The Bloody Ground

Rebel Major Nate Starbuck, hero of a number of Cornwell's popular novels about the Civil War, is assigned to command a disorderly battalion and to whip it into fighting shape. Narrator Ed Sala's gritty twang fits the story well. As the author dwells on personal conflict and characterization, so does Sala. Action sequences get no particular step-up of tension. In fact, Sala's narrative proceeds on an even keel no matter what the demands of the content at any given point. Yet, his sound, as of an eyewitness reminiscing while whittling by the cracker barrel, has a strong appeal. Y.R. (c) AudioFile 2005, Portland, Maine

Bostonian rebel Nathaniel Starbuck has been yanked out of his cherished Faulkner's Legion to lead a raggedy band of the Confederacy's worst soldiers into the Battle of Antietam. While turning his group of cowards, sneaks, murderers, and drunks into a strong fighting unit, Major Starbuck rediscovers his own courage and earns yet more respect among his Southern comrades. Tom Parker's strong, clear voice moves easily from bloody battlefield to military intrigue, from rough soldier to educated attorney, employing a number of dialects throughout the story. His characters for the most part clearly distinguish themselves from each other. Parker's women receive a lighter touch, although their part in the story is minimal. The bloodiest battle in the Civil War comes to life in Parker's expert narration. R.P.L. (c) AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine