Civil War buffs will enjoy this historical novel, which uses a range of characters, from politicians to privates to generals to civilians, to explore the motivations behind the war. The climactic scenes take place at the final battle of the war, in Selma, Alabama, in April 1865, where Union general James H. Wilson defeated Confederate general Nathan Bedford Forrest. To reach that point, first-novelist Jim Harrell goes back to the beginning of the war, introducing characters on both sides whose varying philosophies and motivations reflect the deep internal divisions within the nation. Then, as the war progresses, Harrell's interweaving plotlines show how the South was gradually and relentlessly cornered. Fine period details and interesting characters bring the ruinous history to life.

Harrell, Jim

Jim Harrell

NewSouth, Incorporated

Newsouth Books

United States, United States of America

Montgomery, AL, 2003

April 2004

1, 2004

256 pages : 24 cm
"In 1861, the American nation was broken into two parts: the South, whose citizens believed in their right to secede; and the North, which denied this right. This issue, debated with an ever-increasing fervor, led to a war Southerners called the Battle Between the States and the Northerners called the Civil War. At the core of Jim Harrell's historical novel is the search for understanding of the forces that brought about this fateful outcome." "The novel opens at the war's beginning, then follows a varied cast of characters through the next four years as battles rage and the fortunes of war rise and fall. The story climaxes with the Battle of Selma, where Union forces led by Maj. Gen. James Wilson defeated the Confederates commanded by Lt. Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest." "The appalling cost of the war went far beyond its 620,000 battle-related deaths. The war destroyed - principally in the South - cities, towns, houses, bridges, and barns. Against this background of death and devastation we hear in Their Last Ten Miles voices that portray attitudes, opinions and interpretations that may strike today's reader as implausable, contradictory, or even wrong-headed. But the author believes that these sentiments were honestly come by and that these voices are historically authentic and accurately represent a cross section of the population in that time."--BOOK JACKET

April To October, 1861: ... And The War Came. / Abraham Lincoln -- Late 1861 To 1864: ... This War Is Killing Us All. Families For Miles Around Are Empty Of Menfolk. / Diana Conway -- March 1865: ... You Will Destroy Whatever May Be Of Benefit To The Rebel Cause. / Major General James H. Wilson -- April 1865: My Men Have Marched Their Last Ten Miles. / Major Peter Fitzhugh Hathaway. Jim Harrell.

2024-08-23