The Guns of Valverde [Hardcover]

P. G. Nagle (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 7, 2000

Captain Alastar OBrien has taken the guns of Valverde and the Texan Confederate want them back. When young Jamie Russell is taken prisoner by OBrien, its OBriens own love Laura Howland who nurses Jamie back to health, unwittingly giving him the chance to become a hero, a chance to return the guns of Valverde to Texas.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Nagle's second novel is the expected sequel to last year's Glorieta Pass, continuing her melodramatic saga of the Civil War in the Southwest. Warfare in the rugged mountains and harsh deserts of New Mexico Territory in 1862 was wretched, and Nagle vividly depicts its hardships and dangers. Her characterizations and plotting, however, are as thin as the high mountain air. Union Captain O'Brien of the Colorado Volunteers is a tough Irish miner who cannot read or write. Caught up in the petty jealous intrigues of other officers and unreasonably despised by his commander, O'Brien must watch his backAand his heart, too, for he is smitten by the beautiful Laura Howland. On the run from her uncle, who has attempted to sell her into marriage, Miss Howland of Boston is out of place in army company, even in the guise of laundress. Plagued by simpering suitors, she has a girlish crush on O'Brien, but her tendency to swoon at crucial moments keeps her from being a convincing or even likable heroine. When O'Brien captures Confederate Capt. Jamie Russell, Laura nurses the ailing young quartermaster back to health. Back on his feet again, Russell is paroled and he returns to the rebel army to harass and confound O'Brien as the two armies march and countermarch across the territory in an exhausting and indecisive ballet of maneuvers. Although the Civil War history is accurate and colorful, the plot is more syrupy romance than compelling adventure tale. A corny side plot involving a Union scout and an Apache maiden adds little to the story but pages. This likely will not be the end, however, for Nagle positions everyone for at least one more sequel.
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

In March 1862, the Union army won a decisive battle at Glorieta Pass in what was then New Mexico Territory. Though defeated at that battle, the Confederates captured the Union!s Valverde guns and were determined to win control of the territory. In this sequel to Glorieta Pass (LJ 9/1/98), Nagle tells the story of the Union and Confederate men and women struggling with the fear, hunger, pain, loss, and foolhardiness of war in the aftermath of Glorieta. Unfortunately, the novel does not stand well alone. The plot and subplots are unwieldy and difficult to follow as Nagle struggles to resolve her characters! fate. Still, both novels will be of interest to fans of historical fiction, the Civil War in particular, and public libraries currently holding Glorieta Pass will want to purchase this title."Jean Langlais, St. Charles P.L., IL
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 412 pages
• Publisher: Forge; 1st edition (July 7, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 031286549X
• ISBN-13: 978-0312865498
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.6 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,821,027 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Guns of Valverde, July 6, 2000

By 

José L. González (San Antonio, TX USA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: The Guns of Valverde (Hardcover)

As an avid student of the U. S. Civil War in the Southwest, and a frequent visitor to the battlefields and other skirmish sites in the "Territory of New Mexico," I found P G Nagle's work on Guns of Valverde just as riveting as her previous work entitled Glorieta Pass. Ms. Nagle has carefully researched her subject matter as shown by her attention to historical facts and then masterfully woven them into a story bringing this period of time to life. The fact that I'm so familiar with the factual information helped me enjoy both this latest of her works and the previous one tremendously. I was able to absorb more of the fictional account without having to stop to confirm or contest the factual elements. But whether or not the average reader is knowledgeable about the Civil War in New Mexico is unimportant since Ms. Nagle continues to impress me as a superb storyteller.

Ever since The Killer Angels by Shaara and Ulysses by Skimmin were written I have attempted to read more of these historical novels, finding the majority of them to be extremely well written, factual to my satisfaction, and entertaining. Guns of Valverde, like Glorieta Pass, definitely fit into this category. I look forward to Ms. Nagle's sequel entitled Galveston which, I understand, is a work in progress.