Confederates : A Novel

Thomas Keneally’s compelling historical drama about the American Civil War brings to life one of the most emotive episodes in American history."It compels admiration over and over for its energy and its insight into human character." - SpectatorAs the Civil War tears America apart, General Stonewall Jackson leads a troop of Confederate soldiers on a long trek north towards the battle they believe will be a conclusive victory. But a dark destiny awaits brilliant military strategist Tom “Stonewall” Jackson and his Southern boys, as hard truths about war, loyalty, love, life, and death are revealed in the fires ad bloodshed at Antietam. Through their hopes, fears and losses, Keneally conveys both the drama and mundane hardship of war in this widely acclaimed classic.Thomas Keneally began his writing career in 1964 and has published 33 novels since. His novels include Crimes of the Father, Napoleon’s Last Island, Shame and the Captives, and the New York Times bestselling The Daughters of Mars. His novels The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith, Gossip from the Forest and Confederates were all shortlisted for the Booker Prize, which he won in 1982 with Schindler’s Ark. He has also written several works of nonfiction, including his boyhood memoir Homebush Boy, The Commonwealth of Thieves and Searching for Schindler. A powerful novel of America{u2019}s Civil War told through the voices of Confederate soldiers, turncoats, and Stonewall Jackson in the weeks leading up to the great slaughter at Antietam In the summer of 1862, as the Civil War rages on, a ragtag Confederate army consisting of young boys and old men, storekeepers, farmers, and teachers, gathers in Virginia under the leadership of Tom ?Stonewall? Jackson, ready to follow their sainted commander to glory{u2014}or hell. One of these men, Usaph Bumpass left his wife, Ephie, behind to join the Shenandoah Volunteers, only to discover Ephie{u2019}s lover, Decatur Cate, among his comrades. Still, Usaph remains steadfast in his devotion to a cause he does not fully understand, even as troubling memories of home invade his mind on the march north. But a dark destiny awaits brilliant military strategist Jackson and his Southern boys, as hard truths about war, loyalty, love, life, and death are revealed in the fires and bloodshed at Antietam. A breathtaking work of historical fiction that captures the human face of war as few novels have done before, Confederates has been compared to Tolstoy{u2019}s epic War and Peace as an artful, honest, and profoundly moving depiction of the lot of the soldier. Shortlisted for Great Britain{u2019}s prestigious Man Booker Prize, this masterful tale of love, duty, and conflict from author of Schindler{u2019}s List Thomas Keneally is an enduring and unforgettable classic of Civil War literature In the summer of 1862, as the Civil War rages on, a ragtag Confederate army consisting of young boys and old men, storekeepers, farmers, and teachers, gathers in Virginia under the leadership of Tom "Stonewall" Jackson, ready to follow their sainted commander to glory or hell. One of these men, Usaph Bumpass left his wife, Ephie, behind to join the Shenandoah Volunteers, only to discover Ephie's lover, Decatur Cate, among his comrades. Still, Usaph remains steadfast in his devotion to a cause he does not fully understand, even as troubling memories of home invade his mind on the march north. But a dark destiny awaits brilliant military strategist Jackson and his Southern boys, as hard truths about war, loyalty, love, life, and death are revealed in the fires and bloodshed at Antietam. A breathtaking work of historical fiction that captures the human face of war as few novels have done before, Confederates has been compared to Tolstoy's epic War and Peace as an artful, honest, and profoundly moving depiction of the lot of the soldier. Shortlisted for Great Britain's prestigious Man Booker Prize, this masterful tale of love, duty, and conflict from author of Schindler's List Thomas Keneally is an enduring and unforgettable classic of Civil War literature