Promise of Glory

"Promise of Glory" is a highly illustrative novel in many aspects. Moreau is particularily adept at character description and development and battle scene descriptions. It's almost as though he has battle experience himself. His accuracy and thoroughness are to be admired. Moreau's approach to describing the battle - the novel switches gears from one side to another and from one general to another - is particularily effective and keeps the reader turning the pages. This isn't exactly a minute-by-minute, blow-by-blow description of the battle; it isn't meant to be. Rather it examines the vaious generals' thoughts and decisions - or lack thereof - all the while giving the reader what he needs to know about how and why the battle took place. For that alone it is worth the read. Moreau's dialogue - some fictional, some historically documented - is great and adds depth to the characters and battles.A note to the tools who deride Moreau for his "similiarity" to Shaara: Instead of wasting your time writing hundreds of book reviews, of which at most *tens* of people will read, try and write a novel yourself and come up with a completely unique and new genre of writing style. Comparisions of Moreau's book to other Civil War writings are to be expected. But to more or less accuse Moreau of copying Shaara's writing style and characters shows you for what you really are: Trekkies who spend your time trashing others' work because you yourselves are more than likely failed authors.

If you are looking for a historical account of the Battle of Antietam this is not the book to read. If you are looking for a minute by minute, unit by unit account of this book, you are looking at the wrong book. This is a great novel on the men that fought the battle and the horrors of the battle. You see the battle through the eyes of many prominent civil war officers such as Lee, Longstreet, Jackson, Hood, McClellan Porter, Hooker, Burnsides and both the Hills. Moreau gives great descriptions of the battles and the men that fought in them. The nice thing is that this book isn't bias toward one side or the other. It's not another book written with the Lost Cause in mind, it shows the battle from both sides. There are similarities to the Killer Angels, Gods and Generals and The Last Full Measure, which is fine because those are all great books too. This book can squeeze into the trilogy as a good account of the battle of Antietam. I recommend this book to civil war buffs and anyone who is looking for a good book to read.

Moreau's command of the language is amazing. Few authors can so ably portray battle in such vivid detail. His depth of description offers the reader a front row seat to the scene. As an avid reader of historical fiction, I highly recommend this to fans of that genre. With all due respects to other authors of similar novels, I think it fair to say that this work is equitable in all respects. It would be quite unreasonable to claim one work more accurate than another since neither author actually was present at the time of the event. Rather different perspectives of one historical moment offers a variety of viewpoints, thus creating a more accurate composite of what took place in that setting. Enjoy!

Promise of Glory is a historically accurate novel of the battle of Antietam and the invasion of Maryland by Robert E. Lee and the Army of Northern Virginia in 1862. The novel begins with Lee's decision to move his army north, and is told from the perspective of various general officers of both northern and southern armies. The author has also taken the time to put the battle of Antietam in its proper historical context-- with detailed accounts of the move northward by the Confederate army, as well as the taking of Harper's Ferry and the battle of South Mountain. Readers who know Civil War history will appreciate the attention to historical detail throughout the novel. They will also gain an appreciation for why Lee chose to stand at Sharpsburg, Maryland instead of taking the logical step of falling back across the Potomac River and avoiding the battle. C.X. Moreau delivers a very readable, and believable, account of what it must have been like to march in either army during 1862. His portrayal of the various officers and men that appear in the novel ring true, and his descriptions of battle scenes are well done. Of particular interest is the author's potrayal of the various officers, and their relationships and friendships that existed before, during, and perhaps after the conflict. Moreau seems to have gone the distance in exploring the depths of their associations and putting himself in their place as the battles took shape and men began to fall on both sides. The novel is as much about the dynamic at work between these officers and their men, and their fellow officers on both sides of the field, as it is about the actual historical events. In the end Moreau leaves it up to the reader to determine just what glory is to be found at Antietam. All in all a very enjoyable read and one thoroughly worth the price of admission.

Promise of Glory is a must read for those interested in the American Civil War. Mr. Moreau's research is thorough and presented in a crisp, enjoyable style. Historical facts are neatly woven around studious charaterizations of the men and events of September 1862. Moreau's story of the Maryland campaign of 1862 is told from the perspective of several general officers from the both the Union and Confederate armies. Ordinary soldiers appear largely as a backdrop to the greater action, but enter the story often enough to give the reader a real feel for the events of the day. I found his charaterization of the key players of the day consistent with what is known about each of them, and his deference to historical events well researched and admirable. The author's ability to write vivid and absorbing descriptions of the the characters and scenery surrounding the historical events is an added plus to a very fine historical novel. The detail with which the novel is written does a very effective job of blurring the line between fact and fiction and makes it a thoroughly enjoyable read for both the serious historian and casual reader. This book is will find a place among the absolute best historical fiction.