Above the Fray: A Novel of the Union Balloon Corps, Part One

by Kris Jackson

To see a video on this book, visit novel deals with the Union Balloon Corps in the Civil War. At the start of the Civil War, Nathaniel Curry is a fifteen-year-old telegraph operator in Richmond. He travels to Washington to see a balloon demonstration and finds himself, entirely by accident, assisting Thaddeus Lowe in directing artillery fire on a Confederate emplacement – the first use of an aircraft in warfare.A pariah back in Virginia, Nathaniel joins the nascent Union Balloon Corps, the world’s first air force. The Corps, a motley collection of adventurers, science enthusiasts and misfits, struggles to find its place within the Union Army. The aeronauts prove valuable, providing information on enemy positions and movements, but are too unruly to be accepted by the military establishment.Nathaniel, a Southerner, is suspected of being a spy by both sides, even as he has to fight off being recruited as a spy. As the Balloon Corps descends into chaos, even his sweetheart turns against him. Soon his only friend is Abraham Lincoln – and Lincoln wants him to do something that terrifies him.Meticulously researched, this book captures the sweep of the war, and highlights a little-known facet of history that today has come to dominate military thinking. It is the story of the coming of age of aviation, of modern technology, and of the nation itself.

Genres: Civil War

192 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 2, 2010

About the author

Kris Jackson, as befitting an author, has worked in a number of fields, including farmhand, intelligence analyst, warzone librarian, forklift driver, artist, cartoonist, webmaster, code cruncher and so on. Having learned it all, he now wants to tell lies to the public and have them pay him for the privilege. His blog, Left-Handed Logic, will discuss everything he's interested in, including the history of technology, art, politics, and the fate of the universe.

Reviews

[Hal · Rating 3 out of 5]

On its own this was a good historical novel. The writer obviously has a good knowledge of the Civil War. However, some of the exploits of the main character were a bit too outlandish to believe, including his relationships with Lincoln and numerous generals on both sides of the Mason-Dixon line and some of his balloon escapades.

I would have given the book four stars if it had been a complete book. Going into it, I knew it was Part 1 with Part 2 follow. However, even in that format, I would not expect a real abrupt ending with no attempt to at least tie together some of the loose ends of the story. This was just like ending in the middle of a sentence. The writer just takes the reader to the edge of a cliff and lets them fall over.

Be forewarned; this is not a book to be followed by a sequel. It is just half a story. This, in my opinion, is merely lazy writing.

[Velvetink]

kindle cloud

[M Kemp · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fictional history