M. John Lubetkin’s “Custer’s Gold”

Over the past few months I have had the urge to read some great action/adventure novels, so it is no surprised I jumped at the chance to read a historical fiction novel with those elements. This week, I’m reviewing John Lubetkin’s Custer’s Gold, an immaculately detailed book that follows the memoirs of Edward C. Jordan, the last man to tell the truth about George Armstrong Custer’s involvement with stolen Virginian gold. A railroad engineer, Edward is tasked with surveying the Northern Pacific railroad project, and meets an enigmatic crew of fellow engineers, cooks, military escorts, and other individuals of historical significance as the crew tries to keep the railroad project on track. Under the surface, however, the men are becoming entangled with a much more dangerous gambit for stolen riches. Stalked by the thieving party and thrown into the mix with larger than life characters, Edward will bring to light what really happened to “Custer’s gold.”

Let me start by saying that Custer’s Gold is a roller-coaster adventure from beginning to end. The story is very much a Western, not only in content but in form. Hostile Indians, brawls, and greedy barons are abound, all of which is made more striking when viewed alongside the painstaking detail that Lubetkin has put into his historical research. A great deal of the events and characters present in this story are real, which makes the action all the more satisfying. Lubetkin manages to avoid the usual trap of unwieldy dialogue in historical fiction: pacing is quick and free-flowing right up to the last tragic, revealing page. Custer’s Gold also carries a degree of awe with its presentation. The world in this book is American history, and these individuals interacted in arguably one of the most bloody, conflicted, and strangely hopeful times for the ambition of Americans everywhere. As I read Custer’s Gold, I couldn’t help feeling excited alongside Edward as he set off into unknown (or, rather, poorly chartered) territory. With an abundance of danger, historical anecdotes, and a romantic feeling of discovery, Custer’s Gold is a piece of historical fictions that lovers of the Western form can’t afford to pass up. Similarly, if you like action/adventure, period pieces, or even general mystery, then Custer’s Gold is a ride at full gallop that you should check out. I’ll definitely be looking for more of John Lubetkin’s work.