Red Sabbath - Book Review

Red Sabbath by Robert Kershaw, is an excellent detailed account of the Battle of the Little Bighorn. The book starts with Red Clouds war and shows how Indians fought and the tactics used by the US Army and settlers to defeat them. It covers the reasons behind the campaign to remove the Indians from the area, and how the campaign was planned. The approach into Indian Territory is well described, and the strategic assumptions and communication errors made by the different commanders as they searched for the Indian Village.

The Battle of the Little Bighorn is very well covered, with Custer's mistakes highlighted and evaluated, particularly his failure to scout and the division of his forces. The book refers to both survivor testimony and recent archeology on the battlefield. Cartridge case finds show where the Indians and soldiers who fought fired from, and confirms that the Indians had many more modern rifles than expected. The different phases of the battle are well illustrated with useful maps, while there are also a number of pictures showing the terrain, key individuals and  Indian pictographs of the fighting.

Overall, a very good book providing an insight into this famous battle.