Let a Pillar Arise: A Novel of the Revolutionary War

by William Guerrant

January 1781

A British army commanded by Benedict Arnold has landed in Virginia and is marching on Richmond. Meanwhile, General Charles Lord Cornwallis’ army in South Carolina is on the move, pushing north.

Across southside Virginia, the Patriot militia mobilizes. Women say goodbye to their husbands and sons, hugging them for possibly the last time. And the Loyalists are preparing to finally come out of hiding.

For over five years the people here have suffered the privations of war, but the actual fighting has been a distant affair. Now it is coming to their doorsteps.

Over the next three months, the fate of the American Revolution will hang in the balance.

567 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 17, 2022

Reviews

[Margaret · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gripping

Guerrant's battle scenes are just gripping. The action moves along and the pages turn quickly. Personal touches and dialogue keep the story real. Being from the area, I could picture today's places which still carry the names in this story. Well done, Bill!

[Kae Roberts · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding Revolutionary War Story

I am not sure now where I found this book but fell in love with the story. Being a McDowell from western North Carolina, I am related to the Joseph McDowell from the Marion area. Guerrant helped me understand the war that J McDowell and the other J McDowell fought including the Battles of King’s Mountain and The Cowpens. I loved reading the stories of the countryside in central and western NC as I now live in Winston-Salem-one of those towns that had a different name back then-just Salem. This is a complete story of what the war of Independence was all about for the Southern colonies whose history is rarely told.

[Scott Hyman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another very enjoyable book. Highly recommended.

[Liz W · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book you can dig into and come out with history. It took me a while to actually finish reading Let a Pillar Arise because I kept highlighting, underscoring, and doing Google lookups while reading it. If you are a history buff and reading about the Revolutionary War in the last year prior to the surrender at Yorktown is of interest to you, then this is the book. The personal stories of the local Patriots and Loyalists are just as educational and entertaining. It is a Goodread.

[Carol Dargan]

Excellent read!

I thoroughly enjoyed this account of the southern area battles, persons involved, fictional and real. It is well written and compelling. It was a real page turner for me.

[William · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book! I really enjoyed reading this, mainly because I knew most of the locations mentioned and the characters were very strong.