Cain at Gettysburg
A Novel
-
-
4.7 • 3 Ratings
-
-
- $12.99
-
- $12.99
Publisher Description
Winner of the American Library Association's W. Y. Boyd Award for Excellence in Military Fiction
Two mighty armies blunder toward each other, one led by confident, beloved Robert E. Lee and the other by dour George Meade. They'll meet in a Pennsylvania crossroads town where no one planned to fight.
In this sweeping, savagely realistic novel, the greatest battle ever fought on American soil explodes into life at Gettysburg. As generals squabble, staffs err. Tragedy unfolds for immigrants in blue and barefoot Rebels alike. The fate of our nation will be decided in a few square miles of fields.
Following a tough Confederate sergeant from the Blue Ridge, a bitter Irish survivor of the Great Famine, a German political refugee, and gun crews in blue and gray, Cain at Gettysburg is as grand in scale as its depictions of combat are unflinching.
For three days, battle rages. Through it all, James Longstreet is haunted by a vision of war that leads to a fateful feud with Robert E. Lee. Scheming Dan Sickles nearly destroys his own army. Gallant John Reynolds and obstreperous Win Hancock, fiery William Barksdale and dashing James Johnston Pettigrew, gallop toward their fates….
There are no marble statues on this battlefield, only men of flesh and blood, imperfect and courageous. From New York Times bestselling author and former U.S. Army officer Ralph Peters, Cain at Gettysburg is bound to become a classic of men at war.
At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Peters (The Officers' Club) uses the same structure as Michael Shaara's 1974 Civil War classic The Killer Angels to depict the seven crucial days before, during, and after the Battle of Gettysburg in July 1863. In this compelling tale of men at war, Peters weaves fictionalized accounts of actual Confederate and Union officers (including Robert E. Lee, George Meade, James Longstreet, and Dan Sickles), with stories of the privates, corporals, and sergeants who slaughtered each other in an orgy of blood, gore, suffering, heroism, and villainy. Lee's stubborn hubris overrode all tactical sense, resulting in a colossal blunder, while Meade didn't want command of the Union army, but turned out to be the first Yank to beat Lee in a fight. The generals bicker, argue, and worry, making decisions that will cost thousands of lives. Meanwhile, the soldiers endure hunger, thirst, fatigue, illness, and injury only to face a firestorm of rifle bullets, exploding artillery shells, and grim work with the bayonet. Peters's colorful depictions of harsh army life and the utter chaos of battles are accurate and convincing, revealing that there's no idealism on the battlefield, just men doing gruesome and frightening work.
