james donovan is a university of texas graduate now living in dallas and the author of the new book, “a terrible glory, custer and the little big horn, the last great battle of the american west.” he is signing at bookpeople at 6th and lamar april 24 at 7pm. it’s a subject that has been covered by historians many times, but this book is something new. stephen harrigan, author of “gates of the alamo,” says: “there have been so many books written about the battle of Little Bighorn that it’s natural to ask, why another? james donovan’s marvelous narrative puts that question to rest after only a few paragraphs. its clarity and scope, its unbiased assessments, and its gripping readability make us feel that we’re encountering this astonishing american story for the very first time.” james came in for a lengthy discussion of the book. unfortunately the coda to our conversation came after the microphone was off. though Little Bighorn was a victory for the indians it was also the last. a few years later sitting bull had become part of buffalo bill’s wild west show.

— John Aielli