He followed the call of his country-- straight into the bloodiest battle of his life...
Robert Vaughan has been writing solid books for more than 20 years. He is a retired U.S. Army officer who could have served in the Army of the plains back in the times of which he writes.
Anyone enjoying good western fiction, a somewhat dying art these days, will welcome and appreciate the art of Robert Vaughan. He also writes under the pen name K.C. McKenna.
This present book was done at the bequest of the Ralph Compton estate, a somewhat change in direction from other writings of the late Compton, as those dealt with either western trail drives or gunfighter novels. With the focus of this book being the 1876 Montana campaign, the last as it turned out for Custer, against the Lakota, Cheyenne, and Arapahoe.
The book is somewhat fact filled while being at the same time intertwined with a fictional backdrop of an acclaimed artist, P.G. McKenzie, and his daughter going west to capture on canvas, George Catlin style, the wanning days of the plains tribes. Growing out of this fictional account is the story of the artist's daughter, Kate an artist herself, and one recently resigned 7th Cavalry officer, Quinn Pendarrow. Along the way letters and conversations of those May-June, 1876, days and times are combined with a gripping novel portraying the young Pendarrow's activities with a couple of lovely young women, as well as with the 7th U.S. Cavalry. Those troubling, dangerous days are skillfully written by Mr. Vaughan to such detail that the reader can almost sense the dust of battle and the smell of paint, such as that on a freshly completed canvass by Frederick Remington or Charles Russell.
Anyone enjoying a rousing historical western read, especially those as penned by Mr. Vaughan, will be sure to find this book an engrossing read. Though the book may not suit some, the fact remains that this is one book of historical fiction that most knowledgeable western readers will remember with pleasure.
Anyone enjoying good western fiction, a somewhat dying art these days, will welcome and appreciate the art of Robert Vaughan. He also writes under the pen name K.C. McKenna.
This present book was done at the bequest of the Ralph Compton estate, a somewhat change in direction from other writings of the late Compton, as those dealt with either western trail drives or gunfighter novels. With the focus of this book being the 1876 Montana campaign, the last as it turned out for Custer, against the Lakota, Cheyenne, and Arapahoe.
The book is somewhat fact filled while being at the same time intertwined with a fictional backdrop of an acclaimed artist, P.G. McKenzie, and his daughter going west to capture on canvas, George Catlin style, the wanning days of the plains tribes. Growing out of this fictional account is the story of the artist's daughter, Kate an artist herself, and one recently resigned 7th Cavalry officer, Quinn Pendarrow. Along the way letters and conversations of those May-June, 1876, days and times are combined with a gripping novel portraying the young Pendarrow's activities with a couple of lovely young women, as well as with the 7th U.S. Cavalry. Those troubling, dangerous days are skillfully written by Mr. Vaughan to such detail that the reader can almost sense the dust of battle and the smell of paint, such as that on a freshly completed canvass by Frederick Remington or Charles Russell.
Anyone enjoying a rousing historical western read, especially those as penned by Mr. Vaughan, will be sure to find this book an engrossing read. Though the book may not suit some, the fact remains that this is one book of historical fiction that most knowledgeable western readers will remember with pleasure.
Fictionalized version of the events culminating in the Battle at the Little Bighorn. Pretty good outlining of the major events. Custer is presented in a less than flattering light.
One of the more interesting portions of the book has to do with the evacuation of the wounded survivors from the Reno and Benteen groups, via the steamboat 'Far West', which had delivered some materiel to the Seventh prior to their embarkation on the campaign. Navigating further up the Yellowstone River than any commercial craft had ever gone, the 'Far West' traversed shallow water, shifting sandbars, islands, rapids, and tight quarters to get the wounded back to Fort Bismark.
One of the more interesting portions of the book has to do with the evacuation of the wounded survivors from the Reno and Benteen groups, via the steamboat 'Far West', which had delivered some materiel to the Seventh prior to their embarkation on the campaign. Navigating further up the Yellowstone River than any commercial craft had ever gone, the 'Far West' traversed shallow water, shifting sandbars, islands, rapids, and tight quarters to get the wounded back to Fort Bismark.
Custer's last stand. Quinn P. reenlists as a civilian member of the Trains Co., responsible for the delivery of military supplies to units in the Dakota Territory. Mfeets a woman who is touring the West to paint the Plains Indiais who does not know the first thing about the dangers of the frontier
