Dig Little Bighorn

Here's an article concerning an archeological dig at the Little Bighorn Battlefield, where Custer's Last Stand took place. It may be of interest to... well, me I guess.

Searching through my oldest memories I'd have to say that while my general fascination with the West and Westerns began with early (we're talking five or so years old here) viewings of Rin Tin Tin, my fascination with Custer's Last Stand started with repeated (read: endless) readings of Indians of the Plains by Eugene Rachlis, from the American Heritage Junior Library. Rachlis' book featured an entire chapter on the battle with vivid images (including the one above) that were riveting to the five or six year old me.

I have no idea if the American Heritage Junior Library or it's companion series Horizon-Caravel Books are still in print. If not, it's a damn shame. These books sparked and fueled my interest in a number of historical topics when I was a kid; the ones I didn't own I borrowed from the library. Looking over the titles it's clear to me where many of the doors and rooms in my mansion originated - from such childhood favorites as Air War Against Hitler's Germany and Carrier War in the Pacific (led to numerous books about famous aces, especially Robert Johnson's Thunderbolt); The Battle of the Bugle (from this book stems a lifelong interest in military history and thus thousands of turned pages); Battle of Waterloo (hello Richard Sharpe); and Nelson and the Age of Fighting Sail (hey there Horblower, Aubrey and Maturin). I'd like to think these books continue to inspire other kinds today.