Donald mccaig is the awardwinning author of jacobs ladder designated the best civil war novel ever written by the virginia quarterly. A story of virginia during the winner of the michael shaara award for excellence in civil war fiction a civil war saga that resonates with the bitter glory and human shame of the confederacy. Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read. Donald mccaig was the awardwinning author of jacobs ladder, designated the best civil war novel ever written by the virginia quarterly.
The case provided the seed of a plot that mccaig spent six years developing into a sprawling, 525page novel, jacob s ladder, that traced the history of the war through the recollections of a. Jacobs ladder by donald mccaig book cover, description, publication history. As a novel, as history, as literary elegance, this book has it all. Winner of the john esten cooke fiction award from the military order of the stars and bars. A story of virginia during the war kindle edition by mccaig, donald. A story of virginia during the war expecting a gone with the wind or even a north and south youll be disappointed. Jacob s ladder story of virginia during the civil war, mccaig 1998 novel. Everyday low prices on a huge range of new releases and classic fiction. Jacob s ladder, lauded by the virginia quarterly as the best civil war novel ever written, is an epic tale that resonates with all the bitter glory and deep human shame of america s greatest war.
Jacobs ladder is a civil war epic, a love story that pits the indomitable longing of the human heart against circumstances of racism, slavery, and war. Oct 10, 20 what is revealed to the viewer at the end of jacobs ladder that the entire story following the opening scene of vietnam war combat has been taking place in jacobs mind as he lies on the operating table in a field hospital fighting for his life. Donald mccaig wrote about rural american life, sheepdogs, and the civil war. Imagine a collaboration between shelby foote and margaret mitchell and you get some idea of the historical irony and passion that inform this fine literary novel, which captures the full sweep of the civil war in virginia.
Mccaig spent six years developing into a sprawling, 525page novel, jacobs ladder, that traced the history of the war through the. Common knowledge book awards michael shaara award for excellence in civil war fiction book awards. Jacobs ladder, lauded by the virginia quarterly as the best civil war novel. We are climbing jacob s ladder also known as jacob s ladder is an african american slave spiritual based in part on the biblical story of jacob s ladder. Jacobs ladder is a civil war epic, a love story that pits the. On grailor fortune, ratherpremier danilaw views the approach of the jacob s ladder with dread. Behind the diplomatic niceties of firstcontact protocol, he knows that the deadly game being played is likely to erupt into fullblown war even civil war.
Nov 22, 2018 donald mccaig, who enjoyed success with historical novels, books about border collies and two authorized followups to gone with the wind, died on nov. Jacobs ladder, an absorbing civil war epic, leads new. Hundreds of years ago, the colony ship jacob s ladder was launched from the dying earth by a fanatical religious cult in order to colonize a new world. Donald mccaig is the awardwinning author of jacob s ladder designated the best civil war novel ever written by the virginia quarterly. Mccaig, who is perhaps best known for jacobs ladder, his awardwinning civil war novel published in 1998. Widely acclaimed, with comparisons to margaret mitchell and shelby foote, jacob s ladder is a rich and poignant novel. The new york timesbestselling author donald mccaig has established an expansive literary career, founded equally on books on working sheepdogs and the civil war novels jacob s ladder and rhett butler s people, the official sequel to gone with the wind. Virginia novelist who wrote gone with the wind sequel.
A story of virginia during the war by donald mccaig 1999, paperback at the best online prices at ebay. The book depicts the hardship, and deprivation that florry and mart endured in their young lives and travels yet it also reveals their resilience in the face of adversitythe constant will to survive. A popular children s toy for centuries, this ladder is made of wooden planks and fabric connectors. Donald mccaig, awardwinning chronicler of rural life and civil war.
Winner of the michael shaara award for excellence in civil war fiction a civil war saga that resonates with the bitter glory and human shame of the confederacy. In 1934, a wpa writer interviewing 90yearold marguerite omohundru, former. From ken burns 1990 documentary the civil war this stunning spiritual of that era by bernice johnson reagon. As a novel, as history, as literary elegance, this.
A novel of the civil war in which a young southerner impregnates a black slave. A story of virginia during the war by donald mccaig. Lauded by the virginia quarterly as the best civil war novel ever written, jacob s ladder resonates with all the bitter glory and deep human shame of americas greatest war. Nov 18, 2018 writer donald mccaig chronicled sheepdogs, the rural life and the civil war, writing novels that included an authorized sequel to gone with the wind. A story of virginia during the civil war by donald mccaig from amazon s fiction books store. One cant help but admire an author who barges into an arena already overcrowded. Reminiscent of cold mountain and gone with the wind, a civil war saga of a virginia plantation family fulfilling its unforgettable destiny. A story of virginia during the war by donald mccaig book resume.
Gracefully written by a talented craftsman and one of the betterresearched novels ive seen in some time, the tale of maggie and duncan awaits new readers. The book blurb seems to promise a love story superimposed over the american civil war, its not really true. Novels set in the american civil war the modern novel. Against the epic canvas of the civil war, the people, black and white, of one. Donald mccaig, veteran who chronicled rural life and civil.
A story of virginia during the civil war donald mccaig on. Donald mccaig a story of the interlocked lives of masters and slaves before and after the civil war, based on the recollections of. The american civil war has always served as an irresistible magnet for fictional accounts of families struggling with questions of basic survival in a landscape torn asunder. Donald mccaig a novel of the civil war in which a young southerner impregnates a black slave. Mccaig, in the afterword, claims that, in the book, jacob s ladder, he attempts to depict the south during the civil war as accurately as possible, giving his readers a possible glimpse at the way life in. In 1911, young jacob ossetsky meets and falls in love with marusya kerns, an aspiring actress. His interest in local history led him to write jacobs ladder 1998, a richly detailed civil war novel set in virginia. Winner of the michael shaara award for excellence in civil war fiction a civil war saga that resonates with the bitter glory and human shame of the confederacy jacob s ladder is a civil war epic, a love story that pits the indomitable longing of the human heart against circumstances of racism, slavery, and war. In ludmila ulitskayas sprawling novel jacobs ladder, a newlywed jewish.
People magazine raved think gone with the wind, think cold mountain. A story of virginia during the civil war by donald mccaig from amazons fiction books store. Details about jacob s ladder story of virginia during the civil war, mccaig 1998 novel. Jacob s ladder a story of virginia during the war by donald mccaig. Jacob s ladder jacob s ladder is a civil war epic, a love story that pits the indomitable longing of the human heart against circumstances of racism, slavery, and war. Michael shaara award for excellence in civil war fiction. Jacobs ladder, an ancient generational ship, finally comes to the end of its thousandyear.
The novel follows the members of three white families and their black slaves. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. This multigenerational russian saga covers the period from 1905 until 2011. Flip the top panel and watch it cascade down the ladder.
A story of virginia during the war, published by w. Michael shaara award for excellence in civil war fiction book awards by cover. The michael shaara award for excellence in civil war fiction is an annual literary award awarded to the writer of a work of fiction related to the american civil war. A story of virginia during the civil war historical. The book nook on wyso is presented by the greene county public library with additional support from washingtoncenterville public library, clark county public library, dayton metro. But as historian ive come to realize that there are no known quilts in this pattern dating back to the days of the civil war or to the decades before the war when the underground railroad flourished. The american civil war has always served as an irresistible magnet for fictional accounts of. Grail is the conclusion to bears jacobs ladder trilogy, begun in dust and continued in chill. The new york timesbestselling author donald mccaig has established an expansive literary career, founded equally on books about working sheepdogs and the civil war novels jacob s ladder and rhett butler s people, the official sequel to gone with the wind. Having read or listened to several civil war themed books over the past 18 months or so, i sort of feel like i have fought all over northern virginia. Gone with the wind prequel coming in october the new. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading jacob s ladder. It follows the protagonist jacob through his struggles to escape from another world without memories of his past.
Provided to youtube by nonesuch we are climbing jacob s ladder bernice johnson reagon the civil war o. The modern novel home page my lists home page novels set in the american civil war. A story of virginia during the war donald mccaig, author w. A large, ambitious, carefully researched novel tracing the impact of the civil war on a virginia slaveowning family, their neighbors, and their slaveswith enough melodrama and subplots to fill several books. The new york timesbestselling author donald mccaig has established an expansive literary career, founded equally on books about working sheepdogs and the civil war novels jacobs ladder and rhett butlers people, the official sequel to gone with the wind. A story of virginia during the civil war by donald mccaig duncan gatewood, seventeen and heir to gatewood plantation, falls in love with maggie, a mulatto slave, who conceives a son, jacob. Jacob eventually joins the army during wwi but, in the 1930s, he is exiled by the soviet government. He imagines his life extending a few years into the future, working at the post office.
A story of virginia during the civil war mccaig, donald on. The jacob s ladder trilogy is a science fiction series by elizabeth bear. Donald mccaigs meticulously researched novel brings more than two sides to the blue and the gray, and wellrounded characters abound. Winner of the michael shaara award for excellence in civil war fiction, the john eston cook award, and the boyd military. April 1, 1998 a large, ambitious, carefully researched novel tracing the impact of the civil war on a virginia slaveowning family, their neighbors, and their slaveswith enough melodrama and subplots to fill several books. The films protagonist, jacob, is a vietnam veteran whose experiences prior to and during the war. Florry and mort struggle to survive the hardships of the depression in florida. His 1998 novel, jacobs ladder, and his 2008 novel, canaan, won the michael shaara award for excellence in civil war fiction. Dog our travels, trials, adventures, and epiphanies donald mccaig. Mccaig, in the afterword, claims that, in the book, jacobs ladder, he attempts to depict the south during the civil war as accurately as possible, giving his readers a possible glimpse at the way life in mid19thcentury virginia might have been, before moralists and other revisionists colored history with their presentday viewpoints. Vallely the american civil war has always served as an irresistible magnet for fictional accounts of families struggling with questions of basic survival in a landscape torn asunder. A story of virginia during the civil war donald mccaig 0393337103 9780393337105 duncan gatewood, seventeen and heir to gatewood plantation, falls in love with maggie, a mulatto slave, who conceives a son, jacob. It won the michael sharra award for civil war fiction and the library of virginia award for fiction. Jacob s ladder is a civil war epic, a love story that pits the indomitable longing of the human heart against circumstances of racism, slavery, and war.
To ask other readers questions about jacob s ladder, please sign up. To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up. Duncan gatewood, seventeen and heir to the gatewood plantation, falls in love with maggie, a mulatto slave, who conceives a son, jacob. Jacob s ladder is a 2005 young adult novel by british author brian keaney.
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