Cease Firing

by Mary Johnston, Professor George Garrett (Foreword)

"On the eighteenth, the Federal forces appeared on the Jackson and Grapevine road, east of the town. The two following days were spent by the blue in making their lines of circumvallation. The grey and the blue lines were about eight hundred yards apart. On the twenty-second, the ironclads came up the river from Grand Gulf. When they opened fire on the town and its defenses, which they did almost immediately, the siege of Vicksburg was formally begun"--from Cease Firing Beginning with the Battle of Vicksburg and concluding at Appomattox, Mary Johnston's Cease Firing picks up where The Long Roll leaves off. Another of the great Civil War novels eclipsed by Gone with the Wind, Cease Firing features Richard Cleave of Virginia, Confederate artillery commander and hero of Johnston's previous novel. Johnston leads us with a sure and expert hand through the battles of Gettysburg, Chichamauga, the Wilderness, and Spotsylvania, and we feel the emotional weight as the tide of victory turns against the Confederacy. Featured prominently as the confederate commander is General Joseph E. Johnston, the author's own grandfather.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Classics, Fiction, Historical, War, Civil War

Paperback

First published January 1, 1912

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

The daughter of an American Civil War soldier who became a successful lawyer, Mary Johnston was born in the small town of Buchanan, Virginia. A small and frail girl, she was educated at home by family and tutors. She grew up with a love of books and was financially independent enough to devote herself to writing.

Johnston wrote historical books and novels that often combined romance with history. Her novels were bestsellers in America, Canada and England.

During her long career, in addition to twenty-three novels, Johnston wrote a number of short stories, one drama, and two long narrative poems. She used her fame to advocate women's rights, strongly supporting the women's suffrage movement.

Reviews

[gwen graves · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not a very good story

Her discretion of places was good, but the time it was written, prose were long and drawn out and to me boring. The facts were actually quite good.

[Francis X DuFour · Rating 5 out of 5]

Emotion-filled Confederate Historical Fiction

Originally published in 1912, this novel presents an emotional and sobering personal view of southerners during the final months of the war. Not exactly a “lost cause” rendition of the Confederacy, it presents a sensitive side of the South in the war.

[Tripp]

Signed

[Jason R. Gross · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice little love story

A nice little love story with a little about the civil war and what camp life was like in the civil war. It also tells about the south's perspective on the battles of the civil war. A definite read it you like the civil war.

[LecturerRich · Rating 2 out of 5]

paid by the word I think but probably a very accurate story of what actually it was like during the civil war

[Mark Meltzer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Perspective

Very interesting perspective of the Civil War from the side of the south.
Such hope that eventually turned to despair

[Jim · Rating 1 out of 5]

Increhensible