Shop top categories that ship internationally
Buy used:
$6.19
$12.82 delivery January 24 - February 14. Details
Used: Very Good | Details
Sold by ThriftBooks-Phoenix
Condition: Used: Very Good
Comment: May have limited writing in cover pages. Pages are unmarked. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less
Access codes and supplements are not guaranteed with used items.
Added to

Sorry, there was a problem.

There was an error retrieving your Wish Lists. Please try again.

Sorry, there was a problem.

List unavailable.
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Follow the author

Ralph Peters
Follow
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

Cain at Gettysburg: A Novel (The Battle Hymn Cycle, 1) Hardcover – February 28, 2012

by Ralph Peters (Author)
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 1,002 ratings
See all formats and editions

Winner of the American Library Association's W. Y. Boyd Award for Excellence in Military Fiction

Two mighty armies blunder toward each other, one led by confident, beloved Robert E. Lee and the other by dour George Meade. They'll meet in a Pennsylvania crossroads town where no one planned to fight.

In this sweeping, savagely realistic novel, the greatest battle ever fought on American soil explodes into life at Gettysburg. As generals squabble, staffs err. Tragedy unfolds for immigrants in blue and barefoot Rebels alike. The fate of our nation will be decided in a few square miles of fields.

Following a tough Confederate sergeant from the Blue Ridge, a bitter Irish survivor of the Great Famine, a German political refugee, and gun crews in blue and gray, Cain at Gettysburg is as grand in scale as its depictions of combat are unflinching.

For three days, battle rages. Through it all, James Longstreet is haunted by a vision of war that leads to a fateful feud with Robert E. Lee. Scheming Dan Sickles nearly destroys his own army. Gallant John Reynolds and obstreperous Win Hancock, fiery William Barksdale and dashing James Johnston Pettigrew, gallop toward their fates….

There are no marble statues on this battlefield, only men of flesh and blood, imperfect and courageous. From New York Times bestselling author and former U.S. Army officer Ralph Peters, Cain at Gettysburg is bound to become a classic of men at war.

Previous slide of product details
  1. Book 1 of 5
    The Battle Hymn Cycle
  2. Print length
    432 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publisher
    Forge Books
  5. Publication date
    February 28, 2012
  6. Dimensions
    6.46 x 1.41 x 9.57 inches
  7. ISBN-10
    0765330474
  8. ISBN-13
    978-0765330475
  9. See all details
Next slide of product details
The%20Amazon%20Book%20Review
The Amazon Book Review
Book recommendations, author interviews, editors' picks, and more. Read it now.

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
1,002 global ratings

Review this product

Share your thoughts with other customers
Write a customer review

Customers say

Customers find the book a realistic account of the battle. They describe it as an excellent, enjoyable read with a knowledgeable and engaging writing style that brings the battle to life. The characters are well-researched and plausibly portrayed. The book offers a unique perspective and a wide range of experiences from a personal perspective. Overall, customers appreciate the gritty and well-crafted narrative.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

Select to learn more
HistoryReadabilityWriting qualityCharacter developmentInterestGritPacing
218 customers mention "History"203 positive15 negative

Customers enjoy the book's realistic account of the battle. They appreciate the author's attention to detail and fictionalized style. The characterizations are described as outstanding. Overall, readers find the story engaging and praise the attention to detail and storytelling.

"...With really good fiction, the reader finishes the novel and ponders the characters, the plot, the setting and the truths that fiction is able to..." Read more

"...It humanized Gettysburg and provided different perspectives on the battle and the role of personalities. Ralph Peters does the same thing here...." Read more

"...In fact, I believe that the sequence of battles was presented well and made sense as to why each side prepared the way it did...." Read more

"This is a praiseworthy, realistic account of the battle, but I was tempted to not write any comments as just about everything to say is addressed in..." Read more

177 customers mention "Readability"177 positive0 negative

Customers find the book engaging and well-written. They appreciate the author's perspective on the battle and consider it a welcome addition to the Gettysburg history. The book is described as an enjoyable read that leaves readers pondering the characters.

"...With really good fiction, the reader finishes the novel and ponders the characters, the plot, the setting and the truths that fiction is able to..." Read more

"...But the main point is this: Peters is quite successful. I would not wish to choose between the two fictionalized accounts...." Read more

"...I highly recommend reading this book even if they had a lesser background on the Civil War, consequently I gave this book five (5) stars for my..." Read more

"This is a praiseworthy, realistic account of the battle, but I was tempted to not write any comments as just about everything to say is addressed in..." Read more

101 customers mention "Writing quality"97 positive4 negative

Customers enjoy the book's writing quality. They find it engrossing and detailed, providing insight into the characters and battle. The author provides accurate descriptions and human explanations of the men who fought. Overall, readers appreciate the well-researched and soldier's perspective on the great battle of Gettysburg.

"...There are vulgar dialogues and behaviors in Peters' novel...." Read more

"...Both work well on their own terms. Both are well written...." Read more

"...I truly enjoyed the authors writing style and it kept my interest to the point that I could not put the book down, even as my wife was calling me..." Read more

"...What we see here is that he was a thoughtful and talented commander...." Read more

39 customers mention "Character development"36 positive3 negative

Customers appreciate the well-researched and realistic characters. They find the variety of characters insightful, bringing the war into a personal perspective. The book details the personalities and emotions of the commanders, as well as their struggles, successes, and defeats. It offers a visceral, grittier portrayal of the men and battles, with individuals from both sides included.

"...With really good fiction, the reader finishes the novel and ponders the characters, the plot, the setting and the truths that fiction is able to..." Read more

"...The character developments and interactions were very believable for fictionalized people in a very real battle...." Read more

"...His characters are believable and utterly real in their personal conflicts and their quirks and traits - both admirable and appalling...." Read more

"...infantry regiments, one on each side, but also has the diverse cast of supporting characters that one would expect in such an ambitious..." Read more

23 customers mention "Interest"23 positive0 negative

Customers find the book interesting and enlightening. They appreciate the unique perspective and captivating treatment of this Civil War turning point. Readers mention that the book has a wide range of experiences, surprises, and depth. Overall, they say it had a great impact on them and was presented in the fog of war.

"...during the Battle of Gettysburg, but this one gives you an exciting overview, highlighting General Meade and other generals and officers on both..." Read more

"...This book was a very, very pleasant surprise...." Read more

"...I have never read anything as compelling, as enlightening, or as engrossing as this author's works!..." Read more

"...may already know the conclusion, but getting there is truly a new, thrilling and bone-chilling experience...." Read more

13 customers mention "Grit"13 positive0 negative

Customers find the book gripping and exciting. They praise its attention to detail and well-crafted writing style. The story accurately portrays the historical events, with well-developed characters and realistic situations. However, some readers felt the book was predictable, as it was an accurate historical novel.

"...His characters (many of them actual historical figures) are woven with a care and attention to detail that one has come to expect from Peters...." Read more

"...The book weaves together many threads; for example, it shows how the personalities and decisions of the generals affect, tragically in many cases,..." Read more

"...and this great battle is clearly understood reading this beautifully crafted work that is a pleasure to read...." Read more

"Ralph Peters' Cain at Gettysburg captures the timeless grit and heroism of the American soldier...." Read more

11 customers mention "Pacing"11 positive0 negative

Customers find the book's pacing intense and thrilling. They say it's a nice addition to Killer Angels, covering more of the battle. The book offers a visceral, grittier portrayal of the men and generals. Readers feel the war through the author's unflinching description, drawing chills and shivers. Overall, they praise the accessible style of the book.

"...will draw no tears - instead it will draw chills and shivers in its unflinching description of what it means to walk most of a mile uphill in the..." Read more

"Outstanding novel! Better than "Killer Angels" about the same battle."Angels" develops the characters of the generals and extremely well...." Read more

"...You get into the minds of the generals and soldiers; your senses experience the war; you ride in the saddle; you feel the bullets pass by your head,..." Read more

"...has accomplished is to redefine that outcome in such an emotional and personal way that we can never view the history of Gettysburg the same way..." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Civil War Librarian
    5.0 out of 5 stars Cain At Gettysburg is as good as Michael Shaara's novel and in some ways it is better.
    Reviewed in the United States on May 17, 2012
    Verified Purchase
    Cain At Gettysburg, Ralph Peters, Forge/Doherty Publisher, 429 pp., 3 maps. $25.99.

    Allow me to answer the first question most readers of Killer Angels ask.

    Yes. Cain At Gettysburg is as good as Michael Shaara's novel and in some ways it is better. Peters is a career military man who also writes compelling fiction. Owen Parry is a pseudonym of Ralph Peters and Parry writes a detective/mystery series with Able Jones as the main character. Enjoyable and having eastern a Pennsylvania and Washington D.C. settings, CWL always looks forward to the next in the series. With really good fiction, the reader finishes the novel and ponders the characters, the plot, the setting and the truths that fiction is able to tell.

    Peters' Cain At Gettysburg may be the most accurate fiction work about Gettysburg. The best fiction offers felt facts and felt history: what is going on in the inside of the generals and the combat soldiers. Killer Angels and Cain at Gettysburg are informed to a degree by Biblical notions. Peter's detective Abel Jones often presents an 19th century understanding of religion, faith and justice. Peters does so again in Cain at Gettysburg. Two characters in the 26th North Carolina are very familiar with the Bible and quote it to explain or describe a situation, environment or the human condition. Blake, a sergeant, has turned in back of his Quaker faith and Cobb, a private, has turned is back on his call to preach.

    German and Irish immigrants are in the forefront of Cain at Gettysburg. Peters challenges the myths of Germans and the Irish unwillingness to fight and fighting poorly when they do. Generated by the press, these stereotypes dominated wartime and post-war interpretations of the battle. In contrast, the author offers a 'boots on the ground' perspective of what the Germans and Irish accomplished through courage and tenacity.

    There are extensive scenes with George Gordon Meade, the Federal commander and Robert E. Lee, the Confederate commander. Meade is the center of scenes regarding Federal military leadership; Lee is often viewed through the eyes of Longstreet, a Confederate corps commander. Sickles, Federal corps commander, drives the story forward at times. Peter's expertise as a army veteran intelligence officer and strategist comes to the fore in these characters' interior thoughts. Among these generals, it is Meade and Sickles that are most fully described. Meade, who took command of the Army not quite three day before the battle, becomes exhausted in course of six days. Sickles, who left his troops right after the May 1863 battle of Chancellorsville, returns less than three full days before the July battle of Gettysburg. He is the politician-on-the-make who needs battlefield glory to rehabilitate his career from a pre-war murder charge. The Confederate officers are exhausted and aware that their futures are in the balance during the battle. They each realize that imminent capture of Vicksburg, Mississippi will tip the war's balance as would a defeat in Pennsylvania.

    A major difference between Killer Angels and Cain at Gettysburg is the realism. There are vulgar dialogues and behaviors in Peters' novel. Latrine issues in open fields and shaded woods are described; human and animal corpses are graphically described. All the wounds in Cain at Gettysburg are felt and shown, not just mentioned. Lusts, hatreds and bigotries are among the common discourse of the soldiers. The Blue and The Grey are not brothers but enemies intent on killing each other.

    So, Cain at Gettysburg stands beside Killer Angels on CWL's personal bookshelf along with
    Shelby Foote's Shiloh, Perry Lentz's The Falling Hills, Richard Slotkin's The Crater and Howard Bahr's The Black Flower. Each are very fine novels with their individual strengths.
    5 people found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report
  • Steven Peterson
    4.0 out of 5 stars Does this sound familiar? A fictional portrayal of Gettysburg from multiple perspectives?
    Reviewed in the United States on May 27, 2012
    Verified Purchase
    If something works once, why not try it again? Shaara's book, "Killer Angels," is rightly evaluated positively. It humanized Gettysburg and provided different perspectives on the battle and the role of personalities. Ralph Peters does the same thing here. And he is quite successful.

    Some of the characters through whose eyes we see the battle are familiar, such as James Longstreet. Others are different, such as George Gordon Meade. The tale is also told from the perspective of troops in the ranks. In that sense, there is a kind of populist thrust to this work. But the main point is this: Peters is quite successful. I would not wish to choose between the two fictionalized accounts. Both work well on their own terms. Both are well written.

    The story begins with the lead up to the battle, as Confederates marched northward, as Jeb Stuart took off on another "joyride" (as some critics called it at the time). The story starts, too, with Meade being named to command the Army of the Potomac after Joseph Hooker drove the Washington leadership to distraction, such that they accepted his letter of resignation.

    There is more of Meade in this story, and that is to the good. We see his engineer's eye view of the battle and see how he tried to bring his forces together, at mutually reinforcing distances. We also see him losing his temper but--also--being cool when he needed to be.

    The first, second, and third days are told well. Once more, as with "Killer Angels," we get Longstreet's fear of a disaster by attacking too much. And we get Robert E. Lee's differing perspective and the tension between the two.

    All in all, a worthy addition to the literature. . . .
    3 people found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report
  • Anthony(Tony) Riggio
    5.0 out of 5 stars Stragedy,Tactics and Slaughter
    Reviewed in the United States on October 15, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    A Review by Anthony T. Riggio of “Cain at Gettysburg” by Ralph Peters

    This is not just another novel wrapped around the events of the battle of Gettysburg. It is a chronicle of the three days of battle and how mistakes were made that could have spelled disaster for either side. In my humble opinion it was as well written as “Killer Angels” by Michael Shaara. In fact, I believe that the sequence of battles was presented well and made sense as to why each side prepared the way it did.

    General Meade who was appointed to command the Northern Army just days before the actual battle was considered a mediocre general as compared to General Lee. Both were engineers by education at West Point and both thought in terms of how an engineer would conduct battle. Meade was a master at fighting a defensive battle while Lee was to take the battle to his enemy. The difference with Gettysburg was that Meade choose the terrain and made provisions for flanking attacks which was Lee's penchant for attack but here he was bested by Meade's defenses the first day and through the blunder of one of Meade's subordinates on the second day Lee was the predominate General. On the third day of battle, Meade anticipated Lee's frontal attack on the third day and the battle was a disaster for the South. They charged (Pickett's Charge) across a mile wide open area toward strongly fortified Union defenses and heavily armed flanks which caught the Rebel forces in a virtual slaughter. Lee hoped that Meade would counter attack but he did not and Lee had to retreat to save his army further loses.

    The author Ralph Peters was able to portray the major leading characters as real and vulnerable people and wove his story around two companies that participated in the battle, namely the 26th North Carolina and the 26th Wisconsin. He developed characters in both companies that made you believe the pain they were experiencing as they fought the battles. Peters was able to weave into the overall rendition the actions of both German immigrants who were faulted for being less that brave and depicted the efforts and struggles of Irish immigrants on both sides. The character developments and interactions were very believable for fictionalized people in a very real battle.

    I could almost smell and taste the gunpowder filled air as well as the gore and pain of battle both via artillery and hand to hand combat.

    That Lee took the worse of the three day battle is evident and had Meade engaged in a counter attack, outcomes could have proved differently. Lee's diminished Army survived to fight another day but the morale of the Northern Army was buoyed to greater hopes for ending the war.

    I truly enjoyed the authors writing style and it kept my interest to the point that I could not put the book down, even as my wife was calling me to dinner.

    I highly recommend reading this book even if they had a lesser background on the Civil War, consequently I gave this book five (5) stars for my rating.
    4 people found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report

Top reviews from other countries

  • Barry W
    5.0 out of 5 stars Drain with Cain
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 25, 2012
    Verified Purchase
    "Cain at Gettysburg" is a draining read. It knocks the heart right out of the reader with its exhausting account of this famous battle. It places some of the pieces left uncovered by "The Killer Angels," by concentrating on a different set of the important personalities in this battle. Sickles, for instance, plays a major part, with a detailed account of his actions. It must be wonderful to have his self-confidence, to be so sure that he was right and everyone else was wrong. As a person with a long interest in General Longstreet, I found his anguish and soul-searching to be just as I imagined. General Lee was unwell at Gettysburg and this was portrayed sympathetically. He was said to have suffered everything from migraine to mild heart attacks at the scene. The stress these people felt is unimaginable, but Ralph Peters does well in putting across these names from history as real men.
    This is a terrific book and I thank Amazon for making so many books on this subject available in England.
    One person found this helpful
     Report
  • John L. Barton
    4.0 out of 5 stars Four Stars
    Reviewed in Canada on March 16, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    Not the Killer Angels but a good read with a different slant on the Battle of Gettysburg.
    Report
  • P. Barratt
    5.0 out of 5 stars A Wonderful Read.
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 3, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    Like 'Hell or Richmond' this is yet another superb novel from Mr Peters. Rich in historical detail and accurarcy it really puts you back in 1863. If there is a better modern Civil War novelist I will gladly 'March Through Georgia' to meet him!!
    Report
  • Conn Crowley
    5.0 out of 5 stars Consistently good
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 19, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    Another excellent book from Ralph Peters. I never get tired of reading this man's books
    Report
  • Oribeth
    5.0 out of 5 stars Historically accurate
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 31, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    I bought this for my husband, and he has thoroughly enjoyed the book. 90% of the characters in it are historically correct, and he was very impressed with the whole book.
    Report