Anyone that has an interest in the history of the United States and particularly in the Civil War should take the time to read this novel. It is an extraordinary first novel based on a true story of the Battle of Franklin, in Tennessee, five of the bloodiest hours of the Civil War in which there were 9,200 casualties. It is riveting, and engrossing reading. This novel shares the depths of humanity -the best and the worst- in a very moving and compelling way.