AllMovie

Though brief, the period of exploration and expansion known as the Wild West has long had a strong grip on the psyche of the American nation. From the lonely cowboy to the sinister and romantic vision of the outlaw and gunslinger, the iconography of the American West is inextricably bound to our consideration of who we are as Americans. Each episode of The Real West examines an aspect of this legendary phase of American history and attempts to divide myth from fact to present a more historical view of this near mythical era. In this particular entry, viewers investigate the career of George Armstrong Custer and the battle in South Dakota that proved to be his Waterloo. Kenny Rogers narrates.