Hell or Richmond

The New York Times–bestselling author of Cain at Gettysburg recreates the US Civil War and Grant's Overland Campaign in this gripping historical novel.

Winner of the American Library Association's 2014 Boyd Award for Literary Excellence in Military Fiction


Between May 5 and June 3, 1864, the Union and Confederate armies suffered 88,000 casualties. Twenty-nine thousand were killed, wounded, or captured in the first two days of combat. The savagery shocked a young, divided nation.



Against this backdrop of the birth of modern warfare and the painful rebirth of the United States, New York Times–bestselling novelist Ralph Peters has created a breathtaking narrative that surpasses the drama and intensity of his recent critically acclaimed novel, Cain at Gettysburg.



In Hell or Richmond, thirty days of ceaseless carnage are seen through the eyes of a compelling cast, from the Union's Harvard-valedictorian "boy general," Francis Channing Barlow, to the brawling "dirty boots" Rebel colonel, William C. Oates. From Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee to a simple laborer destined to win the Medal of Honor, Peters brings to life an enthralling array of leaders and simple soldiers from both North and South, fleshing out history with stunning, knowledgeable realism.


"Ralph Peters takes the writing of historical novels to a new level of truthfulness, authenticity, and realism. . . . Filled with leadership lessons that are powerful and timeless. Peters is a master storyteller." —Armchair General