Little Big Man Author:Thomas Berger The story of Jack Crabbe, raised by both a white man and a Cheyenne chief. As a Cheyenne, Jack ate dog, had four wives and saw his people butchered by General Custer's soldiers. As a white man, he participated in the slaughter of the buffalo and tangled with Wyatt Earp. — When Little Big Man was first published in 1964 it was immediately hailed a... more »s one of the finest novels ever about the American West, presenting one of the most detailed and accurate portraits of the era in fiction. Familiar myths perpetrated endlessly by film and television were effortlessly debunked. Of particular note was Berger's grand and moving portrait of a white boy brought up among the Cheyenne in the 1850s.« less
A very entertaining historical novel, weaving a (fictional?) central character in with actual people and events of the American West. Jack Crabbe encounters Sitting Bull, Wild Bill Hickock, Calamity Jane, Wyatt Earp, Bat Masterson, General Custer and others, and is present at many memorable events.
This was made into a popular movie in 1969 starring Dustin Hoffman.
Excellent novel of the west during the time of Custer, Wild Bill Hickok, and Wyatt Earp. This, of course, is the story of Jack Crabb who was adopted into the Cheyenne tribe as a young boy and went on to be the only white survivor of the Little Bighorn massacre. This novel was made into one of my all-time favorite movies starring Dustin Hoffman. And even though the move was superlative, the novel is even better -- fleshing out the character of Crabb, his life among the Cheyenne, his encounters with Hickok, and his time spent with the 7th Cavalry and the climatic battle at the Little Big Horn. The novel gives some wonderful and accurate descriptions of Cheyenne and frontier life. A very high overall recommendation!
I love this book. I've already read it 4 times, and hope to reread. Each time I read it, I find a new nugget of information or description. It was the door that led me to exploring more serious works by and about Native Americans.
