Vicksburg (Civil War Battle) [Hardcover]

James Reasoner (Author)

Book Description

Series: Civil War Battle | Publication Date: May 1, 2001

"Vicksburg" is the fifth volume in a series of historical novels spanning the Civil War featuring the Brannon family of Culpeper County, Virginia. The focus turns to the west and the Southern stronghold of Vicksburg, Mississippi, where Cory Brannon is working to keep the town supplied by wagon train and railroad from Texas.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Vicksburg, the fifth volume in James Reasoner's Civil War Battle series, is the latest installment in the saga of the Brannon family of Culpeper County, Va. Fighting to defend the Mississippi town in October 1862, Cory Brannon, a courageous young Confederate soldier, is determined to hold firm and stay in one piece long enough to wed his true love, Lucille Farrell, a proud fighter in her own right. There are three more volumes to come in this commodious drama, so series fans should reserve shelf space.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From the Inside Flap

Vicksburg is the key to the Mississippi River and the linchpin to the Confederacy, and Abraham Lincoln wants to put that key in his pocket. For almost a year the Federal army and navy have tried to dislodge the Confederates, but they have gained nothing. Finally, Union Gen. Ulysses S. Grant, the hero of Forts Henry and Donelson and the battle of Shiloh, is dispatched to take the town by any means possible.

Meanwhile, Cory and the woman he loves, Lucille Farrell, are working with her uncle, Col. Charles Thompson of the Mississippi Home Guard, and a small contingent of dedicated Southerners to keep the supplies rolling in. In the waning months of 1862, as the Union army advances closer and closer, Cory must abandon the wagon train to undertake a vital mission for Confederate Gen. John Pemberton, the commander in charge of Vicksburg’s defenses, a task that eventually takes him dangerously close to the Union lines in Middle Tennessee. At the end of Cory’s journey, however, is an even more dangerous foray into Western Tennessee on a critical mission for the horse soldiers of Nathan Bedford Forrest, Cory’s mentor from the battle of Shiloh. Nothing is as easy as it seems, especially in war, and Cory finds that he cannot return to Vicksburg as quickly as he would like.

Cory’s efforts to save Vicksburg are unable to prevent the inevitable, as the Yankees eventually surround and lay siege to the city.

In the meantime, Lucille must also cope with unexpected challenges as she encounters a family friend with some secret plans of his own. There also are some within the city who are working toward a Yankee victory. The Federal bombardment, illness, injury, and starvation all take their toll on the defenders of Vicksburg, forcing Cory and Lucille to face decisions that threaten not only their love but also their lives.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 368 pages
• Publisher: Cumberland House Publishing; First Edition edition (May 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1581821638
• ISBN-13: 978-1581821635
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 5.9 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #793,251 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

A lifelong Texan, Reasoner has been a professional writer for more than thirty years. In that time, he has authored several hundred novels and short stories in numerous genres. Best known for his Westerns, historical novels, and war novels, he is also the author of two mystery novels that have achieved cult classic status, Texas Wind and Dust Devils. Writing under his own name and various pseudonyms, his novels have garnered praise from Publishers Weekly, Booklist, and the Los Angeles Times, as well as appearing on the New York Times and USA Today bestseller lists. He lives in a small town in Texas with his wife, award-winning fellow author Livia J. Washburn.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Can Cory Brannon marry Lucille before Vicksburg falls?, August 3, 2001

By 

Lawrance M. Bernabo (The Zenith City, Duluth, Minnesota) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Vicksburg (Civil War Battle) (Hardcover)

"Vicksburg," Book 5 in James Reasoner's Civil War Battle Series continues the Soap Opera saga about the Brannon Family, this time around focusing on wandering son Cory and the Western Theater of the war. Most of the action happens concurrently with some of the events covered in the previous volume, "Chancellorsville" and I assume the next book will be "Gettysburg" and provide some overlap as well. Of course, Vickburg is more of a siege than a battle, and my biggest complaint is that we do not really get a sense of that siege. The last couple of months fly bye quite quickly and suddenly the city is being surrendered to Grant's Union forces. But the driving force of the narrative is not the attempt to take the last Confederate stronghold on the Mississippi River but whether Cory will live long enough to marry his beloved Lucille Farrell. Even though he is still a civilian, Cory manages to become involved in all sorts of escapades that put him in the right place at the right time to be around during the key fighting in this campaign.

The centerpiece of the novel is when Cory joins Nathan Bedford Forrest on his famous raid behind Union lines, but it is hard to focus on the military engagements when our hero is paying attention the calendar and trying to figure out if he can make it back to Vicksburg in time for his planned wedding. At other times Reasoner reduces major military operations to a few concise paragraphs so we can get back to our young lovers. However, I must say that that just when it seemed like Lucille was going to carry out an act of vulgar stupidity in the name of love, she actually did the smart thing. But ultimately things move too quickly to really give us a sense of how long and hard of a struggle the siege of Vicksburg was for those trapped in the city.

All of these books are perfect for a day at the beach or wherever you head for vacation this summer. As with the rest of the series, "Vicksburg" is more of a Soap Opera than a military history, and devote Civil War buffs are going to note every opportunity passed over to make this lengthy tale more authentic. Readers of the series know full well that the particular "battle" that serves for the title of each book is only going to pop up at the end, so the series title remains something of a misnomer. However, we know the Brannon family is not going to make it through this war unscathed and it will be interesting to see which of the clan is left standing at the end.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Can't wait for the next one!, April 24, 2001

By 

Stephen Lawwell - See all my reviews

This review is from: Vicksburg (Civil War Battle) (Hardcover)

Mr. Reasoner has done it again! His books are an easy read and provide a unique view of the "War of Northern Aggression" from a fictional standpoint. Many of the "friendships" between the Brannon boys and the famous men of the South (e.g. Forrest, Jackson, Stuart, etc.) are a little stretched but it is a good way to introduce their personalities into the series without compromising historical accuracy. Looking for the next one!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Under Siege, May 8, 2003

By 

Westy (Pennsylvania) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Vicksburg (Civil War Battle) (Hardcover)

In Vicksburg, despite the courageous efforts of Cory Brannon and his companions to bring supplies to the embattled city, the Union noose continues to tighten, as the Yankees are determined to seize the last obstacle to Northern control of the Mississippi River.

Cory and his now-fiancee, Lucille Farrel, face multiple perils of their own, as they plan for a wedding. Circumstances will conspire to interfere with those plans, as Cory, despite his best intentions, finds himself on yet another dangerous mission for the Confederacy.

Once again, VICKSBURG had me looking forward to the next volume in The Civil War Battle Series. James Reasoner writes characters who the reader truly cares about, even a Yankee such as myself. And, as always, his books are meticulously researched. These are not the books for a Civil War buff interested only in the minute details of each battle of the war, but for anyone interested in lively historical fiction, all the books in this series are highly recommended.