THE FIRST BATTLE OF MANASSAS (OR BULL RUN AS NORTHERNERS call it) was fought much as described in Rebel, though the novel ignores some tough but scrappy fighting that filled the gap between the retreat of Nathan Evans’s half-brigade and the first engagement of Thomas Jackson’s Virginia Brigade, and it ignores the presence of Jeb Stuart’s cavalry on the battlefield, though in this battle, as in most of the big set-piece engagements to come in the War between the States, the cavalry was unimportant to the outcome. First Manassas was won by infantrymen, and it was Shanks Evans, who really did have a “barrelito” of whiskey on constant tap, whose timely maneuver saved the Confederacy, though it was “Stonewall” Jackson whose name became famous that day and whose statue still dominates the hilltop where he earned his nickname. Around nine hundred men died on July 21, 1861, and at least ten times as many were wounded.

The battlefield has been marvelously preserved by the National Park Service. The visitor center on the Henry House hill offers a splendid introduction to a site that is well signposted and explained, and is an easy drive from Washington, D.C. There is no Faulconer County in Virginia, nor was there a Faulconer Legion in the state’s service.

About the Author

About the Author

BERNARD CORNWELL is a native of England, where he worked as a journalist in newspapers and television. In addition to Rebel, Copperhead, Battle Flag, and The Bloody Ground, the four novels in the Nathaniel Starbuck Chronicles, he also wrote the bestselling Sharpe series, featuring the adventures of Captain Richard Sharpe of the British Army in the wars against Napoleon, which has been dramatized for television by Masterpiece Theatre; the Warlord Chronicles, about Arthurian England; Stonehenge: 2000 B.C., a Novel; and The Archer’s Tale. A resident of the United States for fifteen years, Bernard Cornwell now lives with his American wife on Cape Cod.

Praise for
Bernard Cornwell’s
REBEL

“Starbuck is a worthy hero, smart enough to be interesting, callow enough to be real. Virginia is a great stage, teeming with Confederate and military politics, and the battle scenes, when they come, are presented with real mastery. They hurt.”

—Kirkus Reviews

“Dandy…. Its attention to the real events of First Manassas is careful and persuasive, maintaining drama without sacrificing accuracy. A good piece of work.”

—William C. Davis, Civil War historian and author of Jefferson Davis: The Man and His Hour

“Highly recommended.”

—Library Journal

Praise for
Bernard Cornwell’s
THE NATHANIEL STARBUCK CHRONICLES

“The most entertaining military historical novels…. Always based on fact, always interesting…always entertaining.”

—Kirkus Reviews

“Fast-paced, well-written, and very entertaining…. A must-read for Civil War enthusiasts.”

—Orlando Sentinel

“Highly successful.”

—The Times (London)

“Fast-paced and exciting…. Cornwell—and Starbuck—don’t disappoint.”

—Birmingham News

“A top-class read by a master of historical drama. Nate Starbuck is on the march, and on his way to fame.”

—Irish Press

OTHER BOOKS BY BERNARD CORNWELL