIONS is a collection of stories from a practical joker that plays up the 'Ol' Country Boy' routine mainly for the benefit of the tourists. Many of the local people will identify with the players in these comedies and philosophical stories, as Motz is a practical joker and has been known to instigate many a misunderstanding, or to feign innocence to initiate a comic and embarrassing situation. An innocent in a world of hunters, fishermen and other liars, Motz goes out of his way to make you laugh, sometimes at his expense and often at the expense of others, who try to show how sophisticated they are. His first story about going hunting for raccoons and the misunderstandings which can occur is classic. For many years, Motz was a newspaper columnist and his humor is sometimes sarcastic, sometimes banal, sometimes self-edifying, sometimes quixotic, but never has it been dull. In many of the stories, morality suffers on the surface, only to emerge in some twisted and perverse manner later on. The often wry or cutting humor will make you read with concentration, for fear of missing some hidden fact or quirky twist of fate. You will laugh at times and you will just shake your head at others, but you will not find these observations and stories boring. And when you finally put this book down, you will reflect many times later on about how a single misunderstanding or double meaning can change a single story or single life. You will also have a deeper appreciation of the humor of a modern rural America, the world of the author.

With the Great Sioux War as background and context, and drawing on many new materials, Thomas Powers establishes what really happened in the dramatic final months and days of Crazy Horse’s life. He was the greatest Indian warrior of the nineteenth century, whose victory over General Custer at the battle of Little Bighorn in 1876 was the worst defeat ever inflicted on the frontier army. But after surrendering to federal troops, Crazy Horse was killed in custody for reasons which have been fiercely debated for more than a century. The Killing of Crazy Horse pieces together the story behind this official killing.

“A mosaic of thousands of tiny pieces that, seen whole, amounts to a fascinating picture of what probably was the most important moment of the Civil War.” —Thomas E. Ricks, New York Times bestselling author of The Generals George Armstrong Custer is famous for his fatal defeat at the Little Bighorn in 1876, but Custer’s baptism of fire came during the Civil War. His true rise to prominence began at Gettysburg in 1863. On the eve of the Battle of Gettysburg, Custer received promotion to brigadier general and command—his first direct field command—of the Michigan Cavalry Brigade, the “Wolverines.” Custer did not disappoint his superiors, who promoted him in a search for more aggressive cavalry officers. At approximately noon on July 3, 1863, the melee that was East Cavalry Field at Gettysburg began. An hour or two into the battle, after many of his cavalrymen had been reduced to hand-to-hand infantry-style fighting, Custer ordered a charge of one of his regiments and led it into action himself, screaming one of the battle’s most famous lines: “Come on, you Wolverines!” Around three o’clock, the Confederates led by Stuart mounted a final charge, which mowed down Union cavalry—until it ran into Custer’s Wolverines, who stood firm, breaking the Confederates’ last attack. In a book combining two popular subjects, Tucker recounts the story of Custer at Gettysburg with verve, shows how the Custer legend was born on the fields of the war’s most famous battle, and offers eye-opening new perspectives on Gettysburg’s overlooked cavalry battle. “A thoughtful and challenging new look at the great assault at Gettysburg . . . Tucker is fresh and bold in his analysis and use of sources.” —William C. Davis, author of Crucible of Command

"Sklenar contends that Custer did have a battle plan, one different from any other suggested by scholars thus far. Custer, he argues, had reason to believe that his scheme might succeed with minimum bloodshed; made decisions consistent with army regulations and his best instincts as an experienced commander; had subordinates who could not overcome the limits of their personalities in a desperate situation; and made a selfless commitment to save the bulk of his regiment. Along the way, Sklenar appraises the officers and other men who served in the Seventh, evaluating the survivors' testimony and assessing the intent and motives of each."--BOOK JACKET.

AMERICAN HISTORY: C 1800 TO C 1900. 'The whites want war and we will give it to them' - Sitting Bull. This is the archetypal story of the American West. Whether it is cast as a tale of unmatched bravery in the face of impossible odds or of insane arrogance receiving its rightful comeuppance, Custer's Last Stand continues to captivate the imagination. Nathaniel Philbrick brilliantly reconstructs the build-up to the Battle of the Little Big Horn through to the final eruption of violence. Two legendary figures dominate the events: George Armstrong Custer and Sitting Bull. No longer the fresh-faced 'Boy-General' of the Civil War, Custer was now mired in financial, professional and political problems. A clear and just cause had been replaced by ambiguity and frustration - by ill-fated efforts at peace treaties, treachery and compromises on both sides.