Overview

August 1864: A court of inquiry convenes at the Union Army headquarters to investigate the Battle of the Crater, one of the worst disasters endured by a disaster-prone army. The eyes of the world are on it, and much is at stake: the military news of that spring had been full of unrelenting frustration and outright catastrophe. Lincoln is losing the election, and with it, the war. Fearing the worst, the President calls on his old friend, reporter James O'Reilly, to cover the resulting court of inquiry and file a confidential report on what really happened. The battle could have turned the tide in favour of the North and changed everything. Fort Pegram, the closest point between the Union and Confederate lines surrounding Petersburg, was the most vulnerable point on the Confederate line. General Ambrose Burnside's plan of attack was brilliant: dig a tunnel forward from the Union position underneath the fort, pack it with powder, and explode it. Burnside intended to give the brand-new African American division of his army the honour of leading the assault that would end the war. Instead of a glorious victory, the Battle of the Crater became a miserable failure - a debacle which led to the deaths of thousands of Union troops.

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<p>Praise for the works of Newt Gingrich and William R. Forstchen: <p><br> Masterful storytelling. --William E. Butterworth IV, New York Times bestselling author of The Saboteurs <p> <br> Creative, clever, and fascinating. --James Carville <p><br> Compelling narrative force and meticulous detail. -- The Atlanta Journal Constitution <p> <br> Gingrich and Forschten write with authority and with sensitivity. -- St. Louis Post Dispatch <p> Grim, gritty, realistic, accurate, and splendid, this is a soaring epic of triumph over almost unimaginable odds. -- Library Journal on To Try Men's Souls <p> With each book... Gingrich and Forstchen have gone from strength to strength as storytellers. --William Trotter, The Charlotte Observer <p> The authors' research shines in accurate accounts of diplomatic maneuvering as well as the nuts-and-bolts of military action. -- Publishers Weekly <p> The writing is vivid and clear. -- Washington Times

Praise for the works of Newt Gingrich and William R. Forstchen: Masterful storytelling. --William E. Butterworth IV, New York Times bestselling author of The Saboteurs Creative, clever, and fascinating. --James Carville Compelling narrative force and meticulous detail. -- The Atlanta Journal Constitution Gingrich and Forschten write with authority and with sensitivity. -- St. Louis Post Dispatch Grim, gritty, realistic, accurate, and splendid, this is a soaring epic of triumph over almost unimaginable odds. -- Library Journal on To Try Men's Souls With each book... Gingrich and Forstchen have gone from strength to strength as storytellers. --William Trotter, The Charlotte Observer The authors' research shines in accurate accounts of diplomatic maneuvering as well as the nuts-and-bolts of military action. -- Publishers Weekly The writing is vivid and clear. -- Washington Times

Author Information

"NEWT GINGRICH, front-running Republican primary candidate for the 2012 Presidential Election, former Speaker of the House, bestselling author of ""Gettysburg"" and ""Pearl Harbor,"" the longest serving teacher of the Joint War Fighting Course for Major Generals at Air University, and an honorary Distinguished Visiting Scholar and Professor at the National Defense University. He resides in Virginia with his wife, Callista, with whom he hosts and produces documentaries, including their latest, ""A City Upon A Hill."" WILLIAM R. FORSTCHEN, Ph.D., is a Faculty Fellow at Montreat College in Montreat, North Carolina. He received his doctorate from Purdue University and is the author of more than forty books. Forstchen's doctoral dissertation on the 28th USCT was one of the first in depth studies of a USCT regiment. He is the ""New York Times"" best selling author of ""One Second After,"" published by Tor/Forge. He resides near Asheville, North Carolina, with his daughter, Meghan."

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