An enjoyable work of historical fiction focused on the role -- and effects --of black soldiers during the Civil War. I appreciated that the characters' attitudes are nuanced and conflicted when it comes to the issues that are dividing North and South, black and white, and even tragedy and triumph. ( )

If you like Civil War history or African American history, you should like this book. Allen B Ballard is a great story teller. This story presented a side of the Civil War that I was not very familiar with, African Americans that served in the military during the Civil War. It had interesting characters and historical settings. I was given a free copy of this book for an honest review and this was a great story. ( )

This is a story of how former slaves who fought for the Union during the civil war. Professor Ballard chose the 3rd U.S. Colored Cavalry(USCC) to tell the story is a great addition to our knowledge of how freed blacks fought for with their lives to preserve our union . Most of the actions depicted in the book are based on actual encounters with obviously some facts being changed to fit the story, but the out come of the events as it relates to the 3rd USCC are factual. ( )

I like books that take me back in time and give me a different way of looking at that part of history, unlike textbooks from school, which is mostly just facts. This book was a powerful look into the civil war through the eyes of black soldiers.

Interesting concept as the very thing they hated most in life, slavery, they were being forced to defend to keep by their owners forcing them into the confederate army. I could not even imagine what that must have felt like. That is one side of this story. The other side is on the union side where runaways and freed slaves fought voluntary.

My heart goes out to the characters in this novel. I could never have raised a whip or sold children from their parents. Slavery was just wrong on so many levels. However, it makes me pause in my thinking. Although it is morally wrong in my modern way of thinking, if I had been born a 'southern belle', and that's how I was raised and all I knew, would I have still felt that way? I guess what I'm trying to say is, I have so much compassion and tears for those long dead who suffered from the injustice of slavery, but a part of me also finds a small tug for the white women and children who knew no other way but were also put through all the hardships brought on by the war. Many of who were trying to be good to those they were charged with some even going so far as to help them escape. An excellent book and very well written. ( )