Grant Comes East: A Novel of the Civil War (The Gettysburg Trilogy, 2) - Softcover

Gingrich, Newt; Forstchen, William R.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0312309384 ISBN 13: 9780312309381

Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin, 2005

Synopsis

Grant Comes East from bestselling authors Newt Gingrich and William R. Forstchen continues the story of a Confederate victory, examining the great "what if" of American history: Could Lee have won the Battle of Gettysburg? A Confederate victory, however, would not necessarily mean that the Southern cause has gained its final triumph and a lasting peace. It is from this departure point that the story continues in Grant Comes East, as General Robert E. Lee's marches on Washington, D.C., and launches an assault against one of the largest fortifications in the world.

Beyond a military victory in the field, Lee must also overcome the defiant stand of President Abraham Lincoln, who vows that regardless of the defeat at Gettysburg, his solemn pledge to preserve the Union will be honored at all cost.

At the same time, Lincoln has appointed General Ulysses S. Grant as commander of all Union forces. Grant, fresh from his triumph at Vicksburg, races east, bringing with him his hardened veterans from Mississippi to confront Lee.

What ensues across the next six weeks is a titanic struggle as the surviving Union forces inside the fortifications of Washington fight to hang on, while Grant prepares his counterblow. Spanning the ground from Washington to the banks of the Susquehanna, these factors will come together in a climatic, pivotal struggle.

About this title

From the Inside Flap:

Praise for Gettysburg

"Well-executed alternative history. The authors show thorough knowledge of the people, weapons, tactics, and ambience of the Civil War. A veritable feast. The novel has a narrative drive and vigor that make the climactic battle scene a real masterpiece of its kind."
- Publishers Weekly

"Gingrich and Forstchen write with authority and with sensitivity."
- St. Louis Post-Dispatch

"[Gettysburg] is believable and beautifully written...every bit as good as Michael Sharra's The Killer Angels. Not only do Gingrich and Forstchen bring the characters to life, and often horrible death, but they do so with memorable observations on the ways of war and vivid, technically accurate descriptions of frightful Civil War combat."
- The Courier Journal (Kentucky)

"An eye-opener...filled with gore, smoke, heat of battle, and a surprise ending. The writing is vivid and clear. A ripping good read."
- Washington Times

"Two respected historians, one horrific battle---and the challenging question of 'what if?' Sure to become a Civil War classic to be read and remembered."
- W. E. B. Griffin, author of Final Justice

"Gettysburg is a creative, clever, and fascinating 'what if' novel that promises to excite and entertain America's legions of Civil War buffs."
- James Carville

"As historical fiction this stands beside The Killer Angels. As an alternative history of Gettysburg, it stands alone. The mastery of operational history enables the authors to expand the story's scope. The larger-scale, more fluid battle of Gettysburg described is internally consistent, a logical consequence of the novel's challenging major premise. The narrative is so clear that the action can be followed without maps. And the characters are sometimes heartbreakingly true to their historical originals."
- Dennis Showalter, former president of the Society of Military Historians

From the Back Cover:

FROM THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHORS OF GETTYSBURG--
A NOVEL ABOUT THE CHOICES THAT SHAPED A WAR--
AND CHANGED HISTORY ITSELF...

GRANT COMES EAST
In their runaway bestseller Gettysburg, Newt Gingrich and William Forstchen answered the Civil War's ultimate hypothetical question: What if Lee's army had won the victory within its grasp at Gettysburg in 1863? Now, through the same extraordinary research and brilliant character studies, we take the next step of a provocative journey: The Army of Northern Virginia is poised to invade Washington, D.C.. A besieged Lincoln calls on a general with a drinking problem to save the Union. And in the East, Ulysses Grant faces a storm of calamity and rivalry--and a war on the verge of being lost...

In this extraordinary book, the battlefront and home fronts come alive through the eyes of ordinary soldiers and such little known characters as General Herman Haupt, commander of the U.S. railroads, and the politician turned soldier General Dan Sickles--a political arch-enemy of Grant's. As the best of plans are undone, and every strategy countered by another, GRANT COMES EAST builds to a stunning portrait of the war that was--and the war that might have been...

"Colorful and imaginative historical fiction."
--Washington Times

"Passages of genuine depth and poetry."--The Charlotte Observer

About this edition

• Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
• Publication date: 2005
• ISBN 10: 0312309384
• ISBN 13: 9780312309381
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 416