Moreau’s research is impeccable and smoothly incorporated, and his descriptions of battle scenes are vivid … –Publishers Weekly
Moreau displays an astute grasp of military history… . The author invests the cast of authentic historical characters with a wide range of strengths and failings, infusing this gripping narrative with a dramatic human element, resulting in a passionate retelling of a legendary battle. –Booklist
August 1862–Federal armies threaten Richmond, the Confederate capital. From the east, the Army of the Potomac, commanded by General George McClellan, has edged closer to the city until the citizens of Richmond are able to listen to their church bells and the report of cannon with equal clarity.
Late in the summer, President Jefferson Davis gives command of the Rebel army to the untried Robert Edward Lee. It is a momentous decision. In a series of battles fought virtually in sight of the city, Lee defeats the Army of the Potomac, then turns and drives the Union Army back to Washington, DC.
Now, in the first week of September, the days are long and hot. Roads muddied by summer rains dry. There is time yet for one last campaign, a battle that could bring about the end of the war, and ensure a southern nation.
This is the story of that campaign. This is the story of the Battle of Antietam, the bloodiest day of the Civil War.
It is refreshing to read a historical novel that is both faithful to historical fact and yet imaginative enough to make the often dry bones of fact come alive… . C. X. Moreau succeeds in that endeavor by portraying the events of the Battle of Antietam, which produced America’s single most bloody day, through the eyes of the generals who planned and fought the battle … As only a veteran can do, Moreau paints a convincing portrayal of the ebb and flow of battle, providing his characters with credible thought processes as that terrible day proceeded. The terror, dismay, and savage emotion that one would expect to feel on a great battlefield show up in the fictionalized account of the actions of Lee, Longstreet, Stonewall Jackson, Burnside, Hooker, and McClellan. Those who enjoy good historical fiction will find this an entertaining book. –The Chattanooga Times
What distinguishes this novel from a straight historical account is Moreau’s telling of the story through the eyes and emotions of an array of officers and soldiers, their detailed words and thoughts. The inner conversations and quotes spring from the author’s close reading of the record, and–in obviously large measure–from his imagination. His intuition rings true.–The Virginian Pilot
