When This Cruel War Is Over: A Novel of the Civil War [Hardcover]

Thomas Fleming (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 14, 2001

They called themselves Sons of Liberty -- a revolutionary conspiracy that intended to form a new confederacy in the American heartland -- and put an end to the American Civil War. Backed by the South, the Sons launch guerilla attacks against Union troops. The year is 1864, the place Indiana and Kentucky. A time of ruthless censorship, conscription, and a seemingly endless war that has left a half a million Americans dead. Union Major Paul Stapleton falls in love with Janet Todd, courier and evangelist for the Sons of Liberty. Another admirer, Colonel Adam Jameson, readies his Confederate cavalry division to support the Sons' revolt. The battle for the future of America is about to begin.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Fleming's latest historical, set in Indiana and Kentucky during the final months of the Civil War, is jagged around the edges yet moving and memorable. Based on the true story of a partisan militia intent on uniting Kentucky, Indiana and other Midwestern states against the Union, the novel begins when Union officer Maj. Paul Stapleton falls in love with Southern belle Janet Todd. She and her father, Gabriel Todd, are involved in a clandestine organization called the Sons of Liberty, whose disillusionment with the war has led them to armed resistance and traitorous acts against the Union. Stapleton, himself disenchanted with the killing, is torn between his love for Janet and his patriotism. Col. Henry Gentry, a Union veteran who lost an arm at Shiloh, recruits Stapleton to spy on the Sons of Liberty, but as Stapleton gets more involved with the association, his loyalties become unclear. After a slow start as the large cast is introduced, and some awkward transitions to melodramatic flashbacks, the characters and their dilemmas come to life. Appearances by such historical figures as John Wilkes Booth and Mary Surratt and reprints of actual letters between President Lincoln and Colonel Gentry foster suspense. The stories of the real people the characters are based on were collected in the 19th century and protected from publication until after their subjects' deaths. Their history has been carefully reconstructed by Fleming (The Duel; Remember the Morning), whose tendency toward sensationalistic prose can be forgiven in the moving evocation of the Civil War's emotional tragedy. (Mar.) Forecast: Targeted marketing by Forge, including ads in Civil War Book Review, author appearances at SEBA and GLBA, and an excerpt in the mass market edition of Fleming's Hours of Gladness, should only enhance sales of this new title by an ever-popular author.
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

In the last year of the Civil War, headstrong southern belle Janet Todd secretly works to rally support for the Sons of Liberty, a revolutionary conspiracy aiming to turn the northwest Union states into a second Confederacy. Her chief recruiting prospect is the dashing Major Paul Stapleton, a battle-scarred Union officer who is disillusioned by the grisly tactics of his army. The two are soon ardent lovers, working together to drum up the necessary supplies while keeping their covert plans a secret. Fleming moves his tale of espionage and military tactics at a brisk pace and peppers his novel with frequent appearances by real Civil War personages (the two lovers even share a carriage ride with John Wilkes Booth). While Fleming does an admirable job of showing the complexities of the era's issues--most notably slavery and women's roles--his characters often suffer from his heavy-handed depiction. Still, Civil War enthusiasts and scholars of that era will probably be interested in this adventurous tale. Brendan Dowling
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Forge Books; 1st edition (March 14, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312872046
• ISBN-13: 978-0312872045
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 6.4 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,476,877 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

"How do you write a book?" 24 year old Thomas Fleming asked bestselling writer Fulton Oursler in 1951. "Write four pages a day," Oursler said. "Every day except Sunday. Whether you feel like it or not. Inspiration consists of putting the seat of your pants on the chair at your desk." Fleming has followed this advice to good effect. His latest effort, "The Intimate Lives of the Founding Fathers," is his 50th published book. Twenty three of them have been novels. He is the only writer in the history of the Book of the Month Club to have main selections in fiction and in nonfiction. Many have won prizes. Recently he received the Burack Prize from Boston University for lifetime achievement. In nonfiction he has specialized in the American Revolution. He sees Intimate Lives as a perfect combination of his double talent as a novelist and historian. "Novelists focus on the imtimate side of life. This is the first time anyone has looked at the intimate side of the lives of these famous Americans, with an historian's eyes." Fleming was born in Jersey City, the son of a powerful local politician. He has had a lifetime interest in American politics. He also wrote a history of West Point which the New York Times called "the best...ever written." Military history is another strong interest. He lives in New York with his wife, Alice Fleming, who is a gifted writer of books for young readers.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Character-driven, slightly implausible, historical fiction, August 20, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: When This Cruel War Is Over: A Novel of the Civil War (Hardcover)

Fleming is trying to write character-driven "literary" historical fiction here, and he oversteps his ability somewhat. The problems and motivations of the characters -- primarily Stapleton, the Union officer torn between two sides; his Rebel and proto-feminist "adventuress" fiancee; and the one-armed Colonel Gentry; are clearly carefully thought out. However, I found the overall premise, that of a giant Copperhead conspiracy to make the Midwest secede from the Union, improbable; though the note at the back of the book says it is historically accurate, I did not find this to ring true. Likewise, Gentry's letters, though supposedly taken from nineteenth century originals, do not sound period. Overall, the author clearly put a good deal of effort into the book, but it is a type of book which requires interesting and fresh use of language to succeed, and this is where he falls short of the mark. The writing here is mundane and somewhat flat, despite efforts at "literary" language. The book is also rather heavy on character interactions and "telling" how characters feel, while comparatively light on real action. The author makes the common error of introducing rather badly recreated historical characters from Davis to Booth. I wouldn't call the book an utter failure, but I found myself getting bored 3/4 of the way through.