UNTIL THE END: A Novel of the Civil War [Hardcover]

Harold Coyle (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 12, 1996

The riveting story of two brothers on opposite sides of the battlefield continues, as one of America's finest historical novelists brings the Civil War saga begun in Look Away to a triumphant conclusion. Until the End follows brothers Kevin and James Bannon from the bloody aftermath of Gettysburg to the final Union conquest of Richmond, capital of the Confederacy, realistically depicting the drama and anguish of the nation's bloodiest conflict.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The latter years of the War Between the States come to fierce life in Coyle's sequel to Look Away (1995). Covering 1863-1865, the narrative continues the desperate chronicle of two Irish American brothers, James and Kevin Bannon, as they fight on opposing sides. James is a private in a Confederate infantry regiment; Kevin is a captain in a Union regiment. Both men are tired, embittered and hardened after enduring two years of suffering, sacrifice and danger through grueling campaigns and horrific battles. With death and fear as constant companions, they are battlefield enemies, but they also share the burdens of loss and pain. Estranged from their tyrannical father, they mourn for the girl they both loved and lost, each blaming the other for his suffering. As the war drags on, grinding down the lives and wills of both armies, James and Kevin grow ever more brutal, and increasingly fatalistic about their own chances for survival. From the Wilderness and Spotsylvania to Petersburg and Appomattox, Coyle renders the Civil War battlefields in stark and gripping fashion. Gone, however, are the subplots that added spice and intrigue to the earlier book. The story line here is simpler, leading the two brothers down a predictable path to forgiveness and redemption.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

In this sequel to Look Away (LJ 4/15/96), Coyle plays out the saga of two estranged brothers, Kevin and James Bannon, against the last battles of the Civil War. The narrative alternates between Kevin, a captain in the 4th New Jersey, and James, a sergeant in the decimated 4th Virginia known as the Stonewall Brigade. Horror tales from the field hospital where Harriet Shields nurses wounded Union soldiers are juxtaposed with those of the decimated fields of the Virginia farm where Mary Beth McPhearson tries to keep her mother alive. Coyle is lawless in his portrayal of battlefield conditions and brilliant when illustrating the lives of individuals caught up in a devastating war that would not end. He never passes judgment on either side and renders as impartial a tale as is possible. The result is a story of courage, endurance, and sheer human will?a testament to the American spirit. For all libraries.
-?Jo Ann Vicarel, Cleveland Heights-University Heights P.L., Ohio
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 464 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster; First Edition edition (September 12, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0684811405
• ISBN-13: 978-0684811406
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.5 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,326,585 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fast paced, realistic, gritty and enjoyable, July 24, 2000

By 

Simon Jackson - See all my reviews

This review is from: Until the End (Paperback)

Until The End is the second and final instalment of Harold Coyle's Civil War series. As with the first in the series - Look Away - the novel chronicles the lives of the Bannon brothers as they continue to fight on opposite sides of the conflict. Although Until The End is the second instalment of a series it can be read as a stand-alone novel. However, I would encourage you to initially read Look Away.

As with Look Away, Until The End is a splendid read if you're interested in the battles of the Civil War. This novel takes us to the end of the war and includes amongst others, battles scenes from the Wilderness, Spotsylvania, a particularly realistic account of The Bloody Angle, Jubal Early's aborted raid on Washington, the mud of the trenches at Petersburg and the surrender of Lee at Appomattox Court House. Although there are chapter notes at the end of the book I certainly benefited from a little previous knowledge of these battles. If you're able to get a copy you would find it useful to have The Conservation Fund's `The Civil War Battlefield Guide' as a reference source

I feel that the author has fine-tuned his skills in writing about this subject matter, as a result Until The End is the better of the two novels. It still has the realism of the War but has lost some of the need to over elaborate on the nature of social relationships that was to be found within Look Away. I enjoyed the focus on the Bannon's personal lives in the shape of Harriet Shields and Mary Beth McPherson and found that Coyle had developed this element of the plot in a more believable manner than the previous novel.

Until The End, as with Look Away, can not be described as high literature, it does not have any hidden agendas and it does not try to convert the reader to any particular Civil War bias. It is, however, fast paced, realistic, gritty and enjoyable. If these are qualities that you enjoy in your Civil War fiction then whether read on it's own or as a conclusion to the story of the Bannon brothers I do recommend this book to you.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A one line summary is insufficient to describe this book., May 21, 1999

By 

[e-mail] (a librarian in Wake Forest, NC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Until the End (Paperback)

Look Away and Until the End were my first 2 Civil War novels. I was not dissappointed. The battles are described in vivid detail. Coyle makes the 1860's come alive with wonderful plot AND character development. The only bad thing that could possibly be said about this book is that it is not "to be continued".

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding, could not put it down., December 22, 1998

By 

[e-mail] (Manchester, CT) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Until the End (Paperback)

Until the End kept me at the edge of my seat. It is a gripping story that brings home the torment that families had during the Civil War. It brings together the Bannon family, again. Mr. Colye also leaves the door open for more about the newly expanded family after the war. It's one story that I will not forget in a long time. I recomend it to readers of all interests.