What do you think?
Rate this book
The Parting: A Story of West Point on the Eve of the Civil War
The A Story of West Point on the Eve of the Civil War is an award-winning historical novel and recipient of a Five Star ForeWord Clarion Book Review. It is a true and epic story told in flashback from the days leading up to the first major battle of the Civil War to the final year at the Academy for the Class of 1861, a microcosm of the nation.
The story is factually based, and the cadet characters and many other characters are real, and their relationships to one other are founded in fact. Pictured on the cover of the book are members of the class and best friends, John Pelham from Alabama, and Edmund Kirby from New York. The story unfolds with Pelham, Kirby, and their classmates enjoying the idyllic time of their final summer encampment, when chaperoned young ladies would grace the West Point Hotel in hopes of meeting the most eligible bachelors in the country. But soon the clouds of secession form. The Class of 1861 and the country witness the election of Lincoln, the country unraveling, another one forming, and make decisions that, after Fort Sumter, will pit friend against friend in the most devastating war ever fought by Americans. And complicating everything for Pelham is the young lady he met during summer encampment, the stunning Clara Bolton from Philadelphia.
The story is factually based, and the cadet characters and many other characters are real, and their relationships to one other are founded in fact. Pictured on the cover of the book are members of the class and best friends, John Pelham from Alabama, and Edmund Kirby from New York. The story unfolds with Pelham, Kirby, and their classmates enjoying the idyllic time of their final summer encampment, when chaperoned young ladies would grace the West Point Hotel in hopes of meeting the most eligible bachelors in the country. But soon the clouds of secession form. The Class of 1861 and the country witness the election of Lincoln, the country unraveling, another one forming, and make decisions that, after Fort Sumter, will pit friend against friend in the most devastating war ever fought by Americans. And complicating everything for Pelham is the young lady he met during summer encampment, the stunning Clara Bolton from Philadelphia.
- GenresHistorical Fiction
410 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 2010
4 people are currently reading
26 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
August 23, 2011
A very engaging story that follows the lives of soldiers at West Point on the eve of the Civil War. Every character truly comes to life on the page, causing the reader to fall in love with each one. The author's attention to detail in not only setting and battles, but also in the everyday lives of the soldiers helps the reader really become involved in the story.
May 26, 2019
Good historical fiction
Read
March 24, 2018MWSA Review
This story weaves several time periods deftly, with the present established as the days leading up to the Battle of Bull Run (Manassas) and the battle itself. The majority of the book centers on the cadets days at West Point (United States Military Academy – USMA) and describes military training details as well as the feelings and positions on a state’s right to secede from the union and the hope for peace versus the possibility of war. The cadets are well aware of the tensions between the cotton-producing states and the manufacturing states and their interdependence. The reality of the situation affects not only the relationships of the cadets but also their personal lives. This is a period piece that will appeal to a broad audience.
Period photographs on the cover and in the first few pages enhance the book. The author provides a list of main characters that includes the states from which the cadets come, which helps you to understand their positions. In the Foreward, Brigadier General Peter M. Dawkins (ret) notes that this book “brings American history to life and, in the process, makes you think, smile, and sometimes weep.” How true.
Review by Nancy Kauffman. MWSA Reviewer
This story weaves several time periods deftly, with the present established as the days leading up to the Battle of Bull Run (Manassas) and the battle itself. The majority of the book centers on the cadets days at West Point (United States Military Academy – USMA) and describes military training details as well as the feelings and positions on a state’s right to secede from the union and the hope for peace versus the possibility of war. The cadets are well aware of the tensions between the cotton-producing states and the manufacturing states and their interdependence. The reality of the situation affects not only the relationships of the cadets but also their personal lives. This is a period piece that will appeal to a broad audience.
Period photographs on the cover and in the first few pages enhance the book. The author provides a list of main characters that includes the states from which the cadets come, which helps you to understand their positions. In the Foreward, Brigadier General Peter M. Dawkins (ret) notes that this book “brings American history to life and, in the process, makes you think, smile, and sometimes weep.” How true.
Review by Nancy Kauffman. MWSA Reviewer
July 31, 2015
Richard Adam's book THE PARTING is historical fiction of the first order. His vivid descriptions of cadet life, training, and combat reflect an incredible accuracy and passion for detail. His written panorama of cadet rivalries, cadet hops, Flirtation Walk, company tactical officers, and the close friendships forged in this turbulent times of 1961 were changed little I suspect from experiences for Cadet Richard Adams 100 years later. Only Benny Havens was absent a century later. And his dialogue is rivaled only by Pulitzer Prize winning Shaara in the Gettysburg classic Killer Angels.
September 15, 2010
This book transports the reader back to the 1860's where the lives of the cadets at West Point are forever changed by the events leading up to the Civil War, and the aftermath of the War. The reader is given a close up view of life at the Academy and the friendships and comeraderie that are forged there. In addition, the author weaves a romance into the story which makes the characters very endearing. A great historical fiction read!
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews