"ACW Novels-recommend some?" Topic

Greetings all,

I have read the Shaara books, Killer Angels is far superior to the others.
Now I would like to find more Novels set in the ACW.
What can you recommend?

cheers

FM

Rebel and the rest of the series by Bernard Cornwell. See;
link

Tony
dampfpanzerwagon.blogspot.com

The Newt Gingerich series about alternate Gettysburg was kind of fun. The other alternate Gettysburg (whose name and author I cannot recall at this time)was a litle too well done. I couldn't separate what was factual history from what he was making up. I found it a little troubling. Rob.

I also enjoyed the Starbuck Chronicles. I quite enjoyed 'Unto This Hour' by Tom Wicker and 'Confederates' by Tom Keneally as well.

Another is 'The Red Badge of Courage' by Stephen Crane. The story of Henry Fleming doesn't end with the Red Badge of Courage. Crane wrote about Henry in a short story (all 4 pages) in 1896. The story is called 'The Veteran' and can be found it in a book titled "The Little Regiment" and other Civil War Stories. A version of Red Badge of Courage I purchased recently has it added at the end of the book.

"I have read the Shaara books…"

There are two Shaaras… father and son. Father wrote Killer Angels and you won't find a better Civil War novel. The son wrote several books… none of which are worth the paper they're printed on

The one mentioned by Imnotanaga is Gettysburg – An alternate History by Peter Tsouras – who actually has done one other alternative Civil War history (Dixie Victorious) and has another on the way…

James

Harold Coyle did a pair of ACW novels called, "Look Away" and "Until the End". I read them about ten years ago, but remember liking them alot.

I'll also put in another vote for Bernard Cornwell's Civil War series.

Tom Keneally's Confederates as Barry S said above. Won the Booker in the 70s and is excellent you cannot go wrong. I must have read my copy about a dozen times. Its nice and thick so great for a holiday read or killing wasps!

Another vote for "Look Away" and "Until the End." I also reccommend "The Black Flower" by Howard Bahr. The author's style is similar to Faukner however, so it may not be your cup of tea. Cheers!

Mark

Please try two books by Richard Croker. Both done in the style of "Killer Angles". The first is "To Make Men Free" about the battle of Antietam, The second is "No Greater Courage" about Fredricksburg.

rcroker.com

Try Mackinley Kantor's "Andersonville". It won the Pulitzer prize.

"Reed Badge of Courage"

link

"The Veteran"

link

Rick

A second vote for "Confederates" by Keneally – while I also like the Shaara books, for a single volume Confederates is hard to beat – plus, it provides a realistic view of the average Confederate soldier

I second the Richard Croker books and the Shaara books. Killer Angels is the best of Shaara, with Last Full Measure next best.

Frank Meredith's "The Unfinished Work" is a very interesting look at the cavalry at Hanover and East Cavalry Field.

"Cold Mountain" and second for "Red Badge of Courage."

The _BEST_ one you can find is Corporal Si Klegg and his Pard, written by Wilbur F. Hinman. It is required reading with CW reenactors and CW buffs in general. Hinman ended the CW as a Lt. Col of the 65th Ohio. Instead of writing his memoirs he decided to write about a fictional character, Si Klegg, and his experiences in the war from the beginning to the end in a fictional Union regiment. It's both amusing and very sad. It's all about what a soldier did in camp, on the march and in battle through Klegg's eyes. The characters in the book are drawn from Hinman's CW years and there are also B&W drawings to go with it that are priceless as are the tales. You should see the picture of Klegg marching after enlistment with all the stuff that Si's Mom loaded him down with. One word, don't have your Mom pack your knapasack when you go off to war. :)

'Four thumbs up' with this one!

The diaries of Sam Watkins and Mary Chestnut make for good reading of what really happened. I've not read Chestnut yet, but Watkins is very entertaining.

How about 'Traveller' by Richard Adams – straight from the horse's mouth, 'Play for a Kingdom' by Thomas Dyja – baseball at Spotsylvania, and 'Glory in the Name' & 'Theives of Mercy' by James Nelson – confederate naval action.
I won't mention 'Guns of the South' though!

'Grant Speaks', by Ev Ehrlich. It's a take on what Grant's memoirs were really like before they were sanitised – it's great fun, and clever to boot.

P.G. Nagle follows the war in Texas and the far west: THE GUNS OF VALVERDE, GLORIETA PASS, RED RIVER, GALVESTON. She has a dozen or so major fictional characters, half Yanks and half Rebs, and does a fine job of telling some exciting military history through their eyes.

I agree that Gingrich's "what if" beginning with Gettysburg s very well done.

"Shiloh" by Shelby Foote. "Banners in the Shenadoah" by Bruce Catton (this one is for teenagers, but a good read nonetheless).

I didn't care for Gengrich's Gettysburg books. I don't think he got the Union generals right at all.

Which one? Sickles? Hancock?

Grant especially, don't remember details, been too long, just my impressions.

I'm not really recommending it, but it's a REALLY "alternative" history that I found entertaining at the time I read it.

link

"Seen the Glory". On par with "Killer Angels"

Another REALLY alternative history is 'Bring the Jubilee" by Ward Moore, a SF story about a world in which the Confederacy won and a time traveler who goes back to observe the battle of Gettysburg and accidentally changes "history."

All three novels by Howard Bahr. 'The Black Flower,' 'The Year of Jubilo,' and 'The Judas Fields.' They all focus around the Battle of Franklin and have a score of intertwining characters throughout the three novels, even though each novel is from a different point of view. All the principal characters are from Cumberland, Mississippi. I have read and re-read these novels perhaps a dozen times since 'The Black Flower,' came out in 1997. Written with a lot of shades of William Faulkner--no doubt the author was heavily influenced by him as he was curator of the Faulkner Museum--and other stream of consciousness type authors. Truly excellent reads.

Gettysburg – An alternate History by Peter Tsouras is good. It read like one of those "It was the hottest fire ever seen on a battlefield" style of history books.

His alternative D-Day is also worthe reading.

David Poyer, better known for his modern naval fiction, wrote three excellent ACW naval novels:

Fire on the Waters : A Novel of the Civil War at Sea

That Anvil of Our Souls: A Novel of the Monitor and the Merrimack

A Country of Our Own: A Novel of the Confederate Raiders

I thought he got the period and the language down very well.

Mark

Fictional book about the Stonewall Brigade by Frank ______; a well known 60's-70's novelist. Yerby or Slaughter.

Don't forget the novel Jim Mundy.

Oh yes, Jim Mundy is a GREAT read. I second that motion.

For some interesting "alternate" books, read the "Lost Regiment" series by Bill Forstchen. It's Federal civil war infantry and artillery that get transported to a distant world. Good novels all.

And to second the other posters, "Si Klegg" and "Company Aytch" by Sam Watkins are great reads.