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Battle Hymn Cycle #4
The Damned of Petersburg
GLORY TURNED GRIM…
…and warfare changed forever. As Grant pinned Lee to Petersburg and Richmond, the Confederacy’s stubborn Army of Northern Virginia struggled against a relentless Union behemoth, with breathtaking valor and sacrifice on both sides. That confrontation in the bloody summer and autumn of 1864 shaped the nation that we know today.
From the butchery of The Crater, where stunning success collapsed into a massacre, through near-constant battles fought by heat-stricken soldiers, to the crucial election of 1864, The Damned of Petersburg resurrects our Civil War’s hard reality, as plumes and sabers gave way to miles of trenches.
Amid the slaughter of those fateful months, fabled leaders—Grant and Lee, Winfield Scott Hancock and A. P. Hill—turned to rising heroes, Confederates “Little Billy” Mahone and Wade Hampton, last of the cavaliers, or Union warriors such as tragedy-stricken Francis Channing Barlow and the fearless Nelson Miles, a general at twenty-four.
Nor does Ralph Peters forget the men in the ranks, the common soldiers who paid the price for the blunders of leaders who’d never know their names. In desperate battles, now forgotten, such as Deep Bottom, Globe Tavern and Reams Station, soldiers on both sides, pushed to the last human limits, fought on as their superiors struggled to master a terrible new age of warfare.
The Damned of Petersburg revives heroes aplenty—enriching our knowledge of our most terrible war—but, above all, this novel’s a tribute to the endurance and courage of the American soldier, North or South.
…and warfare changed forever. As Grant pinned Lee to Petersburg and Richmond, the Confederacy’s stubborn Army of Northern Virginia struggled against a relentless Union behemoth, with breathtaking valor and sacrifice on both sides. That confrontation in the bloody summer and autumn of 1864 shaped the nation that we know today.
From the butchery of The Crater, where stunning success collapsed into a massacre, through near-constant battles fought by heat-stricken soldiers, to the crucial election of 1864, The Damned of Petersburg resurrects our Civil War’s hard reality, as plumes and sabers gave way to miles of trenches.
Amid the slaughter of those fateful months, fabled leaders—Grant and Lee, Winfield Scott Hancock and A. P. Hill—turned to rising heroes, Confederates “Little Billy” Mahone and Wade Hampton, last of the cavaliers, or Union warriors such as tragedy-stricken Francis Channing Barlow and the fearless Nelson Miles, a general at twenty-four.
Nor does Ralph Peters forget the men in the ranks, the common soldiers who paid the price for the blunders of leaders who’d never know their names. In desperate battles, now forgotten, such as Deep Bottom, Globe Tavern and Reams Station, soldiers on both sides, pushed to the last human limits, fought on as their superiors struggled to master a terrible new age of warfare.
The Damned of Petersburg revives heroes aplenty—enriching our knowledge of our most terrible war—but, above all, this novel’s a tribute to the endurance and courage of the American soldier, North or South.
432 pages, Hardcover
First published July 1, 2016
69 people are currently reading
550 people want to read
About the author
Ralph Peters
76 books224 followersRalph Peters is a novelist, an essayist, a former career soldier, and an adventurer in the 19th-century sense. He is the author of a dozen critically acclaimed novels, two influential works on strategy, "Beyond Terror" and "Fighting for the Future".
Mr. Peters' works can also be found under the pen name "Owen Parry." He also appears frequently as a commentator on television and radio networks.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/ralphp...
Mr. Peters' works can also be found under the pen name "Owen Parry." He also appears frequently as a commentator on television and radio networks.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/ralphp...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
May 12, 2017
Once again, LTC(R) Peters takes the reader into the sweltering heat, the muck, and gore that was a Civil War battle field. In this entry into his Civil War series, the author brings the Siege of Petersburg to life starting with the Battle of the Crater.
As with the other novels in the series, the author brings to life both the high ranking generals and the officers and men below them who have execute the general’s plans. In this novel, the author tells the high level Union’s story mainly through the eyes of Francis Barlow and Nelson Miles. Barlow, a division commander, is portrayed as man while extremely ill with dysentery, but has such a devotion to duty, will not take the time to take care of himself. He is shown as a hard man, both on himself and the men under him. Through the course of the novel, he takes several breaks due to his ill health, but always comes back to his division before he has healed. Nelson Miles who is one of Barlow’s brigade commanders, always takes the division when Barlow is absent. The lower ranking soldier’s story is once again told through the eyes of the men of C/50th PA Inf.
The CSA high command is illustrated by the Confederate Cavalry Commander, Wade Hampton. Hampton is portrayed as talented commander and almost as much of a father figure to his men as Robert. E. Lee. He also drawn as one who knows his duty and will not shirk it, even when he sees the chances of winning the war slipping away. Both of his sons are attached to his command and his concern for his younger son especially is an excellent metaphor for the feelings of all of parents who send their sons to war.
The story of the CSA lower ranks is once again told through the eyes of LTC William Oates. He is now in command of the 48th Ala, which unfortunately is brigaded with his former command, the 15th Ala. Oates is again portrayed as a fierce fighter who cares for his men. In one of his first appearances in the novel he has purchased a cartful of watermelons for his regiment, out of his own pocket. When men from the 15th wander over, he lets them join in the feast. That is until the man who took the 15th from him comes over. He then sends the men from his previous command away. Oates portrayed as a hard bitten man, and his sexual urges are always on his mind. In fact it seems that his main concern after losing an arm is how that will affect his love making.
As the story of the siege unfolds, it is almost the story of lost opportunities. The author makes clear that that Grant and the Union army just didn’t sit still in their trenches that summer and fall. There were several attempts to break the Confederate lines. Starting with the Battle of the Crater many of them were initially successful. However due to poor planning, bad luck or just plain command ineptitude those chances were thrown away. There are several scenes in the book when Peters has Robt E. Lee saying basically “What is wrong with those people?” as yet another change to destroy his army is lost.
A couple of themes that Peters follows – the reactions to the Colored Troops that have enlisted in the Union Army. The expectations and distain of them by both sides is very well told. To say they were unwelcome is an understatement. The author also looks at what a long period of sustained combat can do to the fighting ability of good soldiers. This deterioration is not just through combat losses, but in just the willingness of men to “see the elephant” one more time. By the time the novel ends C co is down to less than 10 men.
Finally, I don’t think there is anyone writing today that is better at putting the reader into the minds of men fighting not only the enemy, but the weather, their commanders, the supply system and everything else that seems to conspire against the poor infantry soldier.
One word of caution - the N word is used extensively. However, it is used in the context of the time.
If Goodreads allowed this is a 4.5 star read, so I’ve rounded up. I definitely recommend this to anyone who is interested the American Civil War or soldier anywhere or anytime!
As with the other novels in the series, the author brings to life both the high ranking generals and the officers and men below them who have execute the general’s plans. In this novel, the author tells the high level Union’s story mainly through the eyes of Francis Barlow and Nelson Miles. Barlow, a division commander, is portrayed as man while extremely ill with dysentery, but has such a devotion to duty, will not take the time to take care of himself. He is shown as a hard man, both on himself and the men under him. Through the course of the novel, he takes several breaks due to his ill health, but always comes back to his division before he has healed. Nelson Miles who is one of Barlow’s brigade commanders, always takes the division when Barlow is absent. The lower ranking soldier’s story is once again told through the eyes of the men of C/50th PA Inf.
The CSA high command is illustrated by the Confederate Cavalry Commander, Wade Hampton. Hampton is portrayed as talented commander and almost as much of a father figure to his men as Robert. E. Lee. He also drawn as one who knows his duty and will not shirk it, even when he sees the chances of winning the war slipping away. Both of his sons are attached to his command and his concern for his younger son especially is an excellent metaphor for the feelings of all of parents who send their sons to war.
The story of the CSA lower ranks is once again told through the eyes of LTC William Oates. He is now in command of the 48th Ala, which unfortunately is brigaded with his former command, the 15th Ala. Oates is again portrayed as a fierce fighter who cares for his men. In one of his first appearances in the novel he has purchased a cartful of watermelons for his regiment, out of his own pocket. When men from the 15th wander over, he lets them join in the feast. That is until the man who took the 15th from him comes over. He then sends the men from his previous command away. Oates portrayed as a hard bitten man, and his sexual urges are always on his mind. In fact it seems that his main concern after losing an arm is how that will affect his love making.
As the story of the siege unfolds, it is almost the story of lost opportunities. The author makes clear that that Grant and the Union army just didn’t sit still in their trenches that summer and fall. There were several attempts to break the Confederate lines. Starting with the Battle of the Crater many of them were initially successful. However due to poor planning, bad luck or just plain command ineptitude those chances were thrown away. There are several scenes in the book when Peters has Robt E. Lee saying basically “What is wrong with those people?” as yet another change to destroy his army is lost.
A couple of themes that Peters follows – the reactions to the Colored Troops that have enlisted in the Union Army. The expectations and distain of them by both sides is very well told. To say they were unwelcome is an understatement. The author also looks at what a long period of sustained combat can do to the fighting ability of good soldiers. This deterioration is not just through combat losses, but in just the willingness of men to “see the elephant” one more time. By the time the novel ends C co is down to less than 10 men.
Finally, I don’t think there is anyone writing today that is better at putting the reader into the minds of men fighting not only the enemy, but the weather, their commanders, the supply system and everything else that seems to conspire against the poor infantry soldier.
One word of caution - the N word is used extensively. However, it is used in the context of the time.
If Goodreads allowed this is a 4.5 star read, so I’ve rounded up. I definitely recommend this to anyone who is interested the American Civil War or soldier anywhere or anytime!
July 7, 2016
Have you ever seen the “WW II in Colour” documentaries on TV? The ones where you see the marching soldiers on black and white film pass through a “magic portal” and the film turns to color? Somehow the people and events in the color film seem closer and more understandable than the old B&W version. The Damned of Petersburg is just like that. It turns a distant world and conflict into vivid colors and real people, with all the grit, horror and nastiness that comes with it. Peters gives you the Civil War down and dirty, no gauzy patina of heroic battle scenes of good over evil. If you need “trigger warnings” and “safe spaces” to deal with uncomfortable realism, don’t bother with this book. You won’t make it far. Peters gives you the Blue and the Gray in all their ugliness, racism, ruthlessness, incompetence, bravery, madness, filthiness, weariness, etc. You will be mentally and probably physically uncomfortable reading parts of the book. I was. BUT, it is a 5 Star battle history of the first rank.
Peters’ goal is to put you in the physical and mental framework of the combatants. He begins at “The Crater” and he tells it raw. The devastating heat, the awful heat of Virgnia in the summer, you will wonder how anyone could survive much less fight in it. Terrible madness in this battle and Peters will introduce a horrific aspect of the battle involving the 30th US CT that I was totally unaware of. I’ll not tell but it is a shock. Peters tells the story from the POV of the grunt infantry on the front up to the famous generals. It feels so real, the despair of the Union troops after terrible losses prior to Petersburg. The crazy madness of the Confederate troops so overextended and yet usually winning.
Peters also brings to light lesser known battles of the campaign and shines the light on lesser known participants. He confines his fiction to the depictions of the participants and the dialogue. The battles are historically accurate and he provides great maps for every battle, often better than highly rated non-fiction histories.
I am a big fan of Ralph Peters as a news commentator and as an author of both fiction and nonfiction. This book is a must-read for Civil War buffs. Also recommended to all general readers, wanting to know more about American History and not afraid of holding up a mirror to the good and the bad.
I received a free copy of “The Damned of Petersburg” (Advance Uncorrected Proof) through the GR Giveaway Program. A review was encouraged but not required.
Peters’ goal is to put you in the physical and mental framework of the combatants. He begins at “The Crater” and he tells it raw. The devastating heat, the awful heat of Virgnia in the summer, you will wonder how anyone could survive much less fight in it. Terrible madness in this battle and Peters will introduce a horrific aspect of the battle involving the 30th US CT that I was totally unaware of. I’ll not tell but it is a shock. Peters tells the story from the POV of the grunt infantry on the front up to the famous generals. It feels so real, the despair of the Union troops after terrible losses prior to Petersburg. The crazy madness of the Confederate troops so overextended and yet usually winning.
Peters also brings to light lesser known battles of the campaign and shines the light on lesser known participants. He confines his fiction to the depictions of the participants and the dialogue. The battles are historically accurate and he provides great maps for every battle, often better than highly rated non-fiction histories.
I am a big fan of Ralph Peters as a news commentator and as an author of both fiction and nonfiction. This book is a must-read for Civil War buffs. Also recommended to all general readers, wanting to know more about American History and not afraid of holding up a mirror to the good and the bad.
I received a free copy of “The Damned of Petersburg” (Advance Uncorrected Proof) through the GR Giveaway Program. A review was encouraged but not required.
November 18, 2016
Spares no punches in the graphic depiction of the Battle of Crater. As always, the personal portraits of the actual participants in the war are stellar: Wade Hampton, "Little" Billy Mahone, and Regis de Trobriand -- want to learn more about him. I even like the way he spins the Francis Barlow story into something of a Byronic tale. The only thing I missed was the "what happened to them afterwards" that Peters has included in his excellent postscripts to the novels. Bittersweet anticipation for the next book in the series, I can't wait, but sad to see it all end. Perhaps Peters will look to other campaigns/battles for future Civil War novels?
September 16, 2024
I love this series, but each book is just more of the same. The battle scenes are always brilliantly written. The generals are always hot-tempered, profane, but lovable. They always play hurt, and even in pain they inspire their men. (During the Crater battle there is one scene where an officer just sits behind the lines and gets drunk. Presumably that only happened once in the entire war.)
What makes these books so hard to read is the phony good will. You sense that Ralph Peters hates women and people of color, but he tries to include them and what he always comes up with is sickening sentimentality. There's a scene where Barlow, the Union general, is in the hospital, and the sister (or girlfriend?) of the late Robert Gould Shaw tries to cheer him up. And he keeps saying all these nasty things to her, and it's unpleasant without really being convincing. Ellen is never really convincing. Barlow's mother is never really convincing. Why couldn't we see DeTrobriand's wife and daughters? At least he's having a good time out there!
Then there was Colonel Oates, the Confederate hero, always bragging about all the colored women he's sported with. Are we supposed to believe those encounters were really consensual? At the end of the book he goes home, badly wounded, and his colored mistress can't wait to cook him dinner. Why? Why does she love him so much? I have read plenty of racist southern authors in my time, like William Styron, Charles Frazier, and Margaret Mitchell. None of them would have sunk this low.
I hate these books. Still rooting for my boy Charlie Brown, however.
What makes these books so hard to read is the phony good will. You sense that Ralph Peters hates women and people of color, but he tries to include them and what he always comes up with is sickening sentimentality. There's a scene where Barlow, the Union general, is in the hospital, and the sister (or girlfriend?) of the late Robert Gould Shaw tries to cheer him up. And he keeps saying all these nasty things to her, and it's unpleasant without really being convincing. Ellen is never really convincing. Barlow's mother is never really convincing. Why couldn't we see DeTrobriand's wife and daughters? At least he's having a good time out there!
Then there was Colonel Oates, the Confederate hero, always bragging about all the colored women he's sported with. Are we supposed to believe those encounters were really consensual? At the end of the book he goes home, badly wounded, and his colored mistress can't wait to cook him dinner. Why? Why does she love him so much? I have read plenty of racist southern authors in my time, like William Styron, Charles Frazier, and Margaret Mitchell. None of them would have sunk this low.
I hate these books. Still rooting for my boy Charlie Brown, however.
April 13, 2016
The Damned of Petersburg by Ralph Peters is an extraordinary novel taking readers deep into te heart of Civil War. Ralph Peters has masterfully captured each and every detail and organized his writing to relive the memorable moments in history. This is a novel all readers should read no matter what they're preferred genre is. This story doesn't feel real just because it was based, off of historical facts, but because of the talented writing of Ralph Peters. I got to experience the memories and daily lives that some of the men during this era. It was fascinating from page one and still captivated me until the ending.
The Damned of Petersburg brings, to life, the lives, hardships, and bravery of the men who fought during the Civil War. I love anything that is about history or brings, to life, the precious moments fought and lived by those now dead. Famous men such as Grant, Lee, Winfield Scott Hancock and many others will be popping off the pages as readers turn them. Ralph Peters has created a world, that lures readers in from the beginning. It's fascinating how history can show us cruel life really was and what those moments may have been like if we were to witness them with our own eyes and ears. Many soldiers whose names we don't know, as well as their leading officers, are also brought to readers' attention. I loved that about Ralph Peter's writing. He wrote The Damned of Petersburg in a way to remember everyone and not just the officers with special ranks. Warfare in it's purest form is brought to readers everywhere. Overall, I found this novel to be remarkable and stunning. I highly recommend this read to readers worldwide.
The Damned of Petersburg brings, to life, the lives, hardships, and bravery of the men who fought during the Civil War. I love anything that is about history or brings, to life, the precious moments fought and lived by those now dead. Famous men such as Grant, Lee, Winfield Scott Hancock and many others will be popping off the pages as readers turn them. Ralph Peters has created a world, that lures readers in from the beginning. It's fascinating how history can show us cruel life really was and what those moments may have been like if we were to witness them with our own eyes and ears. Many soldiers whose names we don't know, as well as their leading officers, are also brought to readers' attention. I loved that about Ralph Peter's writing. He wrote The Damned of Petersburg in a way to remember everyone and not just the officers with special ranks. Warfare in it's purest form is brought to readers everywhere. Overall, I found this novel to be remarkable and stunning. I highly recommend this read to readers worldwide.
August 22, 2016
I am a huge fan of Ralph Peters' Civil War novels. His military background gives him an ability to capture the feel of battles and to write about strategies and tactics in an entertaining and understandable way. No one writes a better battle scene.
But this is my least favorite of his series to date.
He attempts to capture a number of minor battles around Petersburg during the eight months between the Crater and Appomattox, highlighting battles that may be lesser known. It is an admirable goal.
But the time frame jumps and the book comes off feeling a bit disjointed. It may be we need more to make them feel connected. Or it may be the battlers are so minor that they do not stand up to the scope of those in his previous works.
I was still introduced to some lesser characters and left knowing more than I did when i started reading. But I didn't leave with the same thrill and satisfaction I usually have after reading one of his books.
But this is my least favorite of his series to date.
He attempts to capture a number of minor battles around Petersburg during the eight months between the Crater and Appomattox, highlighting battles that may be lesser known. It is an admirable goal.
But the time frame jumps and the book comes off feeling a bit disjointed. It may be we need more to make them feel connected. Or it may be the battlers are so minor that they do not stand up to the scope of those in his previous works.
I was still introduced to some lesser characters and left knowing more than I did when i started reading. But I didn't leave with the same thrill and satisfaction I usually have after reading one of his books.
February 17, 2021
Extraordinary battle descriptions. Excellent
November 11, 2018
5 stars
This book tells the story of Petersburg from both the Union and Confederate points of view in 1864. All of the major characters are there: Grant, Meade, Lee, Burnside, Hancock, Hill and Beauregard. It gives the reader a short biography of the men, both the actual people and the characters fostered in Peters’ imagination to flesh out the story. It was stiflingly hot and everyone, officers and enlisted men alike, suffered because of it.
Sitting in a comfortable chair at home in the present, we get the picture of the horrors of the Civil War. Not only do we get a sense of the harsh terrain and tactics available at the time, but also the feelings and thoughts of those present at the battles on the way to Petersburg from the officers to the enlisted man. For the most part, the men on both side of the war gave it their all and acted bravely even when pushed to their physical and psychological limits.
The “colored�� troops play a part in this novel as well. The politicians wanted to hold them in abeyance for fear of what the abolitionists would say if any were killed. But the men were anxious to fight and some acquitted themselves quite well.
The reader must understand the sheer horror of the war. One panicked man would send several of his cohorts running away from the battle. Men using bayonets and clubbing the opposition to death with their rifles – this was perfectly awful. I know this goes on in war, but Mr. Peters describes it so thoroughly and colorfully that one can’t help but get these pictures in their mind. He describes the terrain surrounding the various battles very well. The reader is there, slogging up and down the craters, eating the dust along with the soldiers, sweating in their filthy and smelly uniforms – what was left of them that it.
Each man held to his beliefs, politics and ideology – rightly or wrongly - as they fought for the battle-scarred ground. Mistakes in judgment were made that cost lives.
Very well written and plotted, this book takes the reader right into the battle. I have read all of Ralph Peters’ Battle Hymn Cycle series and truly enjoyed them all. I am going to look into his other books now as well.
This book tells the story of Petersburg from both the Union and Confederate points of view in 1864. All of the major characters are there: Grant, Meade, Lee, Burnside, Hancock, Hill and Beauregard. It gives the reader a short biography of the men, both the actual people and the characters fostered in Peters’ imagination to flesh out the story. It was stiflingly hot and everyone, officers and enlisted men alike, suffered because of it.
Sitting in a comfortable chair at home in the present, we get the picture of the horrors of the Civil War. Not only do we get a sense of the harsh terrain and tactics available at the time, but also the feelings and thoughts of those present at the battles on the way to Petersburg from the officers to the enlisted man. For the most part, the men on both side of the war gave it their all and acted bravely even when pushed to their physical and psychological limits.
The “colored�� troops play a part in this novel as well. The politicians wanted to hold them in abeyance for fear of what the abolitionists would say if any were killed. But the men were anxious to fight and some acquitted themselves quite well.
The reader must understand the sheer horror of the war. One panicked man would send several of his cohorts running away from the battle. Men using bayonets and clubbing the opposition to death with their rifles – this was perfectly awful. I know this goes on in war, but Mr. Peters describes it so thoroughly and colorfully that one can’t help but get these pictures in their mind. He describes the terrain surrounding the various battles very well. The reader is there, slogging up and down the craters, eating the dust along with the soldiers, sweating in their filthy and smelly uniforms – what was left of them that it.
Each man held to his beliefs, politics and ideology – rightly or wrongly - as they fought for the battle-scarred ground. Mistakes in judgment were made that cost lives.
Very well written and plotted, this book takes the reader right into the battle. I have read all of Ralph Peters’ Battle Hymn Cycle series and truly enjoyed them all. I am going to look into his other books now as well.
July 28, 2016
A very enjoyable book (as each of the books in this series has been) but not quite the equal of its predecessors. Some of this, probably had to do with the nature of this campaign as the siege of Petersburg was not a place where military reputations were made.
July 27, 2016
Good book would liked to have had some scenes of the battles in the Shenandoah Valley and General Sherman at Atlanta. A weak ending to the book.
July 31, 2016
I love his books him and jeff sharra civil war historical fiction books are the best
September 2, 2018
Great book for Civil War buffs
March 9, 2018
A riveting novel of historical fiction.
I waited two years to get a copy of this book. I am sorry that I waited. It is worth every penny.
"The Damned of Petersburg" is the third of a planned four-part series of novels about the Civil War . Each one has been remarkable in the way it has placed fictional characters among actual ones in a way that is neither intrusive nor forced. Actual words and emotions from letters and diaries of historic figures merge with those of the fictional characters in a haunting way, as if we are hearing the voices of the dead. Mr. Peters treats his characters, real and fictional, probing lay, depiciting their fears, pride , prejudices, blood lust and horror at war-and their love of it. Absolutely compelling writing.
Mr. Peters, depicts the awful scenes of a battlefield as only a veteran can. Beginning with the Battle of the Crater at Petersburg, the book easily can horrify any reader , even one who might be jaded by the horrors of modern warfare. At the Crater, men killed at arms length, stabbing, shooting, bludgeoning. Worse, if possible, because "colored" troops were used by the Union against the entrenched Southern forces, they expected and received no quarter. ( The author notes that they entered the battle vowing to give no quarter to the slavers.) And that the colored S , int pretreat were jeered and shot at by their white comrades. Did you know that? Ever read that in serious history books. But it happened.
But that battle only begins the book. It ends with the siege of Petersburg still in effect after many small, costly battles . These , seldom ever noted in serious histories of the War, except as " probing actions" or attempts to cut of a supply road, were as costly as any fight in the battle almanacs. Even now, after all I have read of serious works and fictional dramatic retellings, I was amazed how men could stand up to the slaughter , knowing that most wound meant amputation, and amputations usually meant death.
Yet sixty years later, the lessons of the Civil War were lost on the kingdoms of Europe as trench warfare locked a continent in a death struggle.
Ok...this review is too long . If you enjoy reading military history or great historical fiction or simply want to read a good book, read" The Damned of Petersburg."
I look forward to the concluding installment of Mr. Peters' novels.
I waited two years to get a copy of this book. I am sorry that I waited. It is worth every penny.
"The Damned of Petersburg" is the third of a planned four-part series of novels about the Civil War . Each one has been remarkable in the way it has placed fictional characters among actual ones in a way that is neither intrusive nor forced. Actual words and emotions from letters and diaries of historic figures merge with those of the fictional characters in a haunting way, as if we are hearing the voices of the dead. Mr. Peters treats his characters, real and fictional, probing lay, depiciting their fears, pride , prejudices, blood lust and horror at war-and their love of it. Absolutely compelling writing.
Mr. Peters, depicts the awful scenes of a battlefield as only a veteran can. Beginning with the Battle of the Crater at Petersburg, the book easily can horrify any reader , even one who might be jaded by the horrors of modern warfare. At the Crater, men killed at arms length, stabbing, shooting, bludgeoning. Worse, if possible, because "colored" troops were used by the Union against the entrenched Southern forces, they expected and received no quarter. ( The author notes that they entered the battle vowing to give no quarter to the slavers.) And that the colored S , int pretreat were jeered and shot at by their white comrades. Did you know that? Ever read that in serious history books. But it happened.
But that battle only begins the book. It ends with the siege of Petersburg still in effect after many small, costly battles . These , seldom ever noted in serious histories of the War, except as " probing actions" or attempts to cut of a supply road, were as costly as any fight in the battle almanacs. Even now, after all I have read of serious works and fictional dramatic retellings, I was amazed how men could stand up to the slaughter , knowing that most wound meant amputation, and amputations usually meant death.
Yet sixty years later, the lessons of the Civil War were lost on the kingdoms of Europe as trench warfare locked a continent in a death struggle.
Ok...this review is too long . If you enjoy reading military history or great historical fiction or simply want to read a good book, read" The Damned of Petersburg."
I look forward to the concluding installment of Mr. Peters' novels.
April 6, 2020
This was book #4 in the civil war set by a Ralph Peters. It’s very consistent with the other books in the series in that:
1. The author assumes you’ve read other civil war books on the topic already and assumes a certain amount of pre-existing context that you already understand.
2. The author seems to favor the fiction end of the spectra in the historical fiction genre. He spends a lot of time bringing the characters to life through dialogue and personality.
3. The author has his characters make lots of biblical references, and, references to literature....
This particular story is interesting in that it’s his book three but it occurs essentially coincidentally, from a historical perspective, with his book #3. After Gettysburg, general grant comes East, takes charge, and begins a campaign to crush general Lee’s army. That campaign eventually settles into Lee’s army trapped around Petersburg, VA, and grant settles in for a siege. The major components of that siege are brought to life in this story. A huge portion of this story is focused on Lincoln needing to win the 1864 election, and hence, needing good war news.
A great book, but not a good random civil war pick, or a good first civil war series.
1. The author assumes you’ve read other civil war books on the topic already and assumes a certain amount of pre-existing context that you already understand.
2. The author seems to favor the fiction end of the spectra in the historical fiction genre. He spends a lot of time bringing the characters to life through dialogue and personality.
3. The author has his characters make lots of biblical references, and, references to literature....
This particular story is interesting in that it’s his book three but it occurs essentially coincidentally, from a historical perspective, with his book #3. After Gettysburg, general grant comes East, takes charge, and begins a campaign to crush general Lee’s army. That campaign eventually settles into Lee’s army trapped around Petersburg, VA, and grant settles in for a siege. The major components of that siege are brought to life in this story. A huge portion of this story is focused on Lincoln needing to win the 1864 election, and hence, needing good war news.
A great book, but not a good random civil war pick, or a good first civil war series.
January 14, 2019
As a historian I envy the novelist because he/she can go anywhere they want, unlimited by specific facts. And just as I resent Disney for giving a voice to Winnie the Pooh, I really valued Gore Vidal giving a personality to Lincoln. This is really more of a historical novel and again as a historian I was impressed by the degree to which the author put flesh and bones on historic personages and in so doing provides a learnable context for them. This story is about the Siege of Petersburg from the Confederate viewpoint and I found it truly riveting and informative.
June 24, 2019
A fictional account of soldiers on both sides during Grant's siege of Petersburg and Richmond during the summer and fall of 1864. It opens with the battle of the Crater, which looked like a great success until it turned into a disaster for the Union. The rest of the novel covers lesser known battles that occurred as the Rebels try to keep Grant from closing off the final supply lines.
In the postscript, the author bemoans the loss of many battlefields in Virginia, but if you tried to preserve every Civil War battlefield in Virginia, there'd be no place for people to live.
In the postscript, the author bemoans the loss of many battlefields in Virginia, but if you tried to preserve every Civil War battlefield in Virginia, there'd be no place for people to live.
July 21, 2025
library hardbound - Another excellent read about Civil War battles and personalities about which I've previously seen little mention, if any. In this case the author covers the movement south and west of the Army of the Potomac as it tested and skirted the defenses around Richmond and Petersburg, eventually cutting off one of the two remaining railroads to the South and getting into position to threaten the final railroad even as its movement forced the Confederates to build and defend ever longer lines of fortifications with ever diminishing forces.
November 13, 2017
The Civil War is getting closer to it's end, but first the campaigns around Petersburg, and Peters does a wonderful job of bringing those bloody struggles to life, on both the Federal and Confederate side, through the end 0f 1864. Another strong entry in this series. Looking forward to reading the final chapter in this saga.
May 17, 2019
The Damned of Petersburg is the fourth of Ralph Peters gritty civil war novels. This book focuses on battles during and around the siege of Petersburg that staved off the fall of Richmond during 1864 and early 1865. The Crater debacle is depicted in all its bloody horror in which a Union tunnel that was to break the siege became a Union tragedy.
September 26, 2025
The kind of novel you find hard to put down and feel sad when it is finished. The blending of fact, fiction and giving voice to Civil War personalities is a highlight of the author's style. I never fail to come away with wanting to learn more about a historical figure I encounter in these novels, in this case Union general Regis de Trobriand.
Highly recommended.
Highly recommended.
December 31, 2021
The author did a great job in looking at the war from the soldiers perspective. The battle of the Crater was so realistic, it was like I was sitting on the battlefield watching it myself. Would recommend this book in the Civil War series by Mr Peters.
June 8, 2022
Another great Civil War story from Peters. This one covering The Crater and battles around Petersburg during summer/fall 1864. I really like how he delves into the personalities of the commanders and regular soldiers on both sides, makes for a good read.
May 22, 2017
I gave one star only because I couldn't get into the story. I have read other books by Peters and thoroughly enjoyed them.
January 21, 2018
My favorite civil war author. Detailed battle plans, characters, and politics. Ralph has it all, as well as the feel of battle.
May 9, 2018
Magnificent
I loved the ambiguous nature of real war and humanity. Felt like I was there. So very sad and exhausting.
I loved the ambiguous nature of real war and humanity. Felt like I was there. So very sad and exhausting.
July 12, 2018
Another amazing book in the Civil War series of Ralph Peters. Fantastic characterization. These people really come alive.
January 5, 2020
Great addition to Peters Battle Hymn cycle.
Went into battles and skirmishes I honestly have never heard about
Went into battles and skirmishes I honestly have never heard about
November 16, 2023
Good story of the battles around Petersburg while providing limited information on many of the battles.
Once again the stories of possible victories lost with decisions that allowed escape.
Once again the stories of possible victories lost with decisions that allowed escape.
March 7, 2024
Introduced me to a lot of history involving the last year of the war. Good reading.
August 1, 2025
Accurate and, at times, captivating, but disappointingly one note and, candidly, a bit boring. Probably worth the effort though.
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