Rebel Train: A Civil War Novel

by David Healey

Confederate raiders capture the train carrying Union President Abraham Lincoln to make the historic Gettysburg Address. The mile-a-minute, stream-driven chase that follows will decide not only the fate of Lincoln and the raiders, but also of the Union and Confederacy.

Genres: Civil War, Fiction, Historical Fiction

450 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 2005

About the author

David Healey made his publishing debut with SHARPSHOOTER, a what-if historical thriller about an attempt to assassinate Union General Ulysses S. Grant during the Civil War, published by an imprint of Penguin Putnam. That novel was the result of years of research into the Civil War that included time as a reenactor at Gettysburg and other battlefields.

In its review, the Civil War News wrote: “SHARPSHOOTER has the feel of a techno-thriller, the kind offered by Tom Clancy or Dean Koontz ... SHARPSHOOTER moves quickly and is filled with all manner of intrigue."

Healey has brought that same passion for research and history to his World War II novels, GHOST SNIPER, ARDENNES SNIPER, and RED SNIPER. During a 21-year career as a journalist, he was fortunate enough to interview many veterans of the 29th Division who landed at Omaha Beach on June 6, 1944. Some of the events and characters in these novels were inspired by their stories.

He loves the idea of a character like Micajah Cole, a self-reliant backwoods hunter who turns out to be unrelenting and ruthless as a sniper, especially against a skilled adversary, in the pages of these books.

In addition to fiction, he has written books on regional history, including 1812: REDISCOVERING CHESAPEAKE BAY'S FORGOTTEN WAR and GREAT STORMS OF THE CHESAPEAKE.

A graduate of Washington College and the Stonecoast MFA program, he was recognized in 2011 as a Chaney Scholar in history by St. Mary’s College of Maryland. Visit him online at www.davidhealeyauthor.com or follow him at Facebook at facebook.com/david.healey.books

Reviews

[Weldon Burge · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm a sucker for tremendous opening sentences, and Rebel Train has one of the best I've read in some time: "When the fall rains came, so did the bones." An excellent beginning to an excellent Civil War novel. That one sentence summarizes the horror of the Battle of Gettysburg.

The book is about a group of Confederates who commandeer a train carrying Lincoln to Gettysburg, racing to take the Union President as a captive to the Confederate states. Healey clearly handled a massive amount of research for this novel, and his use of conflict and tension throughout kept me flipping pages. A wonderful cast of characters, all with their faults--I often wondered which character to cheer for and which not. And the ending of the book (well, you knew Lincoln would somehow survive) was totally believable and well-handled. Huzzah!

If you're looking for a suspenseful Civil War novel, you won't go wrong with Rebel Train. I'm looking forward to reading more of Healey's historical fiction

[Mbsuther · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rebel Train

I have read a couple of Healey's books about snipers. One was very good, another just okay. This was about a team of Confederate soldiers tasked to do an impossible mission. The storyline was developed very nicely and the action kept going. The plot twists were well done and kept going to the very end. The author used his knowledge of Maryland and the battlefields of the Civil War to help the plot and keep my interest. A 4.5 out of 5 rating.

[John R. Wells Jr. · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good read

A very interesting story of what might have happened. Very good characters in a story of the civil war. Something that very well could have been attempted by the South to end the war.

[Phillip Mclaughlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

kidnap Lincoln on his way to Gettysburg, stealing a train and more Rebel mayhem

These books by David Healey are entertaining. Good novels with enough plot twists to be entertaining.
A good read, recommend

[Dennis West · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lincoln at Gettysburg

I only rated this David Healey book a 3 because it was not nearly as compelling as his Sniper series. Maybe it was because it was an alternative view of Lincolns Gettysburg address.

[Carl Gillespie · Rating 5 out of 5]

First Civil War

I liked the era and the storyline. Some of the good guys were a little dubious. A good evenings read.

[Sam Carpenter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quite interesting

Learned a lot about trains, Southern folks and Northern folks. That was a bad war, all war is bad. Glad the Irish and the boy got away.
Rock on!

[Stephen England · Rating 5 out of 5]

David Healey has delivered a first-rate historical thriller in this Civil War novel, my introduction to his work. I read Rebel Train for the first time just over a year ago, and I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of this small-press publication.
In a plot which draws much of its inspiration from the historical Andrews raid, the Confederacy launches a raid north into Maryland. Their objective: seize the train which is secretly carrying President Lincoln to Gettysburg for the famous Gettysburg address.
Following the hijacking, the book quickly turns into a fast-paced chase thriller as the original crew of the train find another locomotive and give chase.
Yet despite the pacing and action, it is the characters that really make Train shine. A well-drawn and diverse cast fills these pages—from the Irish-born pragmatist Tom Flynn, an assassin in the pay of the South; to the idealistic Arthur Percy, the Confederate colonel in charge of the raid; and Nellie Jones, a hardened Baltimore belle whose one goal is to seize the Union payroll also on the train—these characters live.
And die, for this is a war story after all. Historical touches, such as Flynn’s LeMat revolver, are well done, despite a number of artistic liberties outlined in the Author’s Notes at the back of the book.
In Rebel Train, Healey manages to draw together a snapshot of the times, handling themes of duty, honor and racial discrimination(against the Irish), without becoming preachy or breaking pace, a difficult task to pull off in a thriller.
If I have a complaint with the book, it is that this is a rather straight-forward thriller. There are few real surprises, and most of the characters remain true to form through the developing situation. This is no tale of men rising above themselves in the face of danger.
Still, these are minor complaints and perhaps it would be unrealistic to expect transformations of character in the compressed timeframe of Rebel Train.
In short, Healey delivers on his back-cover “mile a minute” promise. This is a book which will satisfy and enthrall historical enthusiasts while revealing a rare talent for the type of action that is typically only found in the more modern genre of spy thrillers.
I finished Train in under two days of a very hectic week. A very enjoyable introduction to an author.
Rebel Train is David Healey’s third and latest novel, preceded by Sharpshooter and Rebel Fever, the latter of which also featured Tom Flynn. It’s been six years since the publication of Train, and while Healey seems at the moment to be busy in the world of historical nonfiction, I trust we have not lost him forever.
In conclusion, I have to give Train a well-deserved five stars and I encourage fans of history and thrills to go find a copy.

[Craig · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won Rebel Train:A civil war novel from the Goodreads First Reads and having finished the book I intend to find the author's other books.
The book had a nice fast pace that made it feel exciting and hard to put down. The writing allowed you to know the characters and feel the scene without ever getting bogged down. Well written and exciting with just enough curves to keep you guessing. I highly recommend it.

[Alvis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Runawày

Because, I felt that the writer, had done a really good story. It may have happened that way. Will recommend to friends. Alvis