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Starbuck Chronicles #2
Copperhead
Nate, a Yankee-turned-Confederate, finds his loyalties tested at the Battle of Ball's Bluff, 1862
It is the summer of 1862 and the Northern army is threatening to capture Richmond, the Confederate capital. Bloodied but victorious at the battles of Ball's Bluff and Seven Pines, Nate suddenly finds himself accused of being a Yankee spy. Proving his innocence and finding the real spy will require courage and endurance rarely seen even in the brutal fog of war. Failure could mean the fall of Richmond and a career-ending defeat for Robert E. Lee.
It is the summer of 1862 and the Northern army is threatening to capture Richmond, the Confederate capital. Bloodied but victorious at the battles of Ball's Bluff and Seven Pines, Nate suddenly finds himself accused of being a Yankee spy. Proving his innocence and finding the real spy will require courage and endurance rarely seen even in the brutal fog of war. Failure could mean the fall of Richmond and a career-ending defeat for Robert E. Lee.
484 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1994
271 people are currently reading
2004 people want to read
About the author
Bernard Cornwell
536 books19.1k followersCornwell was born in London in 1944. His father was a Canadian airman, and his mother, who was English, a member of the Women's Auxiliary Air Force. He was adopted and brought up in Essex by the Wiggins family, who were members of the Peculiar People, a strict Protestant sect who banned frivolity of all kinds and even medicine. After he left them, he changed his name to his birth mother's maiden name, Cornwell.
Cornwell was sent away to Monkton Combe School, attended the University of London, and after graduating, worked as a teacher. He attempted to enlist in the British armed services at least three times but was rejected on the grounds of myopia.
He then joined BBC's Nationwide and was promoted to become head of current affairs at BBC Northern Ireland. He then joined Thames Television as editor of Thames News. He relocated to the United States in 1980 after marrying an American. Unable to get a green card, he started writing novels, as this did not require a work permit.
As a child, Cornwell loved the novels of C.S. Forester, chronicling the adventures of fictional British naval officer Horatio Hornblower during the Napoleonic Wars, and was surprised to find there were no such novels following Lord Wellington's campaign on land. Motivated by the need to support himself in the U.S. through writing, Cornwell decided to write such a series. He named his chief protagonist Richard Sharpe, a rifleman involved in most major battles of the Peninsular War.
Cornwell wanted to start the series with the Siege of Badajoz but decided instead to start with a couple of "warm-up" novels. These were Sharpe's Eagle and Sharpe's Gold, both published in 1981. Sharpe's Eagle was picked up by a publisher, and Cornwell got a three-book deal. He went on to tell the story of Badajoz in his third Sharpe novel, Sharpe's Company, published in 1982.
Cornwell and wife Judy co-wrote a series of novels, published under the pseudonym "Susannah Kells". These were A Crowning Mercy, published in 1983, Fallen Angels in 1984, and Coat of Arms (aka The Aristocrats) in 1986. (Cornwell's strict Protestant upbringing informed the background of A Crowning Mercy, which took place during the English Civil War.) In 1987, he also published Redcoat, an American Revolutionary War novel set in Philadelphia during its 1777 occupation by the British.
After publishing eight books in his ongoing Sharpe series, Cornwell was approached by a production company interested in adapting them for television. The producers asked him to write a prequel to give them a starting point to the series. They also requested that the story feature a large role for Spanish characters to secure co-funding from Spain. The result was Sharpe’s Rifles, published in 1987, and a series of Sharpe television films staring Sean Bean.
A series of contemporary thrillers with sailing as a background and common themes followed: Wildtrack published in 1988, Sea Lord (aka Killer's Wake) in 1989, Crackdown in 1990, Stormchild in 1991, and Scoundrel, a political thriller, in 1992.
In June 2006, Cornwell was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in the Queen's 80th Birthday Honours List.
Cornwell's latest work, Azincourt, was released in the UK in October 2008. The protagonist is an archer who participates in the Battle of Agincourt, another devastating defeat suffered by the French in the Hundred Years War. However, Cornwell has stated that it will not be about Thomas of Hookton from The Grail Quest or any of his relatives.
Cornwell was sent away to Monkton Combe School, attended the University of London, and after graduating, worked as a teacher. He attempted to enlist in the British armed services at least three times but was rejected on the grounds of myopia.
He then joined BBC's Nationwide and was promoted to become head of current affairs at BBC Northern Ireland. He then joined Thames Television as editor of Thames News. He relocated to the United States in 1980 after marrying an American. Unable to get a green card, he started writing novels, as this did not require a work permit.
As a child, Cornwell loved the novels of C.S. Forester, chronicling the adventures of fictional British naval officer Horatio Hornblower during the Napoleonic Wars, and was surprised to find there were no such novels following Lord Wellington's campaign on land. Motivated by the need to support himself in the U.S. through writing, Cornwell decided to write such a series. He named his chief protagonist Richard Sharpe, a rifleman involved in most major battles of the Peninsular War.
Cornwell wanted to start the series with the Siege of Badajoz but decided instead to start with a couple of "warm-up" novels. These were Sharpe's Eagle and Sharpe's Gold, both published in 1981. Sharpe's Eagle was picked up by a publisher, and Cornwell got a three-book deal. He went on to tell the story of Badajoz in his third Sharpe novel, Sharpe's Company, published in 1982.
Cornwell and wife Judy co-wrote a series of novels, published under the pseudonym "Susannah Kells". These were A Crowning Mercy, published in 1983, Fallen Angels in 1984, and Coat of Arms (aka The Aristocrats) in 1986. (Cornwell's strict Protestant upbringing informed the background of A Crowning Mercy, which took place during the English Civil War.) In 1987, he also published Redcoat, an American Revolutionary War novel set in Philadelphia during its 1777 occupation by the British.
After publishing eight books in his ongoing Sharpe series, Cornwell was approached by a production company interested in adapting them for television. The producers asked him to write a prequel to give them a starting point to the series. They also requested that the story feature a large role for Spanish characters to secure co-funding from Spain. The result was Sharpe’s Rifles, published in 1987, and a series of Sharpe television films staring Sean Bean.
A series of contemporary thrillers with sailing as a background and common themes followed: Wildtrack published in 1988, Sea Lord (aka Killer's Wake) in 1989, Crackdown in 1990, Stormchild in 1991, and Scoundrel, a political thriller, in 1992.
In June 2006, Cornwell was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in the Queen's 80th Birthday Honours List.
Cornwell's latest work, Azincourt, was released in the UK in October 2008. The protagonist is an archer who participates in the Battle of Agincourt, another devastating defeat suffered by the French in the Hundred Years War. However, Cornwell has stated that it will not be about Thomas of Hookton from The Grail Quest or any of his relatives.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 165 reviews
October 5, 2021
Read this book in 2005, and its the 2nd part of the Nathaniel Starbuck chronicles, and this book is set within the American Civil War, and this story is set in the year(s), AD 1861/1862.
After the battle of Bull Run, Nathaniel Starbuck is expelled from Faulconer's Legion, and he must now travel the very hard road of the shadowy war of betrayal and espionage.
Its a road for Starbuck that is paved with uncertainty and treachery, from the prisons of Richmond in the South, across the blood-sodden battlefields of Virginia, to the deadly high command of the Northern army, and in this world of battles, chaos, war and death, he needs to be on the alert and avoid being trapped into a conspiracy that is not of his own making.
Highly recommended, for this is a truly exciting continuation of this very enjoyable series, and that's why I like to call this second episode: "A Very Satisfying Starbuck Sequel"!
After the battle of Bull Run, Nathaniel Starbuck is expelled from Faulconer's Legion, and he must now travel the very hard road of the shadowy war of betrayal and espionage.
Its a road for Starbuck that is paved with uncertainty and treachery, from the prisons of Richmond in the South, across the blood-sodden battlefields of Virginia, to the deadly high command of the Northern army, and in this world of battles, chaos, war and death, he needs to be on the alert and avoid being trapped into a conspiracy that is not of his own making.
Highly recommended, for this is a truly exciting continuation of this very enjoyable series, and that's why I like to call this second episode: "A Very Satisfying Starbuck Sequel"!
October 2, 2019
Book 2 in the Starbuck series.
Historical fiction concerning events during the American civil war.
Once again a good mixture of historical fact wrapped up in entertaining fiction.
The Confederate forces are all but a spent force and the Northern forces are on the brink of finishing this war once and for all. But as the book says “it’s not over till the pig stops squealing”. Just when the Confederate Army can see nothing but defeat ahead of them a miracle happens ‘General Robert E, Lee’ comes into his own. What looked like certain defeat suddenly looks a lot more promising. Unfortunately this glimmer of light will lead to a much greater lose of life, on both sides.
When Nat Starbuck discovers that an informant, who is leaking highly sensitive information to the enemy, is none other than his best friend Adam, Nat finds himself torn with indecision. Adam needs to be stopped but how to do this without having his best friend Adam swinging from a rope.
Nat finds himself behind enemy lines as a spy trying to undo the harm that has been caused by Adam.
There is the inevitable confrontation between Nat and Adam but before this can happen Nat will have to fight tooth and nail to survive the ordeals that will befall him on his way to the enemy, being with the enemy and, eventually, escaping from the enemy.
This all makes for highly entertaining 4 star reading.
Historical fiction concerning events during the American civil war.
Once again a good mixture of historical fact wrapped up in entertaining fiction.
The Confederate forces are all but a spent force and the Northern forces are on the brink of finishing this war once and for all. But as the book says “it’s not over till the pig stops squealing”. Just when the Confederate Army can see nothing but defeat ahead of them a miracle happens ‘General Robert E, Lee’ comes into his own. What looked like certain defeat suddenly looks a lot more promising. Unfortunately this glimmer of light will lead to a much greater lose of life, on both sides.
When Nat Starbuck discovers that an informant, who is leaking highly sensitive information to the enemy, is none other than his best friend Adam, Nat finds himself torn with indecision. Adam needs to be stopped but how to do this without having his best friend Adam swinging from a rope.
Nat finds himself behind enemy lines as a spy trying to undo the harm that has been caused by Adam.
There is the inevitable confrontation between Nat and Adam but before this can happen Nat will have to fight tooth and nail to survive the ordeals that will befall him on his way to the enemy, being with the enemy and, eventually, escaping from the enemy.
This all makes for highly entertaining 4 star reading.
March 6, 2010
Copperhead is the second in the Starbuck series, and the best of the three that I have read (only the fourth remains to be devoured). It's perhaps the most thoughtful, as both Nate and his friend Adam are forced to confront their reasons for fighting the war.
Adam, Washington Faulconer's son and good Virginian, now a major, is so distraught by what he feels is an unjust war, that he decides to feed important information about rebel positions to the Yankees. Nate, the Bostonian, discovers that his true métier is soldiering and that the friends he has made in Faulconer's Company K — not to mention the lithe Sally Truslow — are more important to him than the allegiances of his vigorously antislavery father and brother, James, who is now on Allen Pinkerton's staff. This means, of course, that all the paths will somewhat improbably cross, but first Nate finds himself in serious jeopardy. Washington Faulconer had seen him murder one of Faulconer's other officers during battle, an episode recounted in the first volume, and despite the official verdict that the man had been killed by a Yankee shell, Faulconer is determined to see Nate punished. Nate is arrested as a spy, and is interrogated using a horrible purgative torture, but then, his innocence, recognized, is coerced into running a mission for the Confederates. McClellan's timidity in 1862 is accurately portrayed, although Pinkerton's caution and his unwillingness to credit information contrary to his judgment that the South had huge numbers of men facing McClellan, is a bit farcical.
Cornwell makes it clear that McClellan missed an important opportunity to end the war early. He could easily have beaten the small numbers of Southern forces outside Richmond but for his timidity. There's a revealing scene where McClellan and his officers survey a recently vacated Southern defensive position only to discover the artillery pieces they had been counting from afar were all "Quaker" guns, i.e., tree trunks painted black and mounted to look like real artillery guns.
McClellan is so anxious to believe the fakes had been placed there just the night before, and his officers so obsequious, that despite a French observer’s pointed comments and evidence to the contrary, they all leave selfconvinced the enemy is even stronger than they had imagined. Several battles are accurately portrayed, including Ball's Bluff and Gaines Mill, as the Northern army ponderously moved on Richmond.
Cornwell has an uncanny talent for taking the reader directly into the very realistic scenes. No one reading his battle scenes could ever feel any nostalgia for that kind of carnage. Several prominent historical figures have been added, including Oliver Wendell Holmes, the later Supreme Court justice who was severely wounded early in the war. Note that most of Cornwell is available in audio book form. I must recommend the Tom Parker rendition over David Case, a.k.a Frederick Davidson. Case's somewhat effete English accent just doesn't portray Southern accents very well.
Adam, Washington Faulconer's son and good Virginian, now a major, is so distraught by what he feels is an unjust war, that he decides to feed important information about rebel positions to the Yankees. Nate, the Bostonian, discovers that his true métier is soldiering and that the friends he has made in Faulconer's Company K — not to mention the lithe Sally Truslow — are more important to him than the allegiances of his vigorously antislavery father and brother, James, who is now on Allen Pinkerton's staff. This means, of course, that all the paths will somewhat improbably cross, but first Nate finds himself in serious jeopardy. Washington Faulconer had seen him murder one of Faulconer's other officers during battle, an episode recounted in the first volume, and despite the official verdict that the man had been killed by a Yankee shell, Faulconer is determined to see Nate punished. Nate is arrested as a spy, and is interrogated using a horrible purgative torture, but then, his innocence, recognized, is coerced into running a mission for the Confederates. McClellan's timidity in 1862 is accurately portrayed, although Pinkerton's caution and his unwillingness to credit information contrary to his judgment that the South had huge numbers of men facing McClellan, is a bit farcical.
Cornwell makes it clear that McClellan missed an important opportunity to end the war early. He could easily have beaten the small numbers of Southern forces outside Richmond but for his timidity. There's a revealing scene where McClellan and his officers survey a recently vacated Southern defensive position only to discover the artillery pieces they had been counting from afar were all "Quaker" guns, i.e., tree trunks painted black and mounted to look like real artillery guns.
McClellan is so anxious to believe the fakes had been placed there just the night before, and his officers so obsequious, that despite a French observer’s pointed comments and evidence to the contrary, they all leave selfconvinced the enemy is even stronger than they had imagined. Several battles are accurately portrayed, including Ball's Bluff and Gaines Mill, as the Northern army ponderously moved on Richmond.
Cornwell has an uncanny talent for taking the reader directly into the very realistic scenes. No one reading his battle scenes could ever feel any nostalgia for that kind of carnage. Several prominent historical figures have been added, including Oliver Wendell Holmes, the later Supreme Court justice who was severely wounded early in the war. Note that most of Cornwell is available in audio book form. I must recommend the Tom Parker rendition over David Case, a.k.a Frederick Davidson. Case's somewhat effete English accent just doesn't portray Southern accents very well.
May 18, 2024
Battle scene was excellent, the rest...meh. 2 Stars
July 25, 2020
I found the last book very entertaining and this book is very similar in structure and style. But the focus is on espionage, torture, and the need for treachery to achieve victory. As such, I found myself less engaged in the plot. Those aren’t areas that particularly interest me. The espionage angle I found particularly uncomfortable, since it involves Starbuck directly betraying his own family. That’s the sort of thing I find squiffy.
There’s a surprising lack of military material here. I suppose McClellan’s incompetent Peninsular Campaign isn’t exactly the best setting for a combat narrative. Basically, he fights a few brief battles and retreats when victory is just around the corner. The man was always convinced the enemy outnumbered him 2-to-1 or more and favored intel that supported his assumption of inferiority. Hence Starbuck’s espionage angle. I guess it basically wasn’t the direction I wanted the story to go in.
Still, what worked about the first book is still very much in play: strong characterizations, detailed settings, high drama... I did enjoy the book and I look forwards to the next one.
There’s a surprising lack of military material here. I suppose McClellan’s incompetent Peninsular Campaign isn’t exactly the best setting for a combat narrative. Basically, he fights a few brief battles and retreats when victory is just around the corner. The man was always convinced the enemy outnumbered him 2-to-1 or more and favored intel that supported his assumption of inferiority. Hence Starbuck’s espionage angle. I guess it basically wasn’t the direction I wanted the story to go in.
Still, what worked about the first book is still very much in play: strong characterizations, detailed settings, high drama... I did enjoy the book and I look forwards to the next one.
January 2, 2019
NOTA: 4
Mantenho minha opinião: Cornwell não me decepciona.
Apesar de deixar bem claro que todas as guerras tem seus tons de cinza e que não existem heróis perfeitos e paladinos da justiça, quando se trata da guerra civil americana uma coisa precisa ser considerada: se você não se opôs a escravidão, você estava do lado errado. Simples assim.
Os nortistas não são nenhum exército de santos, aliás, muito pelo contrário. Mas a motivação central da guerra era apenas uma, e você podia lutar contra ou a favor da escravidão.
Cornwell tem coragem e habilidade o suficiente para colocar seu protagonista no meio do exército sulista. Mais ainda: Nathaniel Starbuck QUER estar ali. Ele tem muitas oportunidades de se mandar para o norte, onde nasceu e tem família, e as rejeita. Isso acontece desde o primeiro livro. Somos levados a ter empatia por um soldado sulista e torcer muito por ele em alguns momentos.
Neste livro um grande destaque vai para Adam, que está em todas as melhores cenas, incluindo no embate final com Nate.
A julgar pelo título do livro e de sua sequência (Inimigo), comecei a ler acreditando que já sabia o que aconteceria com o protagonista. Não irei dar spoilers, é claro, mas só digo uma coisa: Bernard Cornwell sabe ser surpreendente e cheio de reviravoltas até mesmo em um romance histórico que retrata uma guerra do qual o final é bem conhecido por todos.
Mantenho minha opinião: Cornwell não me decepciona.
Apesar de deixar bem claro que todas as guerras tem seus tons de cinza e que não existem heróis perfeitos e paladinos da justiça, quando se trata da guerra civil americana uma coisa precisa ser considerada: se você não se opôs a escravidão, você estava do lado errado. Simples assim.
Os nortistas não são nenhum exército de santos, aliás, muito pelo contrário. Mas a motivação central da guerra era apenas uma, e você podia lutar contra ou a favor da escravidão.
Cornwell tem coragem e habilidade o suficiente para colocar seu protagonista no meio do exército sulista. Mais ainda: Nathaniel Starbuck QUER estar ali. Ele tem muitas oportunidades de se mandar para o norte, onde nasceu e tem família, e as rejeita. Isso acontece desde o primeiro livro. Somos levados a ter empatia por um soldado sulista e torcer muito por ele em alguns momentos.
Neste livro um grande destaque vai para Adam, que está em todas as melhores cenas, incluindo no embate final com Nate.
A julgar pelo título do livro e de sua sequência (Inimigo), comecei a ler acreditando que já sabia o que aconteceria com o protagonista. Não irei dar spoilers, é claro, mas só digo uma coisa: Bernard Cornwell sabe ser surpreendente e cheio de reviravoltas até mesmo em um romance histórico que retrata uma guerra do qual o final é bem conhecido por todos.
October 6, 2024
4.25 stars
February 6, 2016
This second book picks up a few months after the first one ended: late 1861. Nate Starbuck is now a captain in Faulkner's Virginia Legion (a fictitious group of Confederate soldiers). Also back is Sargent Tresloe, Thaddeus (Pecker) Byrd, Adam Faulkner (Nate's friend) and Sally Tresloe (Nate's love interest).
The story opens with the battle of Ball's Bluff. The Union army manages to approach the Confederate army by surprise. Even though out numbered, the rebel's tenacity and sharp-shooting capabilities (along with some help) turns this into a bloody and embarrassing defeat to the North. Adam seeing the wanton carnage makes a decision. It is this decision that helps to set a major tone of the book: the morality of the war. Religious beliefs are prevalent as both sides pray to God to kill the other side's soldiers.
The battle scenes in the book are focused around the North's attempt to take Richmond. Another aspect that Nate gets caught up in (and thus the reader) is the role espionage played in this part of the Civil War. Nate gets asked an important question, "Nate, why are you fighting for the South?" Nate is Northern born to a strict religious household that opposes slavery.
Cornwell's descriptions are detailed and dialog genuine as he transported me into the life and times of the Civil War through his characters. There are so many sage sayings throughout the book I wish
could remember them all. There is a scene where Confederate General Johnston is observing the battle from a high knoll and one of his aides keeps ducking every time he hears a bullet come whistling through the trees. Johnston says, "...you can't duck a bullet, by the time that you hear it, it is already past!"
Grover Gardener is the narrator for the Starbuck audio books and does an excellent job (IMO) voicing the characters and narrating historical accounts.
The book brings in the human element into a war that had many facets. It makes for great reading!
The story opens with the battle of Ball's Bluff. The Union army manages to approach the Confederate army by surprise. Even though out numbered, the rebel's tenacity and sharp-shooting capabilities (along with some help) turns this into a bloody and embarrassing defeat to the North. Adam seeing the wanton carnage makes a decision. It is this decision that helps to set a major tone of the book: the morality of the war. Religious beliefs are prevalent as both sides pray to God to kill the other side's soldiers.
The battle scenes in the book are focused around the North's attempt to take Richmond. Another aspect that Nate gets caught up in (and thus the reader) is the role espionage played in this part of the Civil War. Nate gets asked an important question, "Nate, why are you fighting for the South?" Nate is Northern born to a strict religious household that opposes slavery.
Cornwell's descriptions are detailed and dialog genuine as he transported me into the life and times of the Civil War through his characters. There are so many sage sayings throughout the book I wish
could remember them all. There is a scene where Confederate General Johnston is observing the battle from a high knoll and one of his aides keeps ducking every time he hears a bullet come whistling through the trees. Johnston says, "...you can't duck a bullet, by the time that you hear it, it is already past!"
Grover Gardener is the narrator for the Starbuck audio books and does an excellent job (IMO) voicing the characters and narrating historical accounts.
The book brings in the human element into a war that had many facets. It makes for great reading!
July 1, 2018
Here is book 2 in the Nathaniel Starbuck Chronicles. Bernard Cornwell does a beautiful job with these books. My husband and I have thoroughly enjoyed reading these and the creative history of the U.S. Civil War.
This book shows Nate Starbuck as he tried to reconcile his own abandonment of his home northern state and family and his relationship in the south. He finds himself in the midst of the battle of his country and in his soul.
If you enjoy stories from history, creative non-fiction, and the U.S. Civil War this book is for you!
There are two more in this series and we are looking forward to continuing the story of Nate Starbuck.
This book shows Nate Starbuck as he tried to reconcile his own abandonment of his home northern state and family and his relationship in the south. He finds himself in the midst of the battle of his country and in his soul.
If you enjoy stories from history, creative non-fiction, and the U.S. Civil War this book is for you!
There are two more in this series and we are looking forward to continuing the story of Nate Starbuck.
February 5, 2019
So many twists and turns!
September 20, 2021
Confederate Captain Nate Starbuck is the protagonist in this novel. Although from Boston, Nate has certain allegiances with the Southern cause. However his Minister father takes exception to Nate's new found allies. In this novel it is the summer of 1862, and the battle of Ball's Bluff is being waged in an attempt for Union General George McClellan to conquer and occupy Richmond, Virginia. But Nate is accused of being a spy for his native North. In order to clear his name he must find the real spy and expose him. A most thrilling novel to read for anyone with a penchant for the Civil War.
September 1, 2025
I got the abridged version by mistake and it felt like someone had cut out pretty much the entire book. However, the opening battle scene is 10/10 cornwellian deliciousness so I can still muster three stars.
September 16, 2010
Great Civil War Novel. I found it a fascinating look into both sides of the Civil War or as the South would call it, The War of Secession. There were spies all over the South and North and one can kind of understand the divided loyalties. One of the characters is a southerner who hates slavery and war, yet he owes loyalty to his father and feels he must fight for the South in time he becomes a spy for the North.
Our main character, Nate Starbuck is a Northern son of a famous abolitionist who finds he loves war and battle and the idea of states rights. He fights for the South and they called men like him "Copperheads".
The North it appears might have ended the war in a matter of months if McClellan had been at all competent. The South was teetering on the edge of collapse and all it would have taken was the North to invade the city of Richmond (capital of South) and it would have easily fallen. Spies in this book play a big role in fooling the North into thinking there were more soldiers and cannon defending Richmond by about 10 fold.
The South was equally incompetent and hesitant to fight as the North. Robert E. Lee was called Granny Lee by his detractors for his lack of aggression and interest in digging fortification for Richmond rather than attacking the North.
The book took me back in time and I felt the emotions of battle and similar conflicted feelings as probably most men of the time felt. If you are a student of Civil War history I think you will find this to be a very satisfying read.
Our main character, Nate Starbuck is a Northern son of a famous abolitionist who finds he loves war and battle and the idea of states rights. He fights for the South and they called men like him "Copperheads".
The North it appears might have ended the war in a matter of months if McClellan had been at all competent. The South was teetering on the edge of collapse and all it would have taken was the North to invade the city of Richmond (capital of South) and it would have easily fallen. Spies in this book play a big role in fooling the North into thinking there were more soldiers and cannon defending Richmond by about 10 fold.
The South was equally incompetent and hesitant to fight as the North. Robert E. Lee was called Granny Lee by his detractors for his lack of aggression and interest in digging fortification for Richmond rather than attacking the North.
The book took me back in time and I felt the emotions of battle and similar conflicted feelings as probably most men of the time felt. If you are a student of Civil War history I think you will find this to be a very satisfying read.
May 26, 2009
Unfortunately Cornwell’s trademark excitement – as best expounded in his Sharpe series of books – is somewhat lacking in his four-volume chronicle of the American Civil War. Like REBEL before it, this is a slow-moving read that focuses on the character of Starbuck, following him as he gets caught up in the wake of some treachery stirred by his disturbed childhood friend, Adam Faulconer. Starbuck isn’t exactly the most manly or heroic of heroes but he certainly gets the job done, and there are some vintage, vicious moments when he’s tortured with a purgative in a rotting Richmond jail cell.
A lot of the book is taken up with the back story of many minor characters and there’s a lot of dialogue and description. I certainly feel that some of the moment, such as those involving Sally, could have beeen shorn, as by all accounts these secondary characters don’t play a big part in the following novels.
As always, the battles are brought vividly to life, and COPPERHEAD is bookended by two such showdowns between North and South; as usual, Cornwell makes them extremely violent without making the violence gratuitous, and above all, utterly realistic. Characterisation is strong throughout and the tension runs high when Starbuck turns traitor and goes undercover, but it seems this series lacks the spark that makes the majority of the Sharpe books masterpieces.
A lot of the book is taken up with the back story of many minor characters and there’s a lot of dialogue and description. I certainly feel that some of the moment, such as those involving Sally, could have beeen shorn, as by all accounts these secondary characters don’t play a big part in the following novels.
As always, the battles are brought vividly to life, and COPPERHEAD is bookended by two such showdowns between North and South; as usual, Cornwell makes them extremely violent without making the violence gratuitous, and above all, utterly realistic. Characterisation is strong throughout and the tension runs high when Starbuck turns traitor and goes undercover, but it seems this series lacks the spark that makes the majority of the Sharpe books masterpieces.
September 23, 2021
A glimpse of American history that I am not familiar with. Once again, Mr. Cornwell do great job to humanize the drama behind it, although its just fiction. Well, personally I still prefer Sharpe series, but so far this series is satisfying my history craving sense.
Glad to see a familiar person here.
Glad to see a familiar person here.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 26, 2020
Continues the Nathaniel Starbuck story. 2nd book. I thought this one was weaker than the first. It was a segway? But that is not really fair. BC does these series as a continuous story, and I haven't read the second two books yet.
February 22, 2016
I love the series. My only complaint is a more generic one... why does all the good historical fiction from the Civil War happen from the perspective of the South? Why are we always stuck trying to empathize with the bad guys?
May 12, 2009
Stack the books like cordwood, Mr. Cornwell. I'll read them all.
May 20, 2018
Eric_W’s review says it best...
January 3, 2024
Segunda entrega de Las crónica de Starbuck, que mantiene una parte importante de la historia donde domina la ficción envuelto en un mundo frágil cada vez más hundido por la guerra junto a un buen testimonio de alguna de las batallas más relevantes que hubo en la guerra de secesión.
En Copperhead continuarán las peripecias de Starbuck, enfrentado a las posiciones de su amigo confederado que continuará con la intención de finalizar la guerra él solo, delante de la realidad que Starbuck está todavía más acosado, la mayoría lo ven como un espía del norte, que le llevará a tener que tomar decisiones complicadas para poder seguir con vida.
Esto permite que la trama principal de la historia gire entorno al espionaje en ambos bandos, permitiendo traer a las páginas más personajes históricos que en Rebelde. Los personajes de ficción ya fueron presentados, lo que permite jugar tanto con los principales como los secundarios para mostrarnos el juego de engaños que el sur sometía al norte, y como, personajes de importancia histórica tanto en la guerra como posteriormente, eran ridiculizados por los exiguas fuerzas del sur. Como nuevos personajes de ficción, totalmente secundarios, son la familia de un predicador del sur, contrario a la guerra al contrario que su familia, que permite mostrar todo el trabajo que hicieron, sobretodo en hospitales militares y las controversias existentes dentro de las familias.
Aprovechando la parte de ficción se hace más presente la vida militar a través de personajes históricos y no sólo de los personajes de la Legión Falcouner, acercándonos directamente a la vida marcada por el devenir de la guerra.
Bernard Cornwell sigue maravillando con su prosa, aprovechando los hechos históricos para introducir toda la ficción. Si Rebelde nos mostraba la inocencia de una guerra de “verano”, en Copperhead, nos muestra la ferocidad de las batallas, mucho más cruentas, poniendo a la mayoría de personajes delante de la realidad, una guerra dura, donde los compañeros mueren a diario y mostrando su lado más oscuro y despiadado en unos, y más temeroso y pusilánime en otros.
En Copperhead continuarán las peripecias de Starbuck, enfrentado a las posiciones de su amigo confederado que continuará con la intención de finalizar la guerra él solo, delante de la realidad que Starbuck está todavía más acosado, la mayoría lo ven como un espía del norte, que le llevará a tener que tomar decisiones complicadas para poder seguir con vida.
Esto permite que la trama principal de la historia gire entorno al espionaje en ambos bandos, permitiendo traer a las páginas más personajes históricos que en Rebelde. Los personajes de ficción ya fueron presentados, lo que permite jugar tanto con los principales como los secundarios para mostrarnos el juego de engaños que el sur sometía al norte, y como, personajes de importancia histórica tanto en la guerra como posteriormente, eran ridiculizados por los exiguas fuerzas del sur. Como nuevos personajes de ficción, totalmente secundarios, son la familia de un predicador del sur, contrario a la guerra al contrario que su familia, que permite mostrar todo el trabajo que hicieron, sobretodo en hospitales militares y las controversias existentes dentro de las familias.
Aprovechando la parte de ficción se hace más presente la vida militar a través de personajes históricos y no sólo de los personajes de la Legión Falcouner, acercándonos directamente a la vida marcada por el devenir de la guerra.
Bernard Cornwell sigue maravillando con su prosa, aprovechando los hechos históricos para introducir toda la ficción. Si Rebelde nos mostraba la inocencia de una guerra de “verano”, en Copperhead, nos muestra la ferocidad de las batallas, mucho más cruentas, poniendo a la mayoría de personajes delante de la realidad, una guerra dura, donde los compañeros mueren a diario y mostrando su lado más oscuro y despiadado en unos, y más temeroso y pusilánime en otros.
November 7, 2019
Copperhead is the second book of the series “The Starbuck Chronicles”. This historical novel was written in 1994 and describes the society and some historical facts of the American Civil War.
The fighting of the Starbuck’s family, who was divided by the war, is the guiding thread of the novel. Nate Starbuck is the main character and the one that gives the name to the novel, because Copperhead is the name given to the people that was born in the states of the Union and had fought with the Confederates.
What I ask me is why a writer like Bernard Cornwell writes a book about the American Civil War. The author, who has several best sellers, is one of the most famous British historical novel writers of the last thirty years and is very well known for different series that cover from the Prehistoric times until the Peninsular War. All related with the history of Great Britain.
For the lack of experience in novels related with the history of the United States, Bernard Cornwell might fail in the writing of a book related with the American Civil War, but the author creates again a good mixture of historical fact wrapped up in entertaining fiction.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the American Civil War, to comment something to improve, if the book contained more maps it would be easier to follow the plot in some chapters.
The fighting of the Starbuck’s family, who was divided by the war, is the guiding thread of the novel. Nate Starbuck is the main character and the one that gives the name to the novel, because Copperhead is the name given to the people that was born in the states of the Union and had fought with the Confederates.
What I ask me is why a writer like Bernard Cornwell writes a book about the American Civil War. The author, who has several best sellers, is one of the most famous British historical novel writers of the last thirty years and is very well known for different series that cover from the Prehistoric times until the Peninsular War. All related with the history of Great Britain.
For the lack of experience in novels related with the history of the United States, Bernard Cornwell might fail in the writing of a book related with the American Civil War, but the author creates again a good mixture of historical fact wrapped up in entertaining fiction.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the American Civil War, to comment something to improve, if the book contained more maps it would be easier to follow the plot in some chapters.
May 2, 2024
This is book 2 in the Nate Starbuck Chronicles. This is a Historical Fiction that takes place during the Civil War. I learned that the term "Copperhead" refers to a traitor between the north and the South. This is important as there is much of this going on in the story. As the war progresses, both of the main characters have been accused of spying...both are in danger. This tidbit adds to the adventure of the story. Are they guilty? Are they simply righteous? Have they been coerced against their will? You will have to read carefully to follow the events that will provide those answers.
The story has a lot of detail about various battles and the logistics surrounding them. I often got lost in the details. However, the story was still pretty exciting. I like how the characters are developed...some based on real people and others fictional. The author addresses this in his notes at the end of the story. The end leaves you wanting more as you follow the adventures of Nate Starbuck. (no relation to coffee lol, however, there are some interesting descriptions of what some coffee was made of!) I plan to read the other books in this series, so stay tuned!
The story has a lot of detail about various battles and the logistics surrounding them. I often got lost in the details. However, the story was still pretty exciting. I like how the characters are developed...some based on real people and others fictional. The author addresses this in his notes at the end of the story. The end leaves you wanting more as you follow the adventures of Nate Starbuck. (no relation to coffee lol, however, there are some interesting descriptions of what some coffee was made of!) I plan to read the other books in this series, so stay tuned!
July 8, 2020
The ineptitude of the North, the shallow arrogance of McClellan, and the well supplied but poorly fighting Northern troops, as well as the tactical strategies (especially blunders by the North) are vividly depicted. Richmond was surrounded, the path was open for military victory, and it was squandered by McClellan, thus prolonging the war (and the rise of "Granny Lee" to be the commander of the South). great tale, once again by the master.
The beloved Confederate Captain Nate Starbuck returns to the front lines of the Civil War in this second installment of Bernard Cornwell's acclaimed Nathaniel Starbuck Chronicles. It is the summer of 1862, and Nate has been bloodied but victorious at the battles of Ball's Bluff and Seven Pines. But he can't escape his Northern roots, and it is only a matter of time until he's accused of being a Yankee spy, pursued, and brutally interrogated. To clear his name, he must find the real traitor—a search that will require extraordinary courage, endurance, and a perilous odyssey through enemy territory. (
The beloved Confederate Captain Nate Starbuck returns to the front lines of the Civil War in this second installment of Bernard Cornwell's acclaimed Nathaniel Starbuck Chronicles. It is the summer of 1862, and Nate has been bloodied but victorious at the battles of Ball's Bluff and Seven Pines. But he can't escape his Northern roots, and it is only a matter of time until he's accused of being a Yankee spy, pursued, and brutally interrogated. To clear his name, he must find the real traitor—a search that will require extraordinary courage, endurance, and a perilous odyssey through enemy territory. (
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 31, 2022
I liked Cornwell's Sharpe and Grail Quest series and that's why I started this one. Spoilers ahead: The setting of this series is the American Civil War and follows a Northerner who fights for the South due to his friendship with a Southerner and that he's also estranged from his family.
The things that Cornwell do are great job of is all here: the setting, the history and the action scenes. He usually inserts his characters into history so we can follow along from a boots on the ground point of view. He also does a great job of writing a sympathetic character and supporting cast that I love to follow.
The things I don't like are elements of conflicts and villains who put the protagonist into a bad situation which the then has to crawl out of.
Another thing I noticed like that from the Sailing series is that the plot line usually not what I think it would be.
I'm halfway through the 3rd book in the series now and I'd have to say this second book is a pretty good continuation of the first book.
The things that Cornwell do are great job of is all here: the setting, the history and the action scenes. He usually inserts his characters into history so we can follow along from a boots on the ground point of view. He also does a great job of writing a sympathetic character and supporting cast that I love to follow.
The things I don't like are elements of conflicts and villains who put the protagonist into a bad situation which the then has to crawl out of.
Another thing I noticed like that from the Sailing series is that the plot line usually not what I think it would be.
I'm halfway through the 3rd book in the series now and I'd have to say this second book is a pretty good continuation of the first book.
September 18, 2023
While I enjoyed Copperhead much more than the first book in this series, Rebel, it still was a far cry from the quality in some of Cornwell's other series. There were two storylines ongoing: with Starbuck being drawn into some espionage spy craft and the main battles during the initial Peninsula Campaign of the Civil War. Unfortunately, the flow between these two storylines didn't connect and I had very little interest in the espionage angle. I wanted Starbuck in the heart of the battle as one of the defining characteristics of this character is that he loves being a Soldier and is so good at it. For all that, he took part in very little actual Soldiering until the Epilogue. The big action scenes were the big battles, yet the main character had almost nothing to do with it. Doesn't seem to be ideal storytelling. Yet for all this, I'm intrigued enough with the promise of the rest of the campaign to read the next in the series. So the campaigns of Starbuck and Truslow will march on.
November 1, 2025
I have read a lot of Bernard's books. What keeps me coming back is his gifted storytelling. This book does mot disappoint there! This book gets down to the brutal core of what the civil war did to many families. Philosophical differences caused some families to fracture, some members siding with the North, and some with the South. This book picks a pivotal time in the war, where if properly led, the North could have overrun the Southern army and ended the war. Saving thousands of lives, and shortening it by a few years! But it was not. The main character in the book has split loyalties, but is forced to make a commitment. The espionage element to the book made the story quite intriguing. I got a chuckle out of the character DeAth's name. Thats Bernard at his finest! I can now see why the book was titled Copperhead. You have to read it to see what I mean. The battle sequences were very intense and probably terrifying to those involved! A well written book worth the time invested!
August 7, 2018
Este é o segundo livro da tetralogia As Crónicas de Starbuck, que foi iniciada com Rebelde, onde acompanhamos Nate Starbuck, um nortista, mas que se encontra a combater, durante a Guerra Civil Americana, pelo Sul.
Sendo Nate, um jovem do Norte, acaba por ser considerado o traidor, sendo preso e torturado, apesar de sempre afirmar a sua inocência. E, nós leitores, sabemos sempre quem é o traidor e torcemos por Nate.
Já o disse por várias vezes, a escrita de Cornwell é de muita qualidade e os seus livros são excelentes, no entanto, são livros mais descritivos que poderão maçar algumas pessoas. Mas também, não há como negar, as descrições de cenas de guerra do Cornwell são sempre vividas e pouco recomendável a quem seja mais sensível.
Um ponto muito interessante, é termos a visão sobre a guerra de várias personagens.
Vejam também a minha opinião em vídeo, AQUI.
Sendo Nate, um jovem do Norte, acaba por ser considerado o traidor, sendo preso e torturado, apesar de sempre afirmar a sua inocência. E, nós leitores, sabemos sempre quem é o traidor e torcemos por Nate.
Já o disse por várias vezes, a escrita de Cornwell é de muita qualidade e os seus livros são excelentes, no entanto, são livros mais descritivos que poderão maçar algumas pessoas. Mas também, não há como negar, as descrições de cenas de guerra do Cornwell são sempre vividas e pouco recomendável a quem seja mais sensível.
Um ponto muito interessante, é termos a visão sobre a guerra de várias personagens.
Vejam também a minha opinião em vídeo, AQUI.
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September 2, 2024Book no.2 and we are settling into a pattern. Starbuck has developed some battle ‘smarts’, but he’s no Sharpe! What he is, is a likeable rogue (to most people), lucky, opportunistic and loyal to ‘his’ company in the Faulkoner Brigade, however much the newly minted General Faulkoner dislikes him. In this book the civil war in 1962 also settles in for the longer-term that me know, with 2 slightly disjointed battles. But that all takes a back seat to spies and secret services on both sides. We meet the cautious rebs ‘Granny’ Lee, who must raise his game as the war progresses, the yankee spy master Pinkerton (yes him) and General ‘Young Napoleon’ McClelland who must soon lose his reputation after such a poor pyrrhic victory on the Peninsula … when he manifestly failed to beat a much smaller Confederate army protecting Richmond.
So, as before, really interesting history, but patchy characters and plot ... but i'm darned if i'm going to stop reading the series now!
So, as before, really interesting history, but patchy characters and plot ... but i'm darned if i'm going to stop reading the series now!
March 18, 2021
A minor battle used for the book’s subtitle. Bernard Cornwell writes good battle scenes, but I just can’t get into the Starbuck Chronicles all that much. Nate Starbuck is fighting for a bad cause, the continuation of slavery. As a novelist, he can choose either side of the conflict and his history is accurate. I just don’t want Nate to succeed as he should have known better being from Boston. The only bright spot was the introduction of Colonel Lassan, who is the son of Richard Sharpe. The Sharpe series by Cornwell are a fight against the tyranny of Napoleon. The Starbuck Chronicles just make me want to see the destruction of the Confederacy and its rationale for existence. Perhaps Colonel Lassan’s inclusion will improve the series. Nate is always worrying about his damnation from his sins and that gets in the way of the story, in my opinion.
September 23, 2023
Great book! Believable characters, cracking storyline, thrilling action scenes and wonderful descriptive writing.
So why only a 4 star, not 5 star, rating? Well there is an odd section in the middle of the book. I won't spoil it for you, but it is as if a short story has been inserted into the middle of the novel. The first part and final part of the book work very well together and as part of the longer series of which this book forms a part. But then one character goes off on a side adventure which, although perfectly good in itself, does not seem to be a part of the whole. Maybe I am getting too picky!
Anyway, this is a massively enjoyable action novel set in the American Civil War. There is plenty of fighting, a bit of romance, some intrigue and a fast paced storyline. Typical Cornwell really.
Enjoy!
So why only a 4 star, not 5 star, rating? Well there is an odd section in the middle of the book. I won't spoil it for you, but it is as if a short story has been inserted into the middle of the novel. The first part and final part of the book work very well together and as part of the longer series of which this book forms a part. But then one character goes off on a side adventure which, although perfectly good in itself, does not seem to be a part of the whole. Maybe I am getting too picky!
Anyway, this is a massively enjoyable action novel set in the American Civil War. There is plenty of fighting, a bit of romance, some intrigue and a fast paced storyline. Typical Cornwell really.
Enjoy!
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