Customer Reviews

Never Call Retreat: Lee and Grant: The Final Victory

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4 star:		(13)
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2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

I was halfway through "Gettysburg," the first novel in this series by Newt Gingrich and William R. Forstchen before I realized that I was reading an alternative history akin to "Guns of the South" than a historical novel in the mode of "The Killer Angels" (this is what happens when you make a point of ignoring reviews and discarding book jackets before reading books you really want to read). However, once I caught on to the game I was along for the ride, not only because I appreciate the idea of fighting new battles on different battlefield, but also because I correctly anticipated the end game that the authors were maneuvering towards in this engrossing trilogy.

The series is now up to August 22, 1863. The Army of Northern Virginia under the command of Robert E. Lee has virtually annihilated the Army of the Potomac through a series of battles at Gettysburg, Union Mills, and Gunpowder River. The Confederates unsuccessfully attacked Washington, D.C., but have succeeded in capturing Baltimore, Maryland. Ulysses S. Grant, placed in command of all Union forces by President Abraham Lincoln, is moving with the Army of the Susquehanna, comprised of corps of troops from the Western front that are used to winning against the Rebels, is moving for the final engagement with Lee on the banks of the Monocacy River.

I have a Civil War computer game where I could create battlefields and have played out engagements between the armies that met at Gettysburg on the geographies of Albuquerque, New Mexico and Duluth, Minnesota. So I can appreciate how Gingrich and Forstchen have traveled around Maryland and the surrounding environs to find their own new battlefields for these novels. The rough drawn maps included in the book are slightly problematic because if there is one thing we learned from studying the Battles of Gettysburg in any detail it is the importance of topography. Knowing the layout of the land at Antietam, Fredericksburg or any other battlefield of the Civil War is an important part of understanding how such battles were won or, more usually, lost.

The key factor to an alternative history such as this one remains have the characters ring true. Lee continues to take advantage of the tendencies of his opponents and Grant refuses to back off not matter what the body count. Dan Sickels is still an arrogant amateur and George Armstrong Custer is always looking for glory. George Pickett remains an example of style over substance, while Jeb Stuart proves you can have both. Pete Longstreet will always want to be safe rather than sorry and Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain will always be concerned with personal honor. All of this is important to making such a story work. The locations change but the people remain true, which is ultimately why such stories work (or do not, although having Lincoln and/or Lee as characters is always going to be a plus in any fictional work).

Still, no matter how far off the beaten path an alternative history such as this series might go, there is still an impulse to take familiar moments from what really happened and work them into the ongoing narrative (e.g., what makes Grant's migraine go away). But there is a limited amount of this, most notably for the most causal student of American history in the book's final half-sentence, so that it does not become intrusive. I do have a personal complaint in that Gingrich and Forstchen followed history in killing off the one figure (I should say, military figure) I most would have liked to have seen survive this time around, even though I specifically begged them not to, but they do create an emotional resolution to this version that is rather compelling.

Those who dismiss this series as an attempt to rewrite history as a paean to the glorious cause for readers who are unrepentant and unReconstructed sons of the Confederacy have totally missed the point. The myth, articulated best by William Faulkner but extant long before his birth and potent to this day below the Mason-Dixon line, has been that if Pickett's Charge had succeeded or if by some other means Lee had won the Battle of Gettysburg he could have taken Washington, D.C. and ended the war with the Confederacy victorious. Although they found a plausible way for Lee to avoid defeat at Gettysburg, Gingrich and Forstchen proved that was not the case well before we got to this final book in the trilogy. The calculus of the Civil War, once articulated so succinctly by Rhett Butler, remains the same in these three books. Even so, there is an element of suspense here because we never really believe that the dice are loaded. After all, that is Robert E. Lee and the grim gray wolves of the Armies of Northern Virginia that Grant is facing.

The intent of this trilogy as clearly revealed by the final chapters of "Never Call Retreat" proves to be exactly what I anticipated it to be based on both my reading of the first two books and my own critique of the bloody mess that Reconstruction proved to be in the hands of the Radical Republicans following Lincoln's assassination. The fact that all three books take place in 1863 and that whatever the outcome the Civil War would be pushed forward a year-and-a-half is instructive as well with regards to what is really going on here. If anything, my only real disappointment with "Never Call Retreat" is that the alternative America is wants to create is really only sketched out at the end and I was expecting more than the idea that if going "B" instead of "A" avoids the problems of the hundred years following the Civil War. Then again, perhaps that is the ultimate irony here. Even in an alternative history winning the war proves to be far easier than winning the peace. The key thing to remember is that the latter war continues to this day.

This is a great alternate history of the Civil War that has captured the characters "warts and all". In place of images, we have flesh and blood people trying to win and willing to pay the price of victory. It is not possible to consider this as a stand-alone book but as the finial story in the epic summer of 1863. "Gettysburg" is the alternate history that planted the Army of Northern Virginia firmly in Pennsylvania. "Grant Comes East", is the logical continuation as the CSA tries to capitalize on its' greatest victory. Battles are an integral part of both books but political considerations consume much of our attention. Double-dealing, backstabbing, jockeying for advantage and the secret agendas of Stanton and Sickles cause Lincoln problems, just as Davis is second guessing Lee, every step of the way.

This book is the end of the war. Both sides have paid a very high price to keep Lee and Grant in the field. In spite of setbacks and numerous problems, both men know they must win the war not next year but now. The South has no more resources and the North has seen to many defeats. While the authors remind us that Tennessee is an important front, the war is here in the East.

Civil War armies were hard to destroy. No one battle was going to keep the men from rallying at some point. In the first of the modern total wars, armies not cities are the objective. This grinding down process is captured in an entertaining and informative story. That pulls you in and ties you to it. While the outcome is not in question, the path to it is. The "path" is the story of grinding unrelenting combat. Taken from the history of the 1864 Overland Campaign, the authors give us a very real feel for both the men in the ranks and the generals in charge. We come to understand in very graphic terms what is required to destroy the other army.

One again, the more you know about the Civil War the more fun the book is. Quotes, things that happened, should have happened or that we wish had happened are worked into the story. Do the authors play with us? YES and it is great fun!

This is an excellent series and this maybe the best book. I started hating the idea of the series and ended one of the biggest fans. Sit back, relax and stay alert. This is a great ride!

Great "what if" book. This is book 3 of a 3 part series. These books are hardly pro-Confederate. They essentially show Lee and Longstreet as honorable men, surrounded by egotistical and self-centered politicians and generals. Conversely, the portrayals of Lincoln and Grant could almost be considered hagiography, if this were not a fictional account.

The people giving this book bad reviews obviously have not read it, and they are simply giving it bad reviews because they do not like Newt Gingrich. How childish is that?

Do we have to drag partisan politics into every aspect of our lives? Grow up already.

Not being a civil war buff I was sceptical about buying Gingrich's first book on the Civil War. I absolutely loved them all with Never Call Retreat being my favotite. This book is a great read for all.
Jon B

This is a must read for those interested in the cause of the southern side during the civil war. The ending isn't happy, but its a good journey getting there.

Following the earlier disasters cause by bad union generals, General Grant - the Union's best General, comes east with a plan to defeat Lee. Grant's plan is as simple as it is devistating. It is also similar to some of the plans proposed for the liberation of Iraq. His plan is to ignore Lee's Army and drive directly into the heart of the confederacy (Richmond) to force an end to the war.

Most Generals would have turned to face Lee's Army given the risk to washington and the other cities of the North. But Grant as ever uses his simple mind and simple thinking to come up with the correct strategy. Drive right to Richmond. Grant sends two cavalry forces to guard his flank: one under Custer to destroy Lee's rear areas and one under Grierson to checkmate the confederate cavalry.

Let down by his men and political leaders, General Lee falls into a giant trap. His army is surrounded and he is left no choice but to treat with General Grant.

The two great men get together and sort out the war. They come to an honorable agreement to save the union. This is Lee's finest honor in that he finally realizes the truth the Rabbi of Baltimore told him in the last book and acts against the failed leadership of Jefferson Davis. Lee realizes the moral responsibility that military leaders have for their people and countries in a war. Further, how that responsibility transcends oaths and agreements to politicians. Faced with a failed political leadership leading people to ruin, Lee has no other choice than to exercise power himself to end the war.

With the war ended, Slavery is abolished and the northern states provided southerners with the necessary money to transform their economy. The wrongs and mistakes of reconstruction are avoided by leaving the southern states themselves to adjust to the end of slavery. Federalism is preserved, the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution is never passed and a reunited America walks boldly into the future.

I have spent many hours on civil wargames and this story is tactically and strategically as close as its possible to come to the real battles. The writers know their history and the different behaviors of the Generals.

There are two things I didn't agree with. I dont think Lee would have fallen into Grant's trap so easily and the Southern States could have raised another Army to delay Grant and defend Richmond long enough for Lee to spring his own trap.

"Never Call Retreat" is the concluding volume of this alternative history of the Civil War. Newt Gingrich and his co-authors maintain that a Confederate victory at Gettysburg (plus subsequent wins at the fictional Battles of Union Mills and Gunpower River) did not automatically guarantee an end to the Civil War on Southern terms. This is a different approach than the one taken by Ward Moore in "Bring The Jubilee" or Harry Turtledove in his continuing series that began with "How Few Remain."

"Never Call Retreat" is the most compelling and intense of the trilogy. The climatic Battle of Monocacy Creek vaguely resembles the actual Battle of Gettysburg with its accidental beginings and its winner-take-all monumental charge at its end. The reader with a background in the Civil War will identified the unlabeled photographs of various historical personages (although the photos of the carnage of war require no labels). The various hand-drawn maps would have been better served by a more professional rendition.

My one quibble with the novel is with the fictional General Grant sacking inept commanders in 1863 while the historical Grant was far more tolerant when he came East in 1864 (see Cold Harbor, the Wilderness, et al). Otherwise this book rings true for what could have been. This is an outstanding series that should be read in the order that they were written, for the reader to benefit from the culminative power of the trilogy.

No, Lee won't defeat Grant, so if that burst anyone's bubble, sorry.

BUT...

to paraphase the Australian scientist John Osborne in another alt-history classic, the horrific "On The Beach": "we may not win, but it is fun finding out", so it is with the final volume of Gingrich's Civil War alt-history trilogy.

Grant is faced with a daunting task - how to defeat Lee's victorious army, which, thanks to the recklessness of Dan Sickles, not only has once again shattered a barely rebuilt Army of the Potomac, but is also once again on the verge of marching on Washington, D.C.

Instead of turning North to defend the capital, Grant marches south, towards Richmond, and an alarmed Lee is forced to retreat back into Maryland to face the Northern threat. Grant, knowing that it is Lee's army that holds the key to ending the war, not the Confederate capital, sends the dashing George Armstrong Custer north to smash Rebel railroads (a new character) while sending his own Cavalry commander, Benjamin Grierson, to deal with Jeb Stuart.

Custer does accomplish his objective of smashing the B&O railroad, denying much needed supplies from reaching Lee, but ends up meeting an early demise, not on the banks of the Little Big Horn, but those of the Monocacy, in Maryland - NOT Montana.

Grant also resurrects a mini-Army of the Potomac, and sends it forward under a new commander, George Sykes, one of the few Union officers who survived Sickles' debacle at Gunpowder Falls. "Old" characters thought dead are also resurrected - namely Winfield Scott Hancock and Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain. Grant, closing in from one end and Sykes coming in from the other on an increasingly disillusioned Lee, catch up with the Confederates. An epic battle shapes up along the banks of the Monocacy, just miles away from the nation's capital - but where's that author of "Ben Hur" - General Lew Wallace this time around? (he fought that real battle of Monocacy in July 1864)

The end may be inevitable, but the twists sure ain't! - "Never Call Retreat" remains a fun, gripping, and great Alt-History read!

The culmination of this great trilogy by Gingrich & Forstchen is every bit as spectacular as the beginning. How I wish it had been a long series, because now we have to bury Lee and Grant once more. I hated for this book to end. The trilogy began with the novel "Gettysburg," where an alternate outcome to the famous battle launched a victorious Confederate Army down a different path. In Never Call Retreat the Civil War is fought to a heart-wrenching conclusion two years early. I am being careful not to give away too much of the plot because I enjoyed immensely not knowing how it would end.

By the time you read this final book the characters are like family. The characterization is that good. You get more than just historical research; I think the authors really had a feel for the hearts of both Lee and Grant. We also got a good inside look at Lincoln, Longstreet, Stuart, and some of the lesser characters. The dialog in particular is brilliant. I found the story to be entirely believable.

Short chapters alternate between North and South perspective. This is very effective storytelling. I was so engrossed in the story and found the characters on both sides so sympathetic that I alternated right along with the chapters, first rooting for one side then the other! I've read a great deal of nonfiction about this war, and no matter how many true accounts you read, you are constrained by history to always reach the same inevitable conclusion. The best thing about this alternate history trilogy is that you are reading about the same guys doing the same things but you don't know how it will end. The ending was, incidentally, extremely well executed, and you feel as though you're reading what actually happened.

Did I mention that I really loved this book? I read 25-30 books before I find myself compelled to take time to write a review. In this case I had to share my enthusiasm with others with the hope that you, too, might enjoy the long, armchair battle of a different Civil War!

This is probably the best trilogy there is for people that like What-If history. The way these authors take the real characters of the Civil War and put them in different scenarios but definitely keep their real life personalities. I really like the Grant, Lee, Longstreet, Custer, Stuart and Chamberlain(sp?) parts of the book. From my readings of non fiction history of these characters and others it is not a far reach to see them act and talk the way they do in these books. What would be great is a book about Sherman and that theatre of the Civil War.

I hope that this is not the last we see of these authors... Maybe follow the Shaaras' and switch from Civil War to the Revolutionary war? How about a book on the war of 1812?

Whatever war they use as a backdrop, they've got a listener... If you are new to listening to Books on CD or not this is just an awesome listen, only the Unabridged though... Great work guys.

Posted for Bill Greenbaum:
Never Call Retreat is the third volume of the Civil War trilogy written by Newt Gingrich and William Forstchen. I read this book over a two day weekend. I could not put it down. It is a great read. The book continues an alternative scenario that started in the first volume with the clash of forward elements of the opposing armies at Gettysburg. This book continues the saga to its climax.
The book is overwhelming in its detailed battle descriptions. Small unit tactics and strategic deployments are handled with equal finesse. The reader can easily transport himself back a century and a half and visualize the combatants in their glory and tragedy. The book is extremely well written. It is understandable to the civilian and satisfying to the enthusiast. It will fill the reader with emotions in a positive way. Don't miss it!