Little Big Man

By: Thomas Berger, Larry McMurtry - introduction

Narrated by: David Aaron Baker, Scott Sowers, Henry Strozier

Audie Award, Literary Fiction, 2016

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.

©1964, 2014 Thomas Berger, Introduction by Larry McMurtry (P)2014 Recorded Books

Good story but...

Some parts of it made very little sense, particularly the last part where he decided to join Custer. Huh?

I think the author mostly just wanted to narrate from the standpoint of the whites at little big horn, because it's more dramatic... or something like that

Top Notch

Excellent story and performance. I had to recheck the details half way through to make sure it was fiction.

A terrific novel. well preformed.

I loved listening to this fascinating story. The movie doesn't begin to give it justice.

What a pleasant surprise!

An excellent story, narrated perfectly. I only wish it could have continued on. But I understand there is a sequel, so I might check that out

a little slow, but well done.

I would say it's a fun look at history. I probably wouldn't recommend this book myself, but my partner loved it.

Huck Finn on Fire Water

Any additional comments?

This book was clearly a work of fiction, occasionally drifting to fantasy. It did have the ring of realism, however, in it's depiction of Native Americans and their way of life. This was not a didactic novel trying to preach about the horrific genocide and mistreatment of the original inhabitants of our continent, but a very engaging action novel. It was thoroughly enjoyable and fun, however it leaves the reader with a deeper empathy for a way of life that was cruelly taken from people who were ironically portrayed as savages.
I feel this book border lines on a classic. Berger isn't Mark Twain, but he is very good and his story is a milestone in portraying the West in a new light.

Captivating story!

I started this book on a road trip, and ended up being consumed by is so much so that I looked forward to the car rides around Morocco just so I could listen some more. Jack Crabb is a fascinating character, and I believe this book has opened my interests to more of the frontier life of our country's past. There were times I was angry at Crabb, because the stories were so real, and his reactions so honest I found myself debating his choices. That is the kind of book I like, one that draws me in and shows history along the way. Regardless of if you take his tales at a true man's life or a fiction historical novel one this is certain- this book is worth all its given recognition and then some.

A Modern Western Masterpiece

Too many people pass these old stories by. They might think there dated, or corny, or maybe they just don’t like the genre. I’m telling you that you are all privileged to live in this era in which we all have access to not only current works of art, (books, paintings, music, video, drama, etc.),but we have access to almost all of the works of art ever created in one form or another. It’s even at our fingertips. I wish my parents would have lived long enough to see and access so much....humanity. It’s an exciting era that we should never take for granted.

That being said, stretch and read something that you usually wouldn’t read. If not this classic, then pick another and expand your human experience.

This is not a basic western. It is an alternative history/reality soup while remaining realistic. It has strong characters and a very unique plot. It explores The West, explores the lives of The White Man, explores the lives of Native Americans, explores Colonialism, explores Gen. Custard, and explores life in general in that time period. The main character has one boot in the Native American camp and one boot in the White Man’s camp. What follows allows you to see and compare ALL the different camps. It becomes a realistic, fun, insightful ride that is grounded in the past, but has implications for the present and the future. You will be surprised at where Berger takes you and where he takes you adds the action,suspense, and a touch of mystery and comedy, that keeps you interested. You won’t fall asleep in the saddle.

What more could you want? Well, it’s written by a master story teller...Berger and it has some great narrators that bring his story and characters to life.

Westerns are not my favorite genre, but great stories are...GREAT in any genre. Lonesome Dove and Little Big Man are two of the greatest westerns/books ever written. The movie was great too with Dustin Hoffman in the lead.

Note: This book does reflect a past era in which some characters/Native Americans are ridiculed/harassed racially or in other ways. This reflects the writer’s interest in creating realistic characters for the time period. Additionally, you will be surprised at the progressiveness and diversity of Berger’s characters. This is revisionist history which was ahead of its time.

The detail of Indian life

I loved the detail of Indian life. It’s the first book that I’ve read. It really makes what the natives are thinking come to life.

Great narration.

Great narration of a great book. I constantly had to remind myself that this was a novel and not a history textbook.