Custer Survivor Book

"Custer Survivor" is a book about Frank Finkel, otherwise known as August Finckle or Frank Hall, the only soldier marching with Custer who, supposedly, managed to escape death at the Little Bighorn. Finkel's story is nothing novel; nevertheless, the author of this book does a good job of introducing different and insightful specifics regarding the life and times of one Frank (August) Finkel, 7th Cavalry, U.S.A. In the years following the Battle of the Little Bighorn, hundreds of men have claimed to be a "sole survivor" of Custer's doomed command. For all of that, Finkel's story is the only one which seems somewhat plausible. Through meticulous research and by using up-to-date investigative measures, the author of this book excels at making Finkel's tale all the more convincing.

The book itself, however, is mainly a bio about the "survivor," Frank Finkel. If a reader is reading this book for the sake of discovering new insight or recently developed information about the actual battle, he or she will not find it here - only one chapter in the beginning is allotted to the infamous engagement. There is, however, a reason for this:

Frank Finkel, if his story is true, did not see Custer and his comrades come to grief. At the onset, when Custer's men initially encountered the village, Finkel and his horse were wounded by Sioux bullets. Finkel's horse, driven by pain and fear, bolted through the Indian village along the river. As good fortune would have it, this is how the sole Custer survivor managed to escape the slaughter. It must be duly noted that Finkel was only a participant during the nascent portion of the fight; he was not with Custer and his men during the tumultuous and climactic part of it. In other words, this "Custer Survivor" made his escape before the "last stand" of legend took place. Such as it is, Finkel's story proffers up nothing new, interesting, or compelling in regards to what happened at the Little Bighorn because he witnessed so little of the actual battle.

One other criticism I have regarding the book is this: if you are going to bestow the appellation of "Custer Survivor" on Frank Finkel, you may as well do it for Trumpeter John Martin (Giovanni Martini) as well. After all, when all things are considered, one finds Frank Finkel's story no more notable than the story about the man who, but for the delivering of a last minute message, would have perished with Custer too.

By and large, however, "Custer Survivor" is worth reading. Despite my so subtle censures, I enjoyed this book. I especially enjoyed, and admired, the passion, time, effort, and herculean research the author must have put into it.