Turtledove revisits the controversial 1864 Battle at Fort Pillow, also known as the Fort Pillow Massacre, in this even-handed, readable historical novel (after Days of Infamy) about the bloodbath in western Tennessee, where the Civil War pitted "neighbor against neighbor." The defenders at the Union-held Fort Pillow were made up of a unit of nearly 300 Tennessee Unionists ("homemade Yankees," according to their neighbors in gray) and an equal number of African American artillery men. Turtledove sifts through the disputed historical record and scrupulously reconstructs the scene. Although greatly outnumbered, the fort's defenders at first rejected a Confederate surrender offer, and the rebels?enraged by traitorous whites and armed Blacks?stormed the fort, slaughtering twice as many blacks as whites, even while the Unionists tried to escape or surrender. For a comprehensive view of the battle, Turtledove shifts the narrative among a mix of fictional characters and historical figures: Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest; Major Bill Bradford, who replaced Major Lionel Booth as the garrison's Union commander; and Sgt. Ben Robinson, one of the Negro troops. Fans of Civil War history will especially enjoy this balanced account. (May) Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

In April 1864, the Union garrison at Fort Pillow, Tennessee, consisted of 600 men, more than half of them black and many of the rest Tennessee unionists. They were commanded by Major William Bradford, who had gotten his command by raising regiments. Their position was attacked by General Nathan Bedford Forrest and 1,500 men, many of whom were also Tennesseeans. The Confederates overran the fort, and when the fighting was done, there were 226 Union survivors. Only 62 of the black troops survived unwounded. Major Bradford was killed shortly after being taken prisoner. Exactly what happened has been a subject of controversy from that day to this. An immediate congressional investigation found that Forrest's forces had deliberately murdered the black troops and their officers, and the Fort Pillow Massacre became a rallying cry for Union victory. The investigation's report, however, contains several errors of fact. Accounts of Forrest's campaigns written by Confederate sympathizers after the war maintain that Forrest's troops only fought--they didn't massacre--the Union troops. Turtledove's most impressive novel uses known facts and persons and extremely plausible extrapolations to paint a picture of one of America's least glorious affrays. After reading it, one is convinced that it happened that way. Turtledove also depicts the people of the time and place very vividly, making the novel a true window into history. --Frieda Murray Copyright 2006 Booklist

This is noted sf and alternate history author Turtledove's first foray into a "straight" historical novel. Grim but riveting, it describes what many consider one of the worst atrocities of the Civil War-the 1864 killing of black Union soldiers and their white officers by Confederates at Fort Pillow. Enraged that blacks would take up arms, 1500 Confederates under the command of Nathan Bedford Forrest attacked the 600-man Fort Pillow garrison, whose troops fought back savagely, further enraging the Confederates. When the fort was finally overrun, the killing continued, with racial hatreds exploding into mindless fury that Forrest felt unable, and unwilling, to stop. Later, the scope of the "Fort Pillow Massacre" was exaggerated and used as a rallying cry for the Union, while the Confederacy steadfastly denied that any such massacre occurred. Turtledove's narrative leaves no doubt that he believes something terrible happened at Fort Pillow, and is an excellent companion to his many alternate histories of the period. Recommended. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 1/06.]-Robert Conroy, Warren, MI (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.