Darkness at Chancellorsville

The New York Times–bestselling author of the Battle Hymn Cycle recreates one of the Civil War’s most dramatic battles in this historical novel.

Centered upon one of the most surprising and dramatic battles in American history, Darkness at Chancellorsville recreates what began as a brilliant, triumphant campaign for the Union—only to end in disaster for the North. Famed Confederate Generals Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson bring off an against-all-odds surprise victory, humiliating a Yankee force three times the size of their own, while the Northern army is torn by rivalries, anti-immigrant prejudice and selfish ambition.

This historically accurate epic captures the high drama, human complexity and existential threat that nearly tore the United States in two, featuring a broad range of fascinating—and real—characters, in blue and gray, who sum to an untold story about a battle that has attained mythic proportions. And, in the end, the Confederate triumph proved a Pyrrhic victory, since it lured Lee to embark on what would become the war’s turning point—the Gettysburg Campaign (featured in Cain at Gettysburg).

“Compelling and elegantly written . . . [with] a passion for history, an appreciation of leadership, and respect for humanity.” —H. R. McMaster

“The narrative comes to life in one of the best-written battle sequences I’ve ever read.” —The Civil War Monitor