Clyde Hedges's Blog
May 6, 2016
A favorable review.
I received this review on my novel, "The Boys of Chattanooga." I wanted to post it because I'm proud of it and let anyone who happens to read it know about my novel.
Lorrie Farrelly
March 13, 2015 at 5:10pm
I just finished Clyde Hedges' historical novel THE BOYS OF CHATTANOOGA, and it's a real nail-biter and heart-tugger. Here's my review: "5 Stars: Gripping, suspenseful, poignant, riveting! March 13, 2015 Gripping, suspenseful, full of riveting emotion and peril, THE BOYS OF CHATTANOOGA is historical fiction at its very best. You don't have to be a history buff to enjoy this book. Once I started reading, I became so engrossed that I didn't want to put the book down. The characters – some real people, such as President Lincoln and his son Robert, Secretary of War Stanton, and Generals Grant, Sherman, and Thomas, as well as others who are composites, such as soldiers Clarence, Billy, and Matt, and sweet Emma and her war-divided family – leap off the page and immediately become people the reader cares about. Even though we all know the Union won the American Civil War, never does that outcome seem so perilous and uncertain as it does in the story of the siege of Chattanooga, TN, and the Battles of Lookout Mountain and Missionary Ridge. Author Clyde Hedges brilliantly lets the reader experience this nail-biting, do-or-die conflict in a gripping "You Are There" style, but he also takes the time to involve us in the sometimes poignant and touching, often stressful and difficult personal lives of the characters. In a multiple-point-of-view narrative, Hedges pulls us in to each character's life and lets us experience the immediacy of his or her courage, fear, anxiety, restlessness, determination, and love. No one who reads this book will ever think of those historical figures as cardboard, "textbook" people again. Another strength of Hedges' seemingly effortless story-telling is how skillfully he creates living, breathing people from what could be a confusing roster of generals, junior officers, and soldiers. Thanks to his wonderful characterizations, I never had the slightest trouble knowing who was whom or what was what. He also keeps every part of a complicated battle strategy clear and easy to follow. The rhythms of the story's narratives follow the action of the events, so that time seems to stretch out or fly by for the reader as it does for the characters. I cannot recommend this book highly enough. It's absolutely riveting!" http://www.amazon.com/Boys-Chattanoog...
It's a little humbling to read something that nice about your work. I hope you like it as well. As far as current reading goes, I received the rest of my latest order from Amazon, including a biography of Admiral Nimitz. In case you didn't know, Admiral Nimitz was in command of the largest naval force, and most powerful, The United States Pacific fleet during WWII. But, I had already started on "The Pacific Crucible," the story of the first year of the war in the Pacific by Ian W. Toll. It is fascinating, well written, full of great and interesting detail, and a must read for naval historians of WWII. Read it if you enjoy military history. You won't be disappointed.
Lorrie Farrelly
March 13, 2015 at 5:10pm
I just finished Clyde Hedges' historical novel THE BOYS OF CHATTANOOGA, and it's a real nail-biter and heart-tugger. Here's my review: "5 Stars: Gripping, suspenseful, poignant, riveting! March 13, 2015 Gripping, suspenseful, full of riveting emotion and peril, THE BOYS OF CHATTANOOGA is historical fiction at its very best. You don't have to be a history buff to enjoy this book. Once I started reading, I became so engrossed that I didn't want to put the book down. The characters – some real people, such as President Lincoln and his son Robert, Secretary of War Stanton, and Generals Grant, Sherman, and Thomas, as well as others who are composites, such as soldiers Clarence, Billy, and Matt, and sweet Emma and her war-divided family – leap off the page and immediately become people the reader cares about. Even though we all know the Union won the American Civil War, never does that outcome seem so perilous and uncertain as it does in the story of the siege of Chattanooga, TN, and the Battles of Lookout Mountain and Missionary Ridge. Author Clyde Hedges brilliantly lets the reader experience this nail-biting, do-or-die conflict in a gripping "You Are There" style, but he also takes the time to involve us in the sometimes poignant and touching, often stressful and difficult personal lives of the characters. In a multiple-point-of-view narrative, Hedges pulls us in to each character's life and lets us experience the immediacy of his or her courage, fear, anxiety, restlessness, determination, and love. No one who reads this book will ever think of those historical figures as cardboard, "textbook" people again. Another strength of Hedges' seemingly effortless story-telling is how skillfully he creates living, breathing people from what could be a confusing roster of generals, junior officers, and soldiers. Thanks to his wonderful characterizations, I never had the slightest trouble knowing who was whom or what was what. He also keeps every part of a complicated battle strategy clear and easy to follow. The rhythms of the story's narratives follow the action of the events, so that time seems to stretch out or fly by for the reader as it does for the characters. I cannot recommend this book highly enough. It's absolutely riveting!" http://www.amazon.com/Boys-Chattanoog...
It's a little humbling to read something that nice about your work. I hope you like it as well. As far as current reading goes, I received the rest of my latest order from Amazon, including a biography of Admiral Nimitz. In case you didn't know, Admiral Nimitz was in command of the largest naval force, and most powerful, The United States Pacific fleet during WWII. But, I had already started on "The Pacific Crucible," the story of the first year of the war in the Pacific by Ian W. Toll. It is fascinating, well written, full of great and interesting detail, and a must read for naval historians of WWII. Read it if you enjoy military history. You won't be disappointed.
May 4, 2016
Started a new book.
I'm currently working on a new historical novel, "Course to Midway." Of course the title might change as I progress, but at this point I'm planning on centering my novel around the major players in the Battle of Midway, and two regular seamen who get to work with Admiral Nimitz. From what I've read, that would have been an honor. He was quite a sailor.
What this post is about is that in doing my research, I started a historical work, "Pacific Crucible" by Ian Toll. So far I've enjoyed the book, easy writing style, knowledgeable author, and well researched. But what gets to me is that in the section of the book telling the immediate buildup to Midway, Mr. Toll states, that contrary to popular belief, the carrier Yorktown was repaired adequately to steam forth to meet the Japanese. The three previous books I've read have stated that it limped out of Pearl Harbor, if a carrier can limp, and that it was not nearly as effective as it could have been if we had had time to repair it completely. My point is that if you are going to write historical fiction, you owe it to the people you writing about to research your subject well. I ran into this problem when I researched "The Boys of Chattanooga," the story of the most incredible charge of the American Civil War. Historical fiction might be fiction, but the author owes it to his readers to keep it accurate. Journey into fiction when you make up fictional characters, but let the actions they portray be real.
What this post is about is that in doing my research, I started a historical work, "Pacific Crucible" by Ian Toll. So far I've enjoyed the book, easy writing style, knowledgeable author, and well researched. But what gets to me is that in the section of the book telling the immediate buildup to Midway, Mr. Toll states, that contrary to popular belief, the carrier Yorktown was repaired adequately to steam forth to meet the Japanese. The three previous books I've read have stated that it limped out of Pearl Harbor, if a carrier can limp, and that it was not nearly as effective as it could have been if we had had time to repair it completely. My point is that if you are going to write historical fiction, you owe it to the people you writing about to research your subject well. I ran into this problem when I researched "The Boys of Chattanooga," the story of the most incredible charge of the American Civil War. Historical fiction might be fiction, but the author owes it to his readers to keep it accurate. Journey into fiction when you make up fictional characters, but let the actions they portray be real.
May 3, 2016
Clyde's Blog
This is my first entry into my blog. I'm in the process of learning Good reads, and soon, I will sync this with my preexisting blogs. For right now, I'm posting my review of "Years of Wonder," as excellent book so many of you will enjoy.
Year of Wonders
by Geraldine Brooks (Goodreads Author)
2903991
Clyde Hedges's review May 03, 16 · edit
it was amazing
Read in September, 2014
It's always a pleasure to read a novel as good and entertaining as "Years of Wonder." Of course, I love historical fiction, and I was doing research on the Plague that hit England during the reign of Edward III, so it was almost a must read for me. What I did read though was an outstanding novel centered around the plague that struck England centuries later and the story of a town that isolated itself to better protect its neighbors. Such selflessness came from the leadership of the town's minister, and that brings about the story of the romance that slowly builds between the book's narrator and him. Remember, I have seen the book in two or three years, and I'm writing this impromptu, but it's such a good book that you might forget the names after several years, but the story will linger with you, the suffering of the people, the suffering of the narrator, and the wonderful ending which gives hope for mankind and our future. It's a beautiful book. Read it if you want to be uplifted.
Clyde Hedges
Year of Wonders
by Geraldine Brooks (Goodreads Author)
2903991
Clyde Hedges's review May 03, 16 · edit
it was amazing
Read in September, 2014
It's always a pleasure to read a novel as good and entertaining as "Years of Wonder." Of course, I love historical fiction, and I was doing research on the Plague that hit England during the reign of Edward III, so it was almost a must read for me. What I did read though was an outstanding novel centered around the plague that struck England centuries later and the story of a town that isolated itself to better protect its neighbors. Such selflessness came from the leadership of the town's minister, and that brings about the story of the romance that slowly builds between the book's narrator and him. Remember, I have seen the book in two or three years, and I'm writing this impromptu, but it's such a good book that you might forget the names after several years, but the story will linger with you, the suffering of the people, the suffering of the narrator, and the wonderful ending which gives hope for mankind and our future. It's a beautiful book. Read it if you want to be uplifted.
Clyde Hedges
