Above the Fray, a Novel of the Union Balloon Corps, Part One: Second Edition

by Kris Jackson

At the outbreak of the Civil War, Nathaniel Curry is a fifteen-year-old telegraph operator in Richmond. Entirely by accident, he helps direct Union artillery fire on a Confederate battery from a balloon, the first real use of an aircraft in warfare. A pariah back in Virginia, he flees to the North and joins the nascent Union Balloon Corps. The Corps, nearly forgotten today, revolutionized warfare, observing Rebel forces and communicating with the ground, and with Washington, by telegraph. The unruly aeronauts, however, are never embraced by the Army. Nathaniel, for his part, is suspected of being a spy by both sides even as he resists being recruited as a spy. Even his sweetheart, the daughter of a Confederate officer, turns against him. His last friend is Abraham Lincoln - and Lincoln wants him to do something he abhors.

Genres: Civil War

302 pages, Paperback

First published November 2, 2010

About the author

Kris Jackson, as befitting an author, has worked in a number of fields, including farmhand, intelligence analyst, warzone librarian, forklift driver, artist, cartoonist, webmaster, code cruncher and so on. Having learned it all, he now wants to tell lies to the public and have them pay him for the privilege. His blog, Left-Handed Logic, will discuss everything he's interested in, including the history of technology, art, politics, and the fate of the universe.

Reviews

[Hal · Rating 3 out of 5]

On its own this was a good historical novel. The writer obviously has a good knowledge of the Civil War. However, some of the exploits of the main character were a bit too outlandish to believe, including his relationships with Lincoln and numerous generals on both sides of the Mason-Dixon line and some of his balloon escapades.

I would have given the book four stars if it had been a complete book. Going into it, I knew it was Part 1 with Part 2 follow. However, even in that format, I would not expect a real abrupt ending with no attempt to at least tie together some of the loose ends of the story. This was just like ending in the middle of a sentence. The writer just takes the reader to the edge of a cliff and lets them fall over.

Be forewarned; this is not a book to be followed by a sequel. It is just half a story. This, in my opinion, is merely lazy writing.

[Velvetink]

kindle cloud

[M Kemp · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fictional history