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Not One Among Them Whole: A Novel of Gettysburg
NOT ONE AMONG THEM WHOLE: A Novel of Gettysburg
by Edison McDaniels
Available in both mass market paperback & eBook (Kindle, Nook, Kobo, etc.)
A magnificently harrowing trip through the bloody horrors of the battle of Gettysburg. A group of surgeons struggle amid the chaos and carnage of a battlefield hospital in this epic tale of human grist under the grindstone of the Civil War. Stunningly intense, engaging, heart-breaking—and absolutely fantastic.
It is the summer of 1863, and the greatest battle ever fought on American soil is in full tilt. Southern Pennsylvania has become one great grinding stone and thousands of dead or dying are its grist. In this tilted landscape, reputations are made, careers are ruined, and men and women are driven to the brink in the wake of two armies intent on killing one another. Yet opportunity is everywhere...
For the privates and officers who fight the battle, it's a kill or be killed world, with salvation or damnation just a bullet away...
For the surgeons laboring over the many wounded, opportunity knocks at the bloody tables, where the price of a man's life is all too often an arm or a leg. The cost to the surgeons, however, will be even higher...
For one undertaker in particular, the dead are a canvas, and his ability to make a body reflect the living individual is nothing short of uncanny. For Jupiter Jones, the burgeoning dead themselves are the opportunity...
And finally, for one teenage former slave, alive only because his father had the courage to bury him, opportunity comes in the form of a ten-year-old boy with a creel and only one shoe, who may or may not be a ghost...
In the summer of 1863, humanity itself is under siege. What happens amid the carnage and human flotsam of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, will be unholy, unnerving, and all but unbearable, with only this certain: not one among them will escape unscathed.
Here, for the living, hell is in session.
And for the dead, it's the devil's own day.
THE BUZZ:
"At first glance it resembles THE KILLER ANGELS and COLD MOUNTAIN — and its artistry rivals those great novels. But it explores a deeper heart of darkness than even the shambles exhausted surgeons have to deal with after Gettysburg. A terrific achievement . . . but not for anyone who faints at descriptions of the violence of battle or the sufferings of the wounded." David Poyer, author of A COUNTRY OF OUR OWN and THE SHILOH PROJECT
"An amazingly talented writer... NOT ONE AMONG THEM WHOLE is a magnificently harrowing trip into the bloody horrors of the battle of Gettysburg, populated with unforgettable characters and written with stunning precision and beauty." Taylor Polites, author of THE REBEL WIFE
And from ONE OF AMAZON'S TOP REVIEWERS:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Engaging, Heart-Breaking and Absolutely Fantastic February 13, 2013
By D. Buxman TOP 1000 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE
Format:Kindle Edition
I'm not a Civil War buff. I've always enjoyed history, but I've never been crazy about historical fiction. NOT ONE AMONG THEM WHOLE was the most pleasant surprise I've had in the past year. I was hooked from the first chapter. The writing is crisp, the dialogue is engaging and the plot lines are intricately woven and wonderfully timed. I would give this book 6 stars if I could. Edison McDaniels has a rare gift for honing the experiences of an epic battle into fine points of individual struggle and sacrifice. The descriptions of primitive surgical techniques nearly caused me physical discomfort at times, but I kept coming back for more since I truly cared for the characters. Although I finished the book a few days ago, I still find myself thinking about it. This is a terrific book that I will likely read again. I can think of no higher praise.
AND THIS FROM INDIEREADER:
Verdict: A vivid, engrossing story of one battle, told from the perspective of the soldiers that fought it, and the surgeons who tried to patch them up. 4 Stars

In “Not One Among Them Whole,” author Edison McDaniels, takes us by the hand and leads us through the horrors of battle as witnessed by a handful of individuals. It serves as a timely reminder for the video game generation that might see war as a glorious endeavor from which heroes emerge triumphant and whole. There are no heroes in McDaniels’ book, only people coping as best they can with desperate situations. There’s no black and white, only a grimy grey through which the novel’s characters grope for relief from the relentless horror that envelops them.
The story unfolds during and immediately after the Battle of Gettysburg, which lasted for three long days. The statistics are grim: 8,000 died on the battlefield with another 27,000 wounded. McDaniels set himself a difficult task in attempting to humanize those numbers; he has risen to the occasion. The characters in the novel are individuals with their own stories, brought together through the vagaries of a war that, in its time, was ...
by Edison McDaniels
Available in both mass market paperback & eBook (Kindle, Nook, Kobo, etc.)
A magnificently harrowing trip through the bloody horrors of the battle of Gettysburg. A group of surgeons struggle amid the chaos and carnage of a battlefield hospital in this epic tale of human grist under the grindstone of the Civil War. Stunningly intense, engaging, heart-breaking—and absolutely fantastic.
It is the summer of 1863, and the greatest battle ever fought on American soil is in full tilt. Southern Pennsylvania has become one great grinding stone and thousands of dead or dying are its grist. In this tilted landscape, reputations are made, careers are ruined, and men and women are driven to the brink in the wake of two armies intent on killing one another. Yet opportunity is everywhere...
For the privates and officers who fight the battle, it's a kill or be killed world, with salvation or damnation just a bullet away...
For the surgeons laboring over the many wounded, opportunity knocks at the bloody tables, where the price of a man's life is all too often an arm or a leg. The cost to the surgeons, however, will be even higher...
For one undertaker in particular, the dead are a canvas, and his ability to make a body reflect the living individual is nothing short of uncanny. For Jupiter Jones, the burgeoning dead themselves are the opportunity...
And finally, for one teenage former slave, alive only because his father had the courage to bury him, opportunity comes in the form of a ten-year-old boy with a creel and only one shoe, who may or may not be a ghost...
In the summer of 1863, humanity itself is under siege. What happens amid the carnage and human flotsam of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, will be unholy, unnerving, and all but unbearable, with only this certain: not one among them will escape unscathed.
Here, for the living, hell is in session.
And for the dead, it's the devil's own day.
THE BUZZ:
"At first glance it resembles THE KILLER ANGELS and COLD MOUNTAIN — and its artistry rivals those great novels. But it explores a deeper heart of darkness than even the shambles exhausted surgeons have to deal with after Gettysburg. A terrific achievement . . . but not for anyone who faints at descriptions of the violence of battle or the sufferings of the wounded." David Poyer, author of A COUNTRY OF OUR OWN and THE SHILOH PROJECT
"An amazingly talented writer... NOT ONE AMONG THEM WHOLE is a magnificently harrowing trip into the bloody horrors of the battle of Gettysburg, populated with unforgettable characters and written with stunning precision and beauty." Taylor Polites, author of THE REBEL WIFE
And from ONE OF AMAZON'S TOP REVIEWERS:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Engaging, Heart-Breaking and Absolutely Fantastic February 13, 2013
By D. Buxman TOP 1000 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE
Format:Kindle Edition
I'm not a Civil War buff. I've always enjoyed history, but I've never been crazy about historical fiction. NOT ONE AMONG THEM WHOLE was the most pleasant surprise I've had in the past year. I was hooked from the first chapter. The writing is crisp, the dialogue is engaging and the plot lines are intricately woven and wonderfully timed. I would give this book 6 stars if I could. Edison McDaniels has a rare gift for honing the experiences of an epic battle into fine points of individual struggle and sacrifice. The descriptions of primitive surgical techniques nearly caused me physical discomfort at times, but I kept coming back for more since I truly cared for the characters. Although I finished the book a few days ago, I still find myself thinking about it. This is a terrific book that I will likely read again. I can think of no higher praise.
AND THIS FROM INDIEREADER:
Verdict: A vivid, engrossing story of one battle, told from the perspective of the soldiers that fought it, and the surgeons who tried to patch them up. 4 Stars

In “Not One Among Them Whole,” author Edison McDaniels, takes us by the hand and leads us through the horrors of battle as witnessed by a handful of individuals. It serves as a timely reminder for the video game generation that might see war as a glorious endeavor from which heroes emerge triumphant and whole. There are no heroes in McDaniels’ book, only people coping as best they can with desperate situations. There’s no black and white, only a grimy grey through which the novel’s characters grope for relief from the relentless horror that envelops them.
The story unfolds during and immediately after the Battle of Gettysburg, which lasted for three long days. The statistics are grim: 8,000 died on the battlefield with another 27,000 wounded. McDaniels set himself a difficult task in attempting to humanize those numbers; he has risen to the occasion. The characters in the novel are individuals with their own stories, brought together through the vagaries of a war that, in its time, was ...
Mass Market Paperback
First published December 31, 2012
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About the author
Edison McDaniels
25 books124 followersAudiobook narrator and producer, as well as an author myself..
My hallmark in fiction: ordinary folks caught in the maelstrom of extraordinary circumstances. My tales are calculated to keep you in suspense & my writing is intense, no doubt about it. I like to think of it as life charged to the highest intensity. Engaging, heartbreaking fiction that doesn't disappoint.
In the words of Charles Dickens, AMERICAN NOTES: "All that is loathsome, drooping, or decayed is here."
My stories run to the darker aspects of human nature, but no gratuitous violence. I paint pictures with words. I am one of those who believes a story is a found thing, like digging a fossil out of the ground. At first you work with big tools, taking large swipes. Later, the tools get more refined and the picking becomes more focused as you try to get the thing out with the least damage possible. In this regard, writing is all about revision, revision, revision. I can't stress the importance of that idea. Revision. And you have to read. Can't be a writer if you don't read. Period.
I am a surgeon in the daytime. I rarely write about medicine and surgery as the prime subject, but frequently feature some offbeat account of medicine or surgery in my stories. I take great pride in my ability to write for the masses (for lay readers). I do often include graphic scenes of surgery—not necessarily in an operating room and not necessarily by a trained surgeon—so if you are the sort who covets shows like Trauma in the ER or New York Med, or you secretly long to be a voyeur amid the trauma and carnage of a big city ER (Bellevue in New York, Charity in New Orleans—which was destroyed by Katrina, Parkland in Dallas, MLK in Los Angeles, etc) my books are probably for you. As noted above, I put ordinary people in extraordinary situations. The machinations of how they squirm is the story.
Influences (in no particular order) include Cormac McCarthy, Alexander Laing (The Cadaver of Gideon Wyck is a spectacular & classic horror story from the 1930's), Stephen King, Neville Shute, Ray Bradbury, Shelby Foote, Erich Remarque, Ken Follett, Antony Beevor, Lovecraft, Mary Shelley, Herman Melville, & many, many others.
You can follow me on twitter, @surgeonwriter. Thanks!
My hallmark in fiction: ordinary folks caught in the maelstrom of extraordinary circumstances. My tales are calculated to keep you in suspense & my writing is intense, no doubt about it. I like to think of it as life charged to the highest intensity. Engaging, heartbreaking fiction that doesn't disappoint.
In the words of Charles Dickens, AMERICAN NOTES: "All that is loathsome, drooping, or decayed is here."
My stories run to the darker aspects of human nature, but no gratuitous violence. I paint pictures with words. I am one of those who believes a story is a found thing, like digging a fossil out of the ground. At first you work with big tools, taking large swipes. Later, the tools get more refined and the picking becomes more focused as you try to get the thing out with the least damage possible. In this regard, writing is all about revision, revision, revision. I can't stress the importance of that idea. Revision. And you have to read. Can't be a writer if you don't read. Period.
I am a surgeon in the daytime. I rarely write about medicine and surgery as the prime subject, but frequently feature some offbeat account of medicine or surgery in my stories. I take great pride in my ability to write for the masses (for lay readers). I do often include graphic scenes of surgery—not necessarily in an operating room and not necessarily by a trained surgeon—so if you are the sort who covets shows like Trauma in the ER or New York Med, or you secretly long to be a voyeur amid the trauma and carnage of a big city ER (Bellevue in New York, Charity in New Orleans—which was destroyed by Katrina, Parkland in Dallas, MLK in Los Angeles, etc) my books are probably for you. As noted above, I put ordinary people in extraordinary situations. The machinations of how they squirm is the story.
Influences (in no particular order) include Cormac McCarthy, Alexander Laing (The Cadaver of Gideon Wyck is a spectacular & classic horror story from the 1930's), Stephen King, Neville Shute, Ray Bradbury, Shelby Foote, Erich Remarque, Ken Follett, Antony Beevor, Lovecraft, Mary Shelley, Herman Melville, & many, many others.
You can follow me on twitter, @surgeonwriter. Thanks!
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
August 10, 2014
From the Author
The unique thing about NOT ONE ABOUT THEM WHOLE is how it is informed by my time in the trenches as a surgeon, as well as the vast reading I have done on the history of the Civil War. My father was a veteran of WWII and an amateur war historian, and I grew up surrounded by hundreds of books on military history. I read many of these and my father constantly spoke of the history he had both lived and read.
I write with a style that is both immediate and intense, bringing the reader onto the battlefield and into the field hospital. I try to write in much the same manner as a fire fighter telling of his time inside a burning building. We all know it'd be hot inside that building, but what about the sparks burning through your clothes and biting at your skin, the close sweat stinging your eyes until blindness threatens, the raspy sound of your ventilator with every suck of breath you take. How about the feel--cool? refreshing?--of the oxygen blowing into your face mask? And what does the fire sound like? Can you hear anything else? Your own pulse maybe?
I believe anybody with an interest in medicine and surgery, or who likes shows such as Law & Order or CSI will like this book. If you've ever wanted to 'open the door' to see what goes on in the operating room, this is the book for you. If you've ever wondered what it would have been like on a Civil War battlefield, look no further than this book.
If you are the kind of person who might like being a voyeur in the emergency room, even for just a short time, you'll find much of what's here interesting, even compelling.
Yet, despite all of the intensity alluded to above, there is a certain grace here. The writing is, simply put, beautiful.
Some of my favorite authors include
Cormac McCarthy (Blood Meridian is nothing short of brilliant).
Stephen King (especially his earlier books -- he is always a great storyteller, but for my money his best pure story is Delores Claiborne, followed closely by Salem's Lot & Pet Sematary; Full Dark, No Stars is his best recent story collection and it rocks).
Nevil Shute (read A Town Called Alice, nothing beats it for sheer storytelling, but just about every novel he ever wrote is worth picking up; there are 26 I believe, most centered around events which occurred during WWII).
Charles Frazier (Cold Mountain is pure artistry), and, of course, Michael Shaara & The Killer Angels (as good as the legend says it is).
Bruce Catton's Centennial History of the Civil War (The Coming Fury, Terrible Swift Sword, and Never Call Retreat) is second only to
Shelby Foote's three volume epic history The Civil War: A Narrative. I highly recommend Shelby Foote.
There are three works I would recommend for those interested in the suffering war brings, and all are tough reads but worth every effort:
The first is Stalingrad, by Theodore Plievier. This is a brutally terrifying novel of life amid war. There is no greater depiction of the suffering wrought by war so far as I am aware. Written in 1948. It is not available as an eBook. If you can find it, buy it. Note: there are a number of books named Stalingrad or some version thereof. Look for the author.
The second is Andersonville, by MacKinlay Kantor. Probably the best Civil War novel ever written, though not widely read today. A long book at over 750 pages. If you stick with it, you will not be disappointed. In fact, you may well consider it the best book you have ever read. Nuff said.
The third is also called Stalingrad: The Fateful Siege 1942-1943, by Antony Beevor. This is not a novel but a history of the Battle of Stalingrad and stands alone as perhaps the finest account of that terrible siege ever written. An acclaimed book. Highly recommended if nonfiction is what you are looking for.
City of Thieves, by David Benioff is a recent novel of life in Leningrad during the WWII. Very good and a much easier read. Highly recommended.
Finally, I would recommend Ulysses S. Grant's Presidential Memoir. Widely considered the best of all presidential memoirs, highly readable despite being two volumes. This is his account of the Civil War. Highly recommended.
I hope you enjoy Not One Among Them Whole, as well as the upcoming The Matriarch of Ruins.
From the Back Cover
Northampton House Press introduces a Civil War novel of stunning intensity and great beauty in time for the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg.
The unique thing about NOT ONE ABOUT THEM WHOLE is how it is informed by my time in the trenches as a surgeon, as well as the vast reading I have done on the history of the Civil War. My father was a veteran of WWII and an amateur war historian, and I grew up surrounded by hundreds of books on military history. I read many of these and my father constantly spoke of the history he had both lived and read.
I write with a style that is both immediate and intense, bringing the reader onto the battlefield and into the field hospital. I try to write in much the same manner as a fire fighter telling of his time inside a burning building. We all know it'd be hot inside that building, but what about the sparks burning through your clothes and biting at your skin, the close sweat stinging your eyes until blindness threatens, the raspy sound of your ventilator with every suck of breath you take. How about the feel--cool? refreshing?--of the oxygen blowing into your face mask? And what does the fire sound like? Can you hear anything else? Your own pulse maybe?
I believe anybody with an interest in medicine and surgery, or who likes shows such as Law & Order or CSI will like this book. If you've ever wanted to 'open the door' to see what goes on in the operating room, this is the book for you. If you've ever wondered what it would have been like on a Civil War battlefield, look no further than this book.
If you are the kind of person who might like being a voyeur in the emergency room, even for just a short time, you'll find much of what's here interesting, even compelling.
Yet, despite all of the intensity alluded to above, there is a certain grace here. The writing is, simply put, beautiful.
Some of my favorite authors include
Cormac McCarthy (Blood Meridian is nothing short of brilliant).
Stephen King (especially his earlier books -- he is always a great storyteller, but for my money his best pure story is Delores Claiborne, followed closely by Salem's Lot & Pet Sematary; Full Dark, No Stars is his best recent story collection and it rocks).
Nevil Shute (read A Town Called Alice, nothing beats it for sheer storytelling, but just about every novel he ever wrote is worth picking up; there are 26 I believe, most centered around events which occurred during WWII).
Charles Frazier (Cold Mountain is pure artistry), and, of course, Michael Shaara & The Killer Angels (as good as the legend says it is).
Bruce Catton's Centennial History of the Civil War (The Coming Fury, Terrible Swift Sword, and Never Call Retreat) is second only to
Shelby Foote's three volume epic history The Civil War: A Narrative. I highly recommend Shelby Foote.
There are three works I would recommend for those interested in the suffering war brings, and all are tough reads but worth every effort:
The first is Stalingrad, by Theodore Plievier. This is a brutally terrifying novel of life amid war. There is no greater depiction of the suffering wrought by war so far as I am aware. Written in 1948. It is not available as an eBook. If you can find it, buy it. Note: there are a number of books named Stalingrad or some version thereof. Look for the author.
The second is Andersonville, by MacKinlay Kantor. Probably the best Civil War novel ever written, though not widely read today. A long book at over 750 pages. If you stick with it, you will not be disappointed. In fact, you may well consider it the best book you have ever read. Nuff said.
The third is also called Stalingrad: The Fateful Siege 1942-1943, by Antony Beevor. This is not a novel but a history of the Battle of Stalingrad and stands alone as perhaps the finest account of that terrible siege ever written. An acclaimed book. Highly recommended if nonfiction is what you are looking for.
City of Thieves, by David Benioff is a recent novel of life in Leningrad during the WWII. Very good and a much easier read. Highly recommended.
Finally, I would recommend Ulysses S. Grant's Presidential Memoir. Widely considered the best of all presidential memoirs, highly readable despite being two volumes. This is his account of the Civil War. Highly recommended.
I hope you enjoy Not One Among Them Whole, as well as the upcoming The Matriarch of Ruins.
From the Back Cover
Northampton House Press introduces a Civil War novel of stunning intensity and great beauty in time for the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg.
August 7, 2013
I won this novel through the First Reads program on Goodreads. Adding another lovely signed copy to my growing collection.
No book more than any other has made me more grateful to have been born in modern times. Just little over 100 years ago things were a lot different. Even the slightest infection could kill a man. But human history is a learning curve and we have to go through all the stages. Through trial and error we have reached our current state of modern science. Not that today's medical practices are perfect. Far from it, there's still a lot to learn.
To the story itself the characters are memorable, each personal account seeming to be more tragic than the last. Everyone of them doing their best to survive a ghastly war. Everyone from a loyal monkey to a drug addicted surgeon this novel has it all. Told from both sides of the war you really get the feel that all of them would rather not be there.
Every detail of the book felt historically correct, not once did I feel the wording or setting didn't belong in the book. I put it down to a lot of research and the author's own personal experience.
Human nature can be a very scary thing and this novel has captured it more than any other I have read. Pushing characters to their limits and beyond. Showing that people will sometimes will do just about everything to survive.
The surgery and its fine detail is where the author's talent shines through the most. Sometimes stomach churningly so, more horrifying that any scary monster you can find. Not that it should put you off, it keeps you going, making you wonder what the characters will have to endure next.
The letters home from the soldiers and replies from family were some of the most heartbreaking parts of the book. Comprising of everyday happenings and their longing for each other and for their loved ones to survive, but not only that, come out whole.
Overall a satisfying tale that every over zealous promoter of war should read.
No book more than any other has made me more grateful to have been born in modern times. Just little over 100 years ago things were a lot different. Even the slightest infection could kill a man. But human history is a learning curve and we have to go through all the stages. Through trial and error we have reached our current state of modern science. Not that today's medical practices are perfect. Far from it, there's still a lot to learn.
To the story itself the characters are memorable, each personal account seeming to be more tragic than the last. Everyone of them doing their best to survive a ghastly war. Everyone from a loyal monkey to a drug addicted surgeon this novel has it all. Told from both sides of the war you really get the feel that all of them would rather not be there.
Every detail of the book felt historically correct, not once did I feel the wording or setting didn't belong in the book. I put it down to a lot of research and the author's own personal experience.
Human nature can be a very scary thing and this novel has captured it more than any other I have read. Pushing characters to their limits and beyond. Showing that people will sometimes will do just about everything to survive.
The surgery and its fine detail is where the author's talent shines through the most. Sometimes stomach churningly so, more horrifying that any scary monster you can find. Not that it should put you off, it keeps you going, making you wonder what the characters will have to endure next.
The letters home from the soldiers and replies from family were some of the most heartbreaking parts of the book. Comprising of everyday happenings and their longing for each other and for their loved ones to survive, but not only that, come out whole.
Overall a satisfying tale that every over zealous promoter of war should read.
June 20, 2014
An undertaker with more than a touch of flim-flam, an opiate-addicted surgeon and two soldiers--Union and Confederate--wounded and stranded side by side on the battlefield for 3 days: Not One Among Them Whole. That’s the cast and the title of the novel in which Edison McDaniels captures all of the themes that played out so epically at Gettysburg: tragedy, sacrifice, heroism, suffering, futility, dumb luck (or lack thereof). Dave Edelstein gave this a good rating, and it is an understatement to say that Dave has read very deeply in the Civil War genre. So I decided to give McDaniels a try, and was not disappointed (thanks, Dave!). If you have walked the Gettysburg battlefield--the peach orchard and devil’s den areas in particular--and if you have the haunting photos of battlefield dead etched in your memory, then this book will resonate with your mental images. What gives the book its integrity is its exclusive focus on a few personal stories--none of them having to do with the big names of the battle. And those stories are all at ground level. None of the characters sees, or is even aware of anything, beyond his line of sight. So this is not one of those sweeping historical novels that tries to cover the entire scope of Gettysburg with a huge cast of characters and subplots. You won’t understand the big picture of the battle any better after reading the novel. But the picture from the line of sight of these characters will enrich and color any understanding you do have of the big picture. Thus, Not One Among Them Whole makes a very nice complement to a big picture/big name novel like The Killer Angels, by Michael Shaara (another Edelstein pick). I think it would be interesting to read both books at the same time--going through the 3 July days with perspective alternating between the grand picture and the bloody, fly-infested detail.
December 14, 2014
I came across this author and his book via the Rave Reviews Book Club, where I have found many hidden gems.
This is a well researched and authentic book about the Battle of Gettysburg in the summer of 1863. It isn't so much about the fighting, as it is about the surgeons, the patients, and a particular undertaker. It is graphic and harrowing, and is written in so much detail that you will be transported there in your mind. The characters, plot, and scene building are all done very well. It was difficult to keep track of the many characters, as there is a lot of jumping around. It was really only in the last third of the book that I really got who was who and what their relevance was. For the most part, each character gets their own section, but sometimes there is an unannounced shift which can be confusing. There are some typos and missing words, and a need for a minor edit to weed out overuse of delaying action with formulas such as "began to" and "started to", also the word "own" is used very frequently, and in most cases isn't needed.
I liked the way the many different threads were slowly and inexorably drawn together, and felt this was done with skill. To say this is only the second published work of this author, I am impressed at how strong his voice is. Bravo. This is a writer I shall read again. If you are a reader of historical fiction, and don't mind gritty and realistic accounts, then you will love this book.
This is a well researched and authentic book about the Battle of Gettysburg in the summer of 1863. It isn't so much about the fighting, as it is about the surgeons, the patients, and a particular undertaker. It is graphic and harrowing, and is written in so much detail that you will be transported there in your mind. The characters, plot, and scene building are all done very well. It was difficult to keep track of the many characters, as there is a lot of jumping around. It was really only in the last third of the book that I really got who was who and what their relevance was. For the most part, each character gets their own section, but sometimes there is an unannounced shift which can be confusing. There are some typos and missing words, and a need for a minor edit to weed out overuse of delaying action with formulas such as "began to" and "started to", also the word "own" is used very frequently, and in most cases isn't needed.
I liked the way the many different threads were slowly and inexorably drawn together, and felt this was done with skill. To say this is only the second published work of this author, I am impressed at how strong his voice is. Bravo. This is a writer I shall read again. If you are a reader of historical fiction, and don't mind gritty and realistic accounts, then you will love this book.
March 1, 2013
This book blew me away. It's definitely not for the faint hearted or those with a weaker constitution. It's detailed and quite graphic about injuries etc. this historical thriller/account whatever you want to pigeonhole it, is well written, stylishly told and addictive.
The story weaves together a number of characters and without giving too much away, we see the dichotomy in each character, the good they do vs. the bad. This is a tale of humanity I think as I kept flashing back to the word humanity whilst I was reading it. The text was rich using words such as frowsy and borborygami. There was a fair amount of medical jargon too which I had no trouble with but a lay person may have struggled through.
I found the medical beliefs of the day difficult reading a times and the sheer numbers of loss on a battlefield from infection, infestation and lack of hygiene were disturbing but a stark reality of the time. I loved the way the story unfolded and the characters were very engaging. Cuuda provided the mystery, Jupiter was the snake oil salesman with a twist and I found myself rooting for Jersey and Ezra to make it.
A really engaging book which makes you realise how lucky we all really are.
The story weaves together a number of characters and without giving too much away, we see the dichotomy in each character, the good they do vs. the bad. This is a tale of humanity I think as I kept flashing back to the word humanity whilst I was reading it. The text was rich using words such as frowsy and borborygami. There was a fair amount of medical jargon too which I had no trouble with but a lay person may have struggled through.
I found the medical beliefs of the day difficult reading a times and the sheer numbers of loss on a battlefield from infection, infestation and lack of hygiene were disturbing but a stark reality of the time. I loved the way the story unfolded and the characters were very engaging. Cuuda provided the mystery, Jupiter was the snake oil salesman with a twist and I found myself rooting for Jersey and Ezra to make it.
A really engaging book which makes you realise how lucky we all really are.
January 25, 2013
Edison McDaniels is a surgeon and a talented, brave writer. His book describes the terrible conditions that surrounded the wounded, the surgeons, the embalmers, and the dead at Gettysburg. This story is not for the faint hearted; McDaniels bombards the reader with vivid details of wounds, procedures, and the overwhelming task of caring for soldiers. He trusts that you have come into his world to experience reality and to live in that world long enough to have your sense of history deepened.
The immense suffering and loss is underscored by two enemy soldiers lying on the field unnoticed, bonding in ways that demonstrate the strength of the human spirit and, at the same time, how inconsequential they were to the totality of the struggle.
Jupiter Jones is a talented embalmer, an artist who respects his clients and works to return them to a world outside the war zone with dignity. The exhausted surgeons do their work without the knowledge of sterile conditions and time for aftercare.
If you want to understand the Civil War, this book provides necessary insight.
February 24, 2013
A Novel of Gettysburg and the war. With much thought and detail this book will put you right in the scene of what the soldiers when through during the war. Even some of the details of how they had to work to save them men's lives (gross), had more details than most could even handle.
So many lives were lost during that battle, along with many others. Our soldiers deserve the memory of their lives to live on. This book does just that with the fact that the way the book is written, you feel as if you were there with them and that you personally knew them.
Mr. McDaniels went into details of how the surgeons had been so exhausted during the days of the war and trying to save all of the lives that they possibly could. They were trying to save the soldiers lives and while they had very little or no rest whatsoever, they were still on their feet and trying to keep their men alive.
I have to recommend this book to anyone that knows a soldier that has came home from a war, loves to read war books or action books. If you have a very sensitive and weak stomach, I would suggest staying away from the book. It's that detailed.
So many lives were lost during that battle, along with many others. Our soldiers deserve the memory of their lives to live on. This book does just that with the fact that the way the book is written, you feel as if you were there with them and that you personally knew them.
Mr. McDaniels went into details of how the surgeons had been so exhausted during the days of the war and trying to save all of the lives that they possibly could. They were trying to save the soldiers lives and while they had very little or no rest whatsoever, they were still on their feet and trying to keep their men alive.
I have to recommend this book to anyone that knows a soldier that has came home from a war, loves to read war books or action books. If you have a very sensitive and weak stomach, I would suggest staying away from the book. It's that detailed.
July 29, 2013
This is a powerful, wonderfully written and haunting book. An historical fiction about Gettysburg that focuses on the wounded, the surgeons and the civilians. Not for the faint of heart the story dives deeply into the suffering of the wounded and the almost unbearable burden of the surgeons. McDaniel offers the last letter of a fallen soldier, written after he knows he will die of his wound - it will stay with me. I've read many books about Gettysburg - fiction and non-fiction - and have been there a couple of times. Nothing quite hit me as hard as this book did.
May 28, 2013
This book was so very sad. I had no idea of the things these people went through. I loved the interaction between Ezra and Jersey. And poor Liza and Sam. That was one of the saddest things I have ever read. I have to ask..........sequel????? It was totally left open at the end. I need to know what happens with Ellis and Cuuda. Is Ellis really the monster I think he is? WOW! Did not see that coming. Fantastic story but not for the faint of heart.
February 26, 2013
I really enjoyed reading this novel although I would advise to not eat while reading especially if you have a weak stomach. The author does not mince around the gruesome facts of war and the battlefield. This novel was a little out of my usual genera but I found it kept my interest and felt the roller coaster of emotions that the characters took me on.
April 4, 2013
Very interesting book - told basically from the surgeon's view after the battle of Gettysburg - some very graphic scenes in this book - a bit of the supernatural is also in this book. Good read but I found the very ending to be very disconcerting.
April 9, 2015
Great book! Gave insights into the Civil War that had never occurred to me before.
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June 16, 2013While I cannot admit to being more than a passing knowledge of the American Civil War, I am obsessed with the Ken Burns / PBS / History Channel viewpoints of the different battles and the people who waged them. While walking us through the horrors that are warfare after the days following the battle of Gettysburg by following soldiers, one from each side, we are given an entrée into the scene: as gripping as it is graphic. The story, however, really focuses on the lives and days of characters not immersed in the actual battle: but are battling through the aftermath nonetheless. Surgeons, freed slaves, embalmers and citizens all play a part in this story, giving it a sense of grounding and even normalcy in a very traumatic and far from normal time.
There are some fairly gruesome scenes: medical procedures are detailed and described in ways that shock our modern sensibilities and beliefs. Surgeons working while nearly asleep on their feet as they try to save one more, when the dirt, the lack of sterile fields, sheer volume of wounded and the weather all conspired against that goal. Not surprising to me was the despair often felt by the surgeons, the small glimpses into their lives ‘pre-battle’ and the dichotomy that rages within some as they battle the demons of doubt and hopelessness to keep moving forward.
While I didn’t particularly connect with any one character, probably because McDaniels spins a story that hit me with a visceral punch, I had guarded myself against becoming too involved. I did, however, find myself fascinated with Jupiter Jones, snake-oil salesman and talented embalmer with his assertions that the dead speak to him, and maintains a certain attention to providing dignity to his clients in a situation where dignity and decorum are often passed over for expediency.
This is a book that brings the horrors of war and the contrast of humanity in the most inhumane of conditions possible. I suggest this book for anyone studying war, the American Civil War or American History.
I received an eBook from the author for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.
There are some fairly gruesome scenes: medical procedures are detailed and described in ways that shock our modern sensibilities and beliefs. Surgeons working while nearly asleep on their feet as they try to save one more, when the dirt, the lack of sterile fields, sheer volume of wounded and the weather all conspired against that goal. Not surprising to me was the despair often felt by the surgeons, the small glimpses into their lives ‘pre-battle’ and the dichotomy that rages within some as they battle the demons of doubt and hopelessness to keep moving forward.
While I didn’t particularly connect with any one character, probably because McDaniels spins a story that hit me with a visceral punch, I had guarded myself against becoming too involved. I did, however, find myself fascinated with Jupiter Jones, snake-oil salesman and talented embalmer with his assertions that the dead speak to him, and maintains a certain attention to providing dignity to his clients in a situation where dignity and decorum are often passed over for expediency.
This is a book that brings the horrors of war and the contrast of humanity in the most inhumane of conditions possible. I suggest this book for anyone studying war, the American Civil War or American History.
I received an eBook from the author for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.
July 28, 2014
This is a very unique fictional look at the Battle of Gettysburg. It is the gut-wrenching story of how the soldiers, surgeons, undertakers and citizens of Gettysburg were forever changed by the battle. From the young mother and child from the town who unimaginable tragedy strikes and the undertaker who deals with death by perfecting his trade until the departed look alive. To the surgeons who struggle with the gruesome aftermath of the bloodiest battle of the war, all trying to remain human in the face of the inhumanity that they deal with for days on end.
The author does a masterful job of weaving all the characters’ storylines together. He brings out the humanness in each. You get a glimpse into the pain and suffering that was endured by all and how they are changed forever. The story is distinctive and different from any account I have read. I was drawn into their lives and had to keep reading to the last sentence.
If you are interested in how the battles of the Civil War touch all, read this book. It removes the fluff and you are left with the bare bones, graphic description of the heartrending saga.
The author does a masterful job of weaving all the characters’ storylines together. He brings out the humanness in each. You get a glimpse into the pain and suffering that was endured by all and how they are changed forever. The story is distinctive and different from any account I have read. I was drawn into their lives and had to keep reading to the last sentence.
If you are interested in how the battles of the Civil War touch all, read this book. It removes the fluff and you are left with the bare bones, graphic description of the heartrending saga.
April 20, 2013
NOT ONE AMONG THEM WHOLE gave me an entirely new appreciation for what everyone went through in the United States Civil War. From the soldiers to the surgeons to the surgeons' assistants to the freed slaves to the people who lived in the areas surrounding the battlefields - not a single person is left whole. McDaniels brings his knowledge as a a surgeon to the battlefield, giving us gory, realistic and matter-of-fact descriptions of the injuries and decisions. This expertise brings life to a book that is really about death. I liked that I learned a lot about the Civil War while reading this book; in fact, my husband and I are planning to revisit Gettysburg this summer because of this book. My only quibble is that it was difficult to keep the characters straight sometimes. Defintely a must-read for any fan of American history.
April 16, 2015
Must read!
Great read for those looking for more than just Generals and soldiers marching to war. It is full of deep questions and vivid writing that is so enthralling it leaves you thinking what would you do in such a horrifying circumstance, how the human race could stand the carnage in the time with so little to overcome is baffling.
Great read for those looking for more than just Generals and soldiers marching to war. It is full of deep questions and vivid writing that is so enthralling it leaves you thinking what would you do in such a horrifying circumstance, how the human race could stand the carnage in the time with so little to overcome is baffling.
August 5, 2016
McDaniel is an amazing writer with his background as a neurosurgeon and gift for bringing characters together in one miasma of a setting. I love when a book teaches me new vocabulary, too--now, if I can just find a way to work "trephination" or "borobrygmas" into conversation . . . .
Can't wait to find Book 2 of the Gettysburg Trilogy--is Ellis really who I think he is????
Can't wait to find Book 2 of the Gettysburg Trilogy--is Ellis really who I think he is????
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