"Rumors of a campaign against Sitting Bull cut through the ranks like a cold wind. Who would lead the charge? Custer and his Seventh Cavalry seemed to be the natural choice; for them it was a history-making proposition. For the Sioux, it was the last installment in an old story. Forced from their traditional lands, the Sioux had nowhere to go and only two choices: to fight back or become captives on the reservations. They chose to fight back." "In Bugles in the Afternoon, Western writer Ernest Haycox relates a tale of Custer's famed Seventh Cavalry and its fate at the Battle of the Little Bighorn in a balanced mix of action, exposition, and history. Originally published in 1943, this classic work is now back in print in a new paperback edition. Historian Richard W. Etulain examines the novel's history and Haycox's impact on a timeless genre in an original foreword. Ernest Haycox Jr. provides insight into his father's writing regimen and commitment to authenticity in his introduction."--BOOK JACKET.