Grant Comes East - Hardcover

Gingrich, Newt; Forstchen, William R.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0312309376 ISBN 13: 9780312309374

Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books, 2004

Synopsis

Grant Comes East, the second book in the bestselling series by Newt Gingrich and William R. Forstchen, continues the story of a Confederate victory at Gettysburg. The first book examined the great "what if" of American history: Could Lee have won the Battle of Gettysburg? A Confederate victory, however, would not necessarily mean that the Southern cause has gained its final triumph and a lasting peace. It is from this departure point that the story continues in Grant Comes East, as General Robert E. Lee marches on Washington, DC, and launches an assault against one of the largest fortifications in the world.

Across 140 years, nearly all historians have agreed that after the defeat of the Army of the Potomac at Gettysburg, the taking of Washington, DC, would end the war. But was it possible?
Lee knows that a frontal assault against such fortifications could devastate his army, but it is a price he fears must be paid for final victory. Beyond a military victory in the field, Lee must also overcome the defiant stand of President Abraham Lincoln, who vows that regardless of the defeat at Gettysburg, his solemn pledge to preserve the Union will be honored. Lincoln will mobilize the garrison of Washington to hold on no matter what the costs.

At the same time, Lincoln has appointed General Ulysses S. Grant as commander of all Union forces. Grant, fresh from his triumph at Vicksburg, races east, bringing with him his hardened veterans from Mississippi to confront Lee.

What ensues across the next six weeks is a titanic struggle as the surviving Union forces inside the fortifications of Washington fight to hang on, while Grant prepares his counterblow. The defeated Army of the Potomac, staggered by the debacle dealt at Gettysburg, is not yet completely out of the fight, and is slowly reorganizing. Its rogue commander, General Dan Sickles, is thirsting for revenge against Lee, the restoration of the honor of his army, and the fulfillment of his own ambitions, which reach all the way to the White House. All these factors will come together in a climatic struggle spanning the ground from Washington, through Baltimore, to the banks of the Susquehanna River.

Once again, Newt Gingrich and William R. Forstchen create a brilliant story of how the Civil War could have unfolded. In Grant Comes East, they use their years of research and expertise to take readers on an incredible journey.

About this title

From the Inside Flap

Praise for Gettysburg

"Well-executed alternative history. The authors show thorough knowledge of the people, weapons, tactics, and ambience of the Civil War. A veritable feast. The novel has a narrative drive and vigor that make the climactic battle scene a real masterpiece of its kind."
- Publishers Weekly

"Gingrich and Forstchen write with authority and with sensitivity."
- St. Louis Post-Dispatch

"[Gettysburg] is believable and beautifully written...every bit as good as Michael Sharra's The Killer Angels. Not only do Gingrich and Forstchen bring the characters to life, and often horrible death, but they do so with memorable observations on the ways of war and vivid, technically accurate descriptions of frightful Civil War combat."
- The Courier Journal (Kentucky)

"An eye-opener...filled with gore, smoke, heat of battle, and a surprise ending. The writing is vivid and clear. A ripping good read."
- Washington Times

"Two respected historians, one horrific battle---and the challenging question of 'what if?' Sure to become a Civil War classic to be read and remembered."
- W. E. B. Griffin, author of Final Justice

"Gettysburg is a creative, clever, and fascinating 'what if' novel that promises to excite and entertain America's legions of Civil War buffs."
- James Carville

"As historical fiction this stands beside The Killer Angels. As an alternative history of Gettysburg, it stands alone. The mastery of operational history enables the authors to expand the story's scope. The larger-scale, more fluid battle of Gettysburg described is internally consistent, a logical consequence of the novel's challenging major premise. The narrative is so clear that the action can be followed without maps. And the characters are sometimes heartbreakingly true to their historical originals."
- Dennis Showalter, former president of the Society of Military Historians

From the Back Cover

FROM THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHORS OF GETTYSBURG--
A NOVEL ABOUT THE CHOICES THAT SHAPED A WAR--
AND CHANGED HISTORY ITSELF...

GRANT COMES EAST
In their runaway bestseller Gettysburg, Newt Gingrich and William Forstchen answered the Civil War's ultimate hypothetical question: What if Lee's army had won the victory within its grasp at Gettysburg in 1863? Now, through the same extraordinary research and brilliant character studies, we take the next step of a provocative journey: The Army of Northern Virginia is poised to invade Washington, D.C.. A besieged Lincoln calls on a general with a drinking problem to save the Union. And in the East, Ulysses Grant faces a storm of calamity and rivalry--and a war on the verge of being lost...

In this extraordinary book, the battlefront and home fronts come alive through the eyes of ordinary soldiers and such little known characters as General Herman Haupt, commander of the U.S. railroads, and the politician turned soldier General Dan Sickles--a political arch-enemy of Grant's. As the best of plans are undone, and every strategy countered by another, GRANT COMES EAST builds to a stunning portrait of the war that was--and the war that might have been...

"Colorful and imaginative historical fiction."
--Washington Times

"Passages of genuine depth and poetry."--The Charlotte Observer

About this edition

• Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books
• Publication date: 2004
• ISBN 10: 0312309376
• ISBN 13: 9780312309374
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 400