Glorieta Pass

Far Western Civil War #1

by P.G. Nagle

It's called the "Gettysburg of the West,", the battle for control of Glorieta Pass, near Santa Fe. At stake is a route to Colorado's gold and San Francisco's unblockadable sea coast, two goals that would give the Confederate States a vital edge. General H.H. Sibley's Texas Confederates are opposed by a Union army under Colonel E.R.S. Canby.

Before the war, Sibley and Candby were on the same side. Now there's just no winning in this bloody battle between countrymen torn apart by money, politics, and geography.

History will ignore the fate of Lieutenant Franklin of New York, Captain O'Brien of the Colorado Volunteers, Jamie Russell of San Antonio, and Miss Laura Howland, recently arrived from Boston. They will be utterly changed, however, in the cauldron of battle where the fate of Glorieta Pass--and hundreds of lives--is decided.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Civil War, Fiction, Westerns, War, Historical, Military Fiction

512 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published May 1, 1999

About the author

Also writes as Pati Nagle.

Reviews

[Loretta Gabriel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Action packed and fast moving story of the Civil War

The author has written a very interesting and thrilling story of what it must have been like out West in early parts of the Civil War. The mixture of suspense and bravery make the reading of this story so enjoyable. The author is a great story teller.

[Jennifer Bohnhoff · Rating 4 out of 5]

This author knows her stuff, and does an excellent job of weaving real and fictitious characters into a real timeline. This book is an excellent read for those interested in the Civil War in New Mexico.

[Zach · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed Glorieta Pass by P. G. Nagle. The narrative is engaging, and the characters feel grounded and believable without becoming overly complex or attempting to be especially original. The book is easy to read, and on a purely storytelling level, it works.

I came to this book expecting non-fiction, or at least something much closer to it. I am still not entirely sure how firmly this falls into the category of historical fiction. Once I realized it was not what I initially thought, I decided to continue, assuming I would still learn something about the Battle of Glorieta Pass. To some extent, I did.

That said, the story felt noticeably more focused on the Confederate side than the Union. That may reflect my own bias, as I am someone who is deeply interested in the Union Army and who does not view the Confederate cause as morally righteous. As a result, the portrayal of Confederate characters as generally honorable and reasonable people was frustrating. Treating both sides as equally justified is always difficult for me to accept.

For example, H. H. Sibley was famously nicknamed the “Walking Whiskey Keg,” yet nothing in this book gave me the impression of a man struggling with drink. Whether that was a deliberate choice or an oversight, it contributed to my broader sense that the Confederate perspective was softened. Also I know what Chivington went on to do at Sand Creek so I found his description a bit flat even as a Union man.

As the book progressed, the fictional narrative increasingly felt like the primary focus. There is nothing inherently wrong with that, and readers who enjoy character-driven Civil War stories will likely find a great deal to appreciate here. However, I came to this book hoping to read more about the actual history of the battle itself, and on that front, I was left wanting more.

Overall, I thought the story was good and the characters were interesting enough, but I finished the book questioning how accurate the historical portrayal truly was. It is possible the author adhered closely to the facts and I am being unfair. It is also possible my instincts are correct. Either way, the only solution is to keep reading more about the Battle of Glorieta Pass itself.

[Frieda Thompson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Glorieta Pass

I gave this book 4 Stars although my enjoyment of it was really only 3 Stars worth! I gave the extra Star because it was really a good story. However, although there were many, & quick, changes of scene & of POV's, the story was very slow moving for me. I personally don't much like stories with so many main characters flipping back & forth. It normally takes several chapters to know & remember who is who & where! Then some just disappear & it bugs me tremendously when that happens! Especially when several were captured but no more is mentioned of them. Several lesser characters just kinda slid off into the sunset as well. I suppose they will show up in a future book.

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book takes you into New Mexico at the start of the Civil War and amongst the troops on both sides as they battle with their honor as much as they battle with their enemies! It took me a while to get into the story, but it soon pulled me in! The narration was good. The narrator might work on the women's voices a bit, but overall they were each distinct and I was able to decipher who was speaking for the most part!

[Jeffos Hagemann · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you like Southwestern/New Mexico history, fascinating historical fiction of the civil war battle near Santa Fe. Easy read with hardship soldiers and leaders marching towards the future battlefield near Glorieta Pass.

[Charlene Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

History

Great Historical fiction with real historical event's intertwined. I also learned something new about the Civil War I was unaware of which I enjoyed greatly.

[Dave · Rating 3 out of 5]

Slow to start, but better as you progress. I believe it kept in line with the historical accounts of that era quite well.

[Mary · Rating 1 out of 5]

This Civil War novel is well written, but it introduced too many characters to suit me. I found it difficult to follow, and decided not to finish reading it. Maybe some other time.

[Rick Ratzlaff]

Good book historicaly

[Richard R., Martin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I appreciated the introduction to a piece of Civil War history that I was unfamiliar with but there was too much "women's" fiction in the story for my taste.

[Jeff Tankersley · Rating 2 out of 5]

Glorieta Pass, PG Nagle (historical fiction, western)
Jeff Book Review #220

The Civil War epic "Glorieta Pass" (1999) tells the story of a transplanted Boston woman named Laura Howland and an assortment of officers and citizens who are in the New Mexico territory when the Civil War starts. Confederate forces under Henry Sibley met Union forces under Edward Canby at the real-life Battle of Glorieta Pass in 1862. This novel jumps from character to character, some fictional and some real.

As a strict western, Glorieta Pass is decent until it gets overwhelmingly bogged down in the final two hundred pages by drama surrounding Laura's presence among all the soldiers who have obvious things in mind and a love triangle develops between Laura and two soldiers while these armies are fighting each other.

As an historical fiction, with all the attention paid to romance in time of war, it is less like The Killer Angels and more like something you'd see on Lifetime.

I'll admit I didn't know about the Battle of Glorieta Pass so it wasn't entirely a wasted read.

Verdict: A 500-page epic that could have been shortened to 250 pages. A lot of repetitive conversations and character internal monologuing that just happens over and over again. A few of the characters are interesting and can be related to.

Jeff's Rating: 2 / 5 (Okay)
movie rating if made into a movie: PG-13

[Benjamin Thomas · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have to say, books like this one are the main reason I read historical fiction. Most of us know quite a bit about the major battles of the Civil War, fought in the East but few know of just how far west the action stretched. I grew up in New Mexico but never knew much about the state's role in the Civil War. I have driven near Glorieta often but never knew the history of that place. So it was with great anticipation that I began reading this novel.

The novel itself seems to have been well researched. We learn of the basics of the situation: elements of the army in Texas pushing northward through New Mexico along the Rio Grande, leading to a great battle against Colorado volunteers at Glorieta Pass. The goal of the Texans was Pikes Peak gold but they were held off because of this bloody battle.

While the writing was well done, I found the characters to be pretty standard stock issue types. The male characters were mostly governed by their brutish behavior while the females were honorable, intelligent, and courageous to the point of being foolhardy. I don't know if that is because the author is female or that's just the way she wanted certain characters to behave...I make no judgements. Having said that, I did still enjoy seeing the history evolve through their eyes and I am interested to see what happens in the next book. This is what draws me to historical fiction...living the experiences through characters. I like reading text books to get the facts but historical fiction makes it come alive.

I also have to mention a twist at the end of the novel concerning one of the main characters (no spoilers here). I feel like I should have seen it coming but in retrospect it was such a ridiculous twist that I wouldn't have noticed the clues anyway. Readers of this novel will know what I mean. This is Ms Nagle's debut novel so hopefully she won't stoop to such tricks in the future. Her prose is worthy of greater things.

[Clyde · Rating 4 out of 5]

First of all, this is a pretty good historical novel. It is based on true events in the far western theater of the American Civil War. I found this quite interesting because, though I am somewhat a Civil War buff, I knew very little about the war in the far west. Specifically, the novel's protagonists were involved in the battles at Valverde Crossing (Feb, 1862) and Glorieta Pass (March, 1862) in New Mexico.
The writing is good and the mostly fictitious characters are interesting. Nagel does a pretty good job of placing the characters in their time and not giving them modern day motivations or sensibilities. There is a thread of romance running through the story which ends in a Big Reveal toward the end. (Though I figured it out quite early on.)
Good book. I will continue with the series.

[Tim Armstrong · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was one of the best books I've read in a while. I loved it. The author's characters were very compelling characters. They all made horrible decisions at some point during this book and dealing with those consequences made for interesting (and sometimes frustrating) reading. But I found myself caring for these characters and genuinely interested in how their stories ended up. This was a book I could hardly put down when reading and I looked forward to reading when I wasn't.

The big twist with Franklin's character was interesting, but I saw it coming. The author laid hints out throughout the book and it was fairly easy to put those together. A good character arc, but I wish the twist hadn't been so easy (for me) to pick up on.

[Greg · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very historically accurate and researched work of fiction, but one that isn't a slave to it nor throws historical details in your face like some others I've read. Also reads more like a novel than a history, that's unique for historical fiction. An example I think if I ever want to do something like this for WW2. A few unnecessary characters and plot twists in the book kept it from an A rating, but this is very much forgivable, and I'm going to try to acquire some others of this authors work.

[Sherrill · Rating 3 out of 5]

A tale of the old West and the people who volunteered to fight in the Civil War that were from Texas, New Mexico and Colorado. They had a terrible time of it. Poor little Laura lived in a time when women had basically no rights and had to have someone to look after them. She didn't fare that well with her uncle and then fell for a guy who had a really terrible secret for that time and age. Glorieta was supposed to be a peaceful place but really that didn't happen for the people who ended up there. This was a work of fiction based on actual events. A pretty good read

[Patricia Henry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Civil War set in the West! Texans leaving Texas and off to New Mexico, hoping to get to Colorado and folks from Colorado hoping they don't make it. An interesting cast of characters, some from the historical point of view (they were really there) and of course, some added to fill out the story. Some brave women are added to the mix and help to complete the story. Some of the younger folks find out that war isn't as glamorous as they thought it might be and so it is also true for some of the elders.
Part of a series --all to be set in the Western theater of the war as I understand it.

[Bonnye Reed · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very well written tale of the only civil war battle fought in the then territory of New Mexico. P. G. Nagle has an intimate knowledge of the terrain and the steps leading up to and through the battle at Glorieta Pass, just outside of what was then the tiny village of Santa Fe, New Mexico. The characters are fully developed, the plot is tight, and the facts of the actual battle of Glorieta Pass are accurate.

Read it for the story, absorb it for the history....

[Annette · Rating 4 out of 5]

Combines fictional characters with real people to tell the story of the battle of Glorieta Pass, frequently referred to as the "Gettysburg of the West." In the Sangre de Christo Mountains outside of Santa Fe, Union forces, primarily made up of Colorado volunteers, smashed a Confederate force and ended southern hopes of controlling the gold fields of the west. lj

[bill robinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A story worth your time

Being a native New Mexican and always interested in books based on our history I found this book hard to put down. The facts about the battle are basically correct and the caricatures threaded into the story makes history easy to learn. Look forward to more from this author.

[Rae · Rating 3 out of 5]

A historical romance set in New Mexico with the Civil War battle of Glorieta Pass as the backdrop. The romance is predictable, but the historical information makes the read worthwhile.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty decent historical fiction, not too heavy.

[rebecca · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am trying to like this but am having a tough go.I keep hoping it will pick up the pace.

[Grandma Mush · Rating 3 out of 5]

Made me homesick for New Mexico since I live right near where the skirmishes took place. Surprised there weren't translations for the Spanish sentences ...tho I know the language others reading this may not. But there aren't very many. The battle sequencing was a little unclear for me but I gather it was for everyone in real life too. And sooo many people have no idea the Civil War was even fought in NM !! My daughter even had a teacher at Yale who didn't know! An American history teacher.