narrative that promises to explore the Spanish-American War and his life entangled with Amanda’s.

Thomas Berger's eagerly anticipated continuation of his vivid portrayal of the West, first showcased in Little Big Man (1964), once more casts a compassionate eye on Native Americans, portraying them as the tragic casualties of relentless white expansionism. This time, however, the narrative gravitates towards the erosion of Native American culture, illustrated through the poignant resistance led by Sitting Bull and culminating in the tragedy of his assassination. Unlike Little Big Man, where Jack Crabb delved deeply into Cheyenne ways, this sequel paints a somber picture of cultural collapse and the fruitless attempts by whites to integrate the Cheyenne and Lakota peoples into their own societal norms. Consequently, Berger's reflections on the fate of Native American culture are somewhat understated, as they are woven into a broader tapestry depicting the frontier's closure and its transformation from stark reality into the spectacle of Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show.

Back in 1964, when Little Big Man was released, the topic of injustices against Native Americans was a relatively uncharted narrative, despite the attention it received from historians, anthropologists, and popular writers like Max Brand and Frederick Manfred. Fast forward to the 1990s, and the crimes against Native peoples have pervaded popular culture, finding their way into television, films, literature, and even school syllabi. Nowadays, the nation's obliteration of Native American culture is powerfully addressed in both fiction and non-fiction by authors like Evan S. Connell, Ian Frazier, Dee Brown, Douglas C. Jones, Louise Erdrich, and Vine DeLoria. Therefore, Berger's recounting of Sitting Bull's tragic demise and the cultural decline might feel like a well-trodden path. Yet, what stands out in Berger's narrative is his serio-comic depiction of the earnest yet futile attempts by whites to transform Indian children into, as Jack Crabb wryly observes, "white people." This aspect unfolds through Crabb's role as a translator and educator at an Indian school, revealing the misguided nature of white efforts hampered by a lack of cultural understanding, further hindered by the constraints of nineteenth-century religious fervor and Victorian morality.

Additionally, Berger delves into the unruly spirit of boom towns like Deadwood, Dodge City, and Tombstone. Here, he strips away the romanticized veneer of legendary lawmen like Wyatt Earp and Wild Bill Hickok, presenting them as self-serving characters more concerned with their images and business ventures, particularly the Earps. While Berger previously offered an unflattering portrayal of Hickok, in this tale, the aging gunslinger is reduced to a shadow of his former self, plagued by poor eyesight and a wistful longing for an absent spouse. These boom towns brim with potential violence, ready to erupt into chaos and disorder—perhaps subtly echoing the state of American cities in the late twentieth century. Berger's depictions of these towns align with the archetypal images from more romantic Western novels and films.

An important social theme is the rebellion of women against traditional roles, encapsulated in Amanda Teasdale's story, a spirited nineteenth-century idealist committed to championing justice for American Indians. Amanda's defiance of societal norms and her steadfast adherence to independence and human rights transform her into a prototypical Victorian feminist and ally of Jane Addams's reform efforts at Hull House. Through Crabb's interactions with Amanda, Berger offers a perceptive exploration of the limited social roles available to educated, idealistic women in the nineteenth century. Ultimately, the novel convincingly illustrates how the tumultuous events of the West metamorphosed into mythic entertainment, even as they unfolded, through Cody's Wild West Show. The narrative suggests that the challenge of disentangling historical truths from the legendary and mythical depictions of the West has been an enduring issue for public perception since its inception.

The most immediate predecessor to consider is Berger's own Little Big Man. Naturally, the sequel's title evokes a well-trodden path of literature and cinema, where tales of a hero's "return"—such as the 1940 classic The Return of Frank James,—have long been a beloved trope in Hollywood and popular storytelling. This novel honors that tradition, all the while delivering a playful parody. Yet, beyond the horizon of Little Big Man and its successor, looms the towering influence of Mark Twain's Huckleberry Finn, the pioneering American novel that first captured the untamed essence of everyday American life through a robust, first-person narrative.

Among other clear influences are the numerous tales and cinematic portrayals of Sitting Bull and the Lakota. These range from the romanticized Buffalo Bill (1944) to the theatrical exploration found in Arthur Kopit's play, Indians (1969), and its film adaptation, Buffalo Bill and the Indians; Or Sitting Bull's History Lesson (1976). This novel often feels like a clever retort to those works. Also in the mix are historic accounts and personal memoirs of the Wild West, highlighting figures like Bat Masterson, Luke Short, Wyatt Earp, and Doc Holliday. Potential sources include Masterson's journalistic musings during his stint as a sportswriter in New York. A standout influence is Frank Waters' seminal narrative, The Earp Brothers of Tombstone (1960), which sheds an iconoclastic light through the outspoken lens of Virgil Earp’s wife, Allie.

A myriad of memoirs and biographies may have shaped Berger's portrayal of Western legends. Works like William Breakenridge's Helldorado (1928) capture the early chronicles of Tombstone, while John Myers Myers' account of Doc Holliday (1957) and Richard O'Connor's exploration of Bat Masterson (1957) might have sparked inspiration. Other tomes on Western gunfighters, alongside Cody's own autobiography, likely contributed to the narrative tapestry.

The epic tale of the Earps has been reimagined time and again in Western fiction, beginning with a thinly veiled magazine story in 1928, later known in its hardcover form as The Sheriff Rides by "Frank Austin"—an alias of the prolific Frederick Faust, aka Max Brand. Hollywood too has woven this saga into its mythos, most notably through John Ford's iconic, dreamlike rendition in My Darling Clementine (1946). Other significant cinematic adaptations include John Sturges' classic Gunfight at the OK Corral (1957) and Hour of the Gun (1967), alongside more recent, semi-historical interpretations like Tombstone (1994) and Wyatt Earp (1995).

Additionally, the modern wave of historical Westerns penned by authors like Douglas C. Jones, Larry McMurtry, and Ron Hansen has expanded the canvas. Hansen's expertly crafted narratives on the Daltons (Desperadoes, 1979) and Jesse James (The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, 1983) delve into the psyches of notorious Western outlaws with ironic insight. These works embrace the "post-modern" trend of immersing historical figures into fictional landscapes, where they drive the drama instead of merely embellishing the scene with nostalgic flair.

Berger's Little Big Man unveiled the imaginative and unorthodox perspective of Jack Crabb on the American West. In 1978, Berger penned Arthur Rex, a whimsical attempt to breathe life into mythic figures from the Arthurian legends, while simultaneously skewering the tropes of chivalric romance. This thematic exploration resonates with the spirit of The Return of Little Big Man. Berger revisited a character from his earlier Reinhart series, but with less acclaim in Nowhere (1985). Here, he employed Russell Wren, the voice behind the detective parody Who Is Teddy Villanova? (1977), as the narrator of a Utopian satire, arguably Berger's least compelling work.

Questions surrounding the themes of violence and anarchy within American life found a place in Berger's more recent works like Suspects (1996) and Meeting Evil (1992), although his fascination with such topics dates back to Killing Time (1967). The comedic lens through which Berger views society is evident in The Return, especially in its portrayal of the Major's Indian school and the concluding escapade with Wyatt Earp. This comedic style echoes the finely crafted narratives of his earlier 1980s novels, including The Feud (1983) and The Houseguest (1988).

Exploring the West Through Other Voices

Turning to other authors, readers interested in the lamentable demise of the Indian era on the Great Plains may be drawn to Douglas Jones' works, Arrest Sitting Bull (1977) and A Creek Called Wounded Knee (1978). Larry McMurtry's celebrated Lonesome Dove (1985), along with its sequels, offers a vivid tapestry of the West during its zenith and decline. The bustling days of Dodge City and Tombstone come alive in numerous tales, with Will Henry's (Henry Wilson Allen) Who Rides with Wyatt (1955) delivering a more valorized account of the Wyatt Earp saga, largely inspired by Stuart N. Lake's romanticized 1931 biography, Wyatt Earp: Frontier Marshal.

As of now, the captivating tale remains untouched by the hands of filmmakers and television producers. There exists no cinematic or televised adaptation, nor has the novel found its voice through a recorded reading or "audiobook." Yet, the world has witnessed a flawed but nonetheless triumphant film rendition of Little Big Man, brought to life by the directorial prowess of Arthur Perm in 1970.