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By Force of Arms
North America 1869: It has been six years since the South won the Civil War on the bloody fields of Gettysburg. An icy peace has descended across the continent. In the economically devastated North, war hero William Tecumseh Sherman has just been elected President of the United States. He is determined to pick up where the North left off six years ago, and restore the Union no matter the cost.
Using Confederate and French military involvement in Mexico as a pretext for war, Sherman lights the fuse that once again causes America to explode into the fires of battle. The fragile peace is shattered and armies in blue and gray once again slaughter one another on an epic scale. In the South, the aging Confederate President Robert E Lee once again summons his daring strategic mind, his audacious spirit and his last reserves of strength to once again lead the embattled Confederacy. But the weapons of war have grown evermore terrible. The introduction of breech loading rifles and lethal Gatling Guns has made the battle field deadlier and more horrendous than ever before in history.
By Force of Arms is an epic novel of the Second American Civil War. From Ironclads battling in the Gulf of California to the horrors of trench warfare in Virginia, from black Buffalo soldiers fighting for the Union in the wild west to Confederate partisans in Missouri led by the notorious and daring outlaw Jesse James, By Force of Arms shows the most horrible war in American history through the eyes of those forced to fight it. With the fate of a nation, a continent and ultimately the world itself in the balance, both sides struggle to win the victory by force of arms.
Using Confederate and French military involvement in Mexico as a pretext for war, Sherman lights the fuse that once again causes America to explode into the fires of battle. The fragile peace is shattered and armies in blue and gray once again slaughter one another on an epic scale. In the South, the aging Confederate President Robert E Lee once again summons his daring strategic mind, his audacious spirit and his last reserves of strength to once again lead the embattled Confederacy. But the weapons of war have grown evermore terrible. The introduction of breech loading rifles and lethal Gatling Guns has made the battle field deadlier and more horrendous than ever before in history.
By Force of Arms is an epic novel of the Second American Civil War. From Ironclads battling in the Gulf of California to the horrors of trench warfare in Virginia, from black Buffalo soldiers fighting for the Union in the wild west to Confederate partisans in Missouri led by the notorious and daring outlaw Jesse James, By Force of Arms shows the most horrible war in American history through the eyes of those forced to fight it. With the fate of a nation, a continent and ultimately the world itself in the balance, both sides struggle to win the victory by force of arms.
- GenresAlternate HistoryFiction
446 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 17, 2012
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
June 14, 2025
I thought the story was good but misspellings .ruined it for me .
January 24, 2015
I enjoy alternate history and this book is no exception. Bennett's extrapolation of how Gettysburg could have unfolded with Stonewall Jackson present made for a very nice turning point in history. Also, his portrayal of Robert E. Lee's personal horror at the bloody results of war was well done.
That being said, I take some issue with the author's obvious pro-south viewpoint and his tendency towards inaccurate portrayals of some northern characters, particularly U.S. Grant. Contrary to what many think, Grant was not a drunken butcher in war. Oh, the man drank, no question about that, but when in command he was in full possession of his faculties. In addition, he didn't send men blindly into the meat grinder. He preferred to outmaneuver and then smash his enemies. The bloody results of battle horrified him as much as it did Lee.
It's interesting that even though the south lost the war, they've somehow been able to write the history books by vilifying Grant, the victor, and lionizing Lee, the loser. Lee was an honorable man, to be sure, but so was Grant.
Still, this was an enjoyable extrapolation into what might have been, which is the whole point of alternate history. I plan to read the follow-up soon.
That being said, I take some issue with the author's obvious pro-south viewpoint and his tendency towards inaccurate portrayals of some northern characters, particularly U.S. Grant. Contrary to what many think, Grant was not a drunken butcher in war. Oh, the man drank, no question about that, but when in command he was in full possession of his faculties. In addition, he didn't send men blindly into the meat grinder. He preferred to outmaneuver and then smash his enemies. The bloody results of battle horrified him as much as it did Lee.
It's interesting that even though the south lost the war, they've somehow been able to write the history books by vilifying Grant, the victor, and lionizing Lee, the loser. Lee was an honorable man, to be sure, but so was Grant.
Still, this was an enjoyable extrapolation into what might have been, which is the whole point of alternate history. I plan to read the follow-up soon.
January 31, 2016
Wow.
When I first heard about this book I was like "oh cool, a book similar to Harry Turtledove's 'How Few Remain'!". But when I read the reviews I decided to pass on it. Later on I got curious about it again and downloaded a sample, only to accidentally buy the book (For 1.99 so not a big tragedy, I though). So, now that I had a new book I decided to read it.
It was much, much better than I had imagined.
Most people call it a Confederate Wank (and it is, a bit) but for the most part it's actually pretty plausible and, until I re-read How Few Remain, better than that book. The action is very good, the POVs varied, interesting, and unique. The pacing of time is a bit odd, though. I never actually knew how long the war lasted until the end. And there was some repetition, a lot of "clutching bloody wounds" and "heads exploding" and such.
Still, overall it was a very nice read and I'll probably buy the sequels at a later time.
When I first heard about this book I was like "oh cool, a book similar to Harry Turtledove's 'How Few Remain'!". But when I read the reviews I decided to pass on it. Later on I got curious about it again and downloaded a sample, only to accidentally buy the book (For 1.99 so not a big tragedy, I though). So, now that I had a new book I decided to read it.
It was much, much better than I had imagined.
Most people call it a Confederate Wank (and it is, a bit) but for the most part it's actually pretty plausible and, until I re-read How Few Remain, better than that book. The action is very good, the POVs varied, interesting, and unique. The pacing of time is a bit odd, though. I never actually knew how long the war lasted until the end. And there was some repetition, a lot of "clutching bloody wounds" and "heads exploding" and such.
Still, overall it was a very nice read and I'll probably buy the sequels at a later time.
July 24, 2015
Get some help!
By even the author's admission, this is a highly implausible series of events. It was an interesting and entertaining scenario nevertheless. An editor's touch is definitely needed. Besides the innumerable homophone swaps, the writer identifies both Clement Vallandingham and George McClellan as Lincoln's successor. He also confuses Grant with Sherman. It is well understood that a counterfactual story will present such issues, but the author should keep his chosen facts straight. I have not decided whether to attempt Bennett's sequels. The errors were nearly distracting enough to prevent finishing this one. Too bad, because it might have been fun otherwise.
By even the author's admission, this is a highly implausible series of events. It was an interesting and entertaining scenario nevertheless. An editor's touch is definitely needed. Besides the innumerable homophone swaps, the writer identifies both Clement Vallandingham and George McClellan as Lincoln's successor. He also confuses Grant with Sherman. It is well understood that a counterfactual story will present such issues, but the author should keep his chosen facts straight. I have not decided whether to attempt Bennett's sequels. The errors were nearly distracting enough to prevent finishing this one. Too bad, because it might have been fun otherwise.
April 11, 2016
Well executed story
This initial delving by Billy Bennet into the Alt history category can only be said by me to be a complete success. In the vein of Harry Turtledove he has presented us with an amazing account of what might have been, hopefully without the addition of the south is always wrong and evil, which tends to be the result of these. With the exception of excessive amounts of typos I couldn't have asked for a better book.
This initial delving by Billy Bennet into the Alt history category can only be said by me to be a complete success. In the vein of Harry Turtledove he has presented us with an amazing account of what might have been, hopefully without the addition of the south is always wrong and evil, which tends to be the result of these. With the exception of excessive amounts of typos I couldn't have asked for a better book.
October 20, 2014
Enjoyable
I read a lot of alt-history,this was one of the best. Very believable with new timelines that make sense. I have already downloaded the next one. Bennett should be a must read right up there with Turtledove.
I read a lot of alt-history,this was one of the best. Very believable with new timelines that make sense. I have already downloaded the next one. Bennett should be a must read right up there with Turtledove.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews