The death of George Armstrong Custer ended the life of one of the most
flamboyant, brave, careless, and fascinating characters to ever wear a
United States military uniform. His dramatic rise during the Civil War
to the brevet rank of brigadier general at twenty-three, and his uncanny
ability to stay alive regardless of how recklessly he flung himself at
the enemy, gave rise to his image as an almost mythical figure. His life
was filled with such good fortune that the term Custer's Luck was used
to refer to an unusually fortuitous event.Road to Disaster examines
Custer's unusual mental and emotional make-up, which played out in his
military career, his relationship with his wife, and in the death he and
many of his men found at the end of their march into Montana. A clearer
picture of the man appears, providing answers as to why military success
followed him to the top of his career, and why the Battle of the Little
Bighorn became such a shocking disaster in the summer of 1876.