Rebel (The Starbuck Chronicles #1)

Bernard Cornwell is awesome. I have been reading only his books this winter, finish on, start the next. I just started Excalibur, the only thing I get so annoyed with Arthur and his do-gooder attitude, I would like to get into the rhetoric and slap some sense into him, but I suppose that is exactly what Cornwell has in mind. Once you pick up one of his books...you will be definitely hooked.

Following the evolution of Nate Starbuck from an impetuous young man into a slightly less impetuous, more responsible person, he discovers he is a naturally gifted and respected leader and gives readers a more compelling story. Sometimes you groan "oh, not again Nate, but stay with it. Keeps getting better. It is B. Cromwell so you know it will and doesn't disappoint.

I have read most of Cornwells published Production, and i am usualy left With an urge to read the rest of the series, but not this time. It`s historical setting is detailed, and takes me back to another time, but thecaraters tih time does not carry the story further.
Ok for passing time, but nothing compared to Sharpe, the Grail Quest, or Agincourt.

AND HE COULD HAVE DONE MUCH BETTER. HE SHOULD STICK TO THE NAPOLEONIC WARS, OF WHICH HE HAS MORE ACCURATE HISTORICAL KNOWLEDGE, AND LEAVE THE CIVIL WAR TO AMERICAN HISTORIANS.

Had I to do this over again, I would give it a pass.

I enjoy historical novels that successfully immerse me into the atmosphere of the times being described. This is why I have enjoyed the novels of Georgette Heyer, Ivo Andrić, Ismail Kadare, and also one or two, set in the past, by Peter Carey (especially “Parrot & Olivier”). I suppose the Southern African novels of Wilbur Smith also fall into this category.

“Rebel” is the second of Bernard Cornwell’s novels that I have read. Set during the opening moments of the American Civil War, this is a superb piece of historical fiction. Not only does it cleverly explore the mind-sets of the Northerners and the Southerners, but it creates an utterly vivid and believable series of images of the era. Each character has both allegiance to his side and also to his or her personal interests. The novel is populated by real people, even though few of them actually existed. Most of the characters in the tale are credible and all are beautifully portrayed. The interlinking plots twist and turn, keeping up the reader’s interest without letting it flag. The descriptions of the battle scenes left me with a taste of gunpowder and smoke in my mouth.

Although based on what appears to have been detailed historical research, this novel is never dry or scholarly. It does what a good historical novel should: it brings history to life.

Review by author of "Rogue of Rouxville"

I enjoy historical novels that successfully immerse me into the atmosphere of the times being described. This is why I have enjoyed the novels of Georgette Heyer, Ivo Andrić, Ismail Kadare, and also one or two, set in the past, by Peter Carey (especially “Parrot & Olivier”). I suppose the Southern African novels of Wilbur Smith also fall into this category.

“Rebel” is the second of Bernard Cornwell’s novels that I have read. Set during the opening moments of the American Civil War, this is a superb piece of historical fiction. Not only does it cleverly explore the mind-sets of the Northerners and the Southerners, but it creates an utterly vivid and believable series of images of the era. Each character has both allegiance to his side and also to his or her personal interests. The novel is populated by real people, even though few of them actually existed. Most of the characters in the tale are credible and all are beautifully portrayed. The interlinking plots twist and turn, keeping up the reader’s interest without letting it flag. The descriptions of the battle scenes left me with a taste of gunpowder and smoke in my mouth.

Although based on what appears to have been detailed historical research, this novel is never dry or scholarly. It does what a good historical novel should: it brings history to life.

Review by author of "Rogue of Rouxville"

I am quite a fan of Bernard Cornwell , one of the great historical novelists of today,. his books are both easy to read and difficult to put down, I have not yet read the Sharpe series, but have read the Saxon Chronicles, The first book in the Warlord Series, the Grailquest series,Stonehenge and the historical detective novel, Gallows Thief.
This book, the first in The Starbuck Chronicles did not disappoint. It is both grittingly realistic and exciting. It explains how Nathaniel Starbuck, the son of a fiery anti-slavery preacher, (who treated his own children no better than the slaves he championed)came to fight for the Confederacy It traces Starbuck's development from a less than confident seminary graduate to a crack soldier. It brings the American Civil War and the America of the time to life, focusing on characters from across the social spectrum.
Starbuck serves the father of his best friend, Washington Faulconer, a wealthy Virginian landowner who raises the Faulconer legion, various other friends and foes populate the novel including the antagonist Ethan Ridley, who Starbuck vows to murder following his cruel betrayal of the beautiful girl from a humble background Sally Truslow.
The narrative in interesting and it is a treat for every history buff and a vivid tale of men at war, with detailed and gory battle scenes

I love Civil War novels and have read quite a few, but I couldn't get past a misspelling of "Cincinnati" early in the book. (Perhaps I was reading an older paperback edition). The prose was beautifully written with an erudite choice of words. I could not find a connection or interest in any of the characters. I felt jilted that all those pages were used simply to set up the next book. It was an awfully long story that ends with the first major battle of the Civil War. I did not feel the storyline was resolved sufficiently here, yet I was not compelled enough by this book to read the next book in the series.

In Bernard Corwell's "Starbuck Chronicles" Cornwell does everything right, succeeding IMO in writing the best historical fiction ever written on the subject of the American Civil War - Yes even better then John Jake's "North and South", or "The Red Badge of Courage"
Cornwell's greatest success probably is his amazing detail and great historical accuracy in desribing the war. What i probably found most impresive was his great detail in desribing battles such as Bull Run and Antietam - every sentence kept me captivated and this detail alone is reason enough for anyone interested in the war to read each and every book in the series cover to cover. You will hard pressed to find anything either fiction or non fiction that does a better job giving you a total mental picture of the battles portrayed in the series (i was especially impressed with the great detail desribing the battle of Antietam)
As with the other historical and political aspects of the civil war Cornwell addresses everything, the struggle of freedom over slavery plays a pivotal role in the series and throughout Cornwell's novels he does a great job of accurately portraying nearly every pivotal political and military figure central to the eastern theater of the civil war.
For those of you woried that the series may be to much history, not enough story put your mind at ease. Not only does Cornwell succeed in writing one of the best accounts of the war ever written he gets an "A" grade when it comes to the story as well.
Cornwell delivers one of the most memorable cast of characters ever. Just to give you a little background, without giving to much away the main character Nathaniel Starbuck (Son of a fictional famous abolitionist) arrives in Richmond, Virginia just as news arrives of the siege of Fort Sumnter. Through a series of events Nathan finds himself fighting for the South out of simple gratitude to the father of his best friend.
While the first book "Rebel" ends after the southern victory at Manassas (Bull Run) the rollercoaster of emotions, fitting the events that surround the characters really comes into being in the following books.
Do yourself a favor and pick up a copy of "Rebel" and read this series - you won't be dissapointed. It isn't often that i read the same book more then once but i've read each book in the series at least several times, they're that good.
I dearly hope that one day Bernard Cornwell will do us the favor of completing this incredible series.

This is a realistic look at the outset of the Civil War, fought by two armies of untested amateurs led by inexperienced officiers, all sure they can win in a day, attain glory, and go home to their families.

Nate Starbuck, son of the North's most fiery abolitionist preacher, has fled Yale Divinity School to run off with an actress who dumps him in Richmond just as Virginia secedes. He can't go home, but meanwhile is taken in by his college roommate's father, Washington Faulconer, one of Virginia's richest men.

Faulconer is raising his own regiment for the upcoming war, while his son Adam is a pacifist seeking reconciliation between North and South. Faulconer hopes to enlist the fierce Thomas Truslow, a notorious up-country bandit, as he may bring other good fighters with him. Meanwhile Faulconer pads his upper ranks with his own ineffectual schoolmaster brother-in-law Thaddeus Bird, and his daughter's fiance, the social-climbing Ethan Ridley. Starbuck must decide where his loyalties lay, as those around him decide whether they trust him and which side of the battlefield he belongs on.

As the battle looms, Faulconer angles desperately for postwar glory, but his legion's place in the Southern military hierarchy is uncertain. He lavishly outfits his men, overloading them with gear, while paying little attention to the essentials of war. With the battle about to be joined, he can't even find a way to get them to the front.

The novel builds somewhat slowly as Cornwell creates the milieu of just-barely-antebellum Virginia, but picks up with the introduction of Truslow, Sharpeian in his low origins, his can-do persona and his ability to see through society's smokescreens to the heart of matters. Cornwell does a fine job depicting the first major battle, that known as Bull Run or Manassas, with all the confusion inherent in a brand-new country's just-thrown-together army. He also gets just right the North's mix of sanctimony and overconfidence on a day when society folk ride out from Washington with picnic lunches to watch a battle they presume will be a rout.

Sharpe fans will enjoy his treatment of a similar 19th century battle, where thousands of soldiers first experienced the blood and chaos of battle. (Cornwell uses many of his distinctive Sharpeian touches, including killing off a young innocent almost as soon as the fighting begins.) The Faulconer Legion is fictional but placed at a key point in the historical battle, where an undermanned Southern unit must hold off a shrewd and potentially catastrophic Yankee thrust towards the Confederate rear.

This is a Civil War historical novel that takes place from around the time of Fort Sumter to the first Battle of Bull Run. It's a little different from other books I've read in this genre in the sense that the main character (Starbuck) is from Boston and ends up joining a Confederate unit. Aside from being close friends with the son of the Virginia aristocrat forming the unit (pretentiously called a "Legion"), the reason for his unusual decision to fight for the south wasn't clear to me. Although his father is a staunchly abolitionist, fire and brimstone minister, Starbuck doesn't seem to voice any strong opinions about slavery or states rights. It always left me wondering what motivated his decision. Otherwise, the plot was interesting and believable. Major historical figures such as Robert E. Lee and Joseph Johnston have cameo roles, but don't have a central part in the story. The author successfully avoided the trap of trying to work his fictional characters into crossing paths with every real historical figure and participating in every actual event of the era, which usually yields a silly and implausible plot.

Most people will associate Bernard Cornwell's writings with the adventures of Richard Shape, both in Spain/France and more recently in India. Rebel is set at the start of the American Civil War, yet has many of the themes of the Sharpe books, the soldiers life, incompetent officers, sergeants to be won over, a love interest and the occasional internal dialogue reflecting the thoughts of the main figures. Cornwell brings his vast literary talents and depicts a Virginia of 1861 that is on the verge of a destructive and bloody war. His writing is what you would expect of an author who fine-tuned his military fiction over a whole series of musket and shell novels.
Nathaniel Starbuck is the son of a northern abolitionist preacher. Hailing from Boston he finds himself caught up in the turmoil of a Richmond - capital of the Confederacy - which seems intent on war. Saved from tar and feather at the hands of a war hungry mob by his friends father - the rich and egotistical Washington Faulconer - Starbuck enlists in the Faulconer Legion and marches off to war against his home - the North.
This is a good book and I enjoyed it a great deal. However, where I think Cornwell excels are in his descriptions of battle scenes. Unlike Sharpe who is usually thrown into battle within the first pages, Starbuck does not experience battle until the end of the novel. This is not to the detriment of the book, but it is worth bearing in mind if you are expecting a total replica of Richard Sharpe.
The battle in question is First Manassas or Bull Run in the North (the confederates usually named battle sites after the nearest inhabitation, whereas the Federals usually used the nearest geographical landmark). Cornwell writes with skill and enthusiasm of the battle, which reflects his obvious extensive research of the subject matter, for example, his depiction of the vulgar Confederate Colonel `Shanks' Evans is wonderfully graphic and historically correct. Often the events can seem confusing to read, not because of Cornwell's writing but rather because First Manassas was confusing! So be prepared to be propelled right into the heart of the battle, the musket smoke, the crash of the shell, the whine of the shot and the gasps of the dying.
Bernard Cornwell has written four `Starbuck' novels and it is reported that the question he dislikes the most is when will number five come along. There is no doubt that Sharpe is both his first love and indeed proves to be more lucrative but Starbuck is equally well written, good to read and hopefully deserving of further adventures.

For a different type of Civil War story I recommend "Rebel" by Bernard Cornwell. "Rebel" is the story of a lackluster seminary college student from Boston, MA finding his true calling in life as a soldier. Part of a four book series set, "Rebel" is book one of the Nathaniel Starbuck Chronicles. The story is set in ante-bellum Virginia right before the Civil War is in full swing.
The hero Nate Starbuck is a northerner who decides to fight for the Confederacy. His reasons are not specifically stated but we can infer that he is rejecting his family's way of life and rebelling against both his nation and his repressive father. Starbuck decides to join his friend's father's legion as a second lieutenant. Prior to the war, Starbuck has shown little aptitude for any other trade and he hopes that soldiering is his true calling. The battle of Manassas (or the first battle of Bull Run) is Starbuck's proving ground where he shows his budding talent.
Very much like Cornwell's Sharpe series, Starbuck is a little too good to be real and that's what makes "Rebel" so fun to read. Interestingly enough Cornwell gives lots background about Starbuck, more than he has shared about Sharpe in any of his Sharpe stories. I think it is unusual that Cornwell's hero Starbuck selected the South to pledge his allegiance, he is after all a northerner born and bred. Perhaps It is Cornwell's way of illustrating how far Starbuck is rejecting his old way of life.
Nevertheless, I found the novel very entertaining and recommend it to readers who look for high adventure and exciting stories. It is hard to find fault with any novel by Bernard Cornwell. He is an excellent story-teller and he can write. I would recommend "Rebel" to readers who enjoy wars/battles and don't mind a few facts getting lost along the way.

Nate Starbuck is a naive young Northerner who, gets involved with a young actress who persuades him to steal money from their employer and flee South. Once the lovebirds reach the Southern states, Nate discovers that the love of his life has snookered him. Unable to return North to his Puritanical father, Nate decides to join the legion being formed by a wealthy landowner Washington Falconer.

Nate's desire to become a soldier allows him to befriend a crew of odd characters like Major Bird, Truslow and Sally Truslow. Nate himself grows from being naive and guiless, to a rather self-sufficient young man. His adventures (and mis-adventures), are entertaining and gratifying.

My main and only problem with "Rebel" is that I found myself not really LIKING Nate Starbuck as much as I wanted to. Nate's a bit selfish in pursuing the things he wants, isn't particularly loyal to his family, and is rather self-indulgent. (Granted, Nate is young and irresponsible), but he seems to lack a moral compass and I wanted Nate to be a tad more heroic. Also, his motivations for fighting for the South, aren't strong. The desire to "Spite his father" seems immature to me.

Overall, this is a great series, sure to please fans of historical drama... But I just wish Nate were a bit of a nicer guy. I would've enjoyed the story even more.

When an established author gives a blurb to another up-and-coming one, no one imagines that the established author will benefit. But here's a case when he did. I've been a fan of James L. Nelson's sea-faring adventures since the beginning of his "Revolution at Sea" series. I snatched up Nelson's latest book, "Glory in the Name," and was not disappointed. The guy just keeps getting better and better. When I was done, I scanned the blurbs on the book and saw that Bernard Cornwell called it the best Civil War novel he'd ever read. I thought, well, if his judgment is that good let's try him out.
Again I was not disappointed. Cornwell's Civil War series is fast and exciting. Some of what the other reviews, here, say are pretty fair. These are full ahead adventures without a lot of heavy characterization. These aren't historical essays disguised as fiction, but really the descendents of the best historical-adventures in pulp fiction of the thirties and forties. I would like to see a Civil War hero from the North someday, but I guess its more interesting for the author to follow the "lost cause" and the underdogs. Of course, with the generalship the North suffered under till Grant came on board, there should be enough suffering and angst for any storyteller. Until then, Bernard Cornwell tells a good tale and writes blurbs for good books.

Rebel is the first book in Bernard Cornwell's acclaimed Starbuck Chronicles. Rebel follows the adventures of Nate Starbuck the son of a radical Bostonian abolutionist in Virginia at the beginning of the Civil War. Nate ran away from home with an actress, arrived in Virginia and was promptly dropped by the woman. He is saved from a tar & feathering by one George Washington Falcouner a wealthy member of the Virginia aristocracy. From there, Nate joins the Confederate Army and is involved in the Battle of Bull Run. During the course of this book, Nate goes from being a timid PK to becoming an able soldier and officer. Despite it's difference in time period, the Starbuck Chronicles follow a pattern in Cornwell's writing. Most of Cornwell protaganists are men (and women) who don't fit in with the company they find themselves keeping. Richard Sharpe is a common man who becomes an officer to the chagrin of the aristocracy, Derfel from the Warlord series is a Saxon keeping company with Britons, Thomas of Hookton from the Grail Quest series is the illegitamate son of a priest, and Starbuck is a northerner fighting for the South. If one were to just pick up Rebel and read it, the taut battles scenes and interesting characters are certainly worth it, but if you have read all of Cornwell's books, the character seems a little redundant. Overall however, Cornwell keeps his excellent attention to historical detail and writes a book that is interesting and enjoyable.

Starts out extremely slow, but builds up steam like a locomotive, and never stops. Very interesting characters, some get their due, while others will hopefully get theirs in the next 3 books in the series. Cornwall's character development is second to none; his protagonists have flaws and inner conflicts, while the villains are simply awful. I always find myself praying that the villains meet a suitably horrible end, and Cornwell rarely disappoints. His older books are just as good, if not better than the new ones, so don't be afraid to go back into the 80s to pick out one of his novels.

Bernard Cornwell is one of the best writers of historical military fiction around. In this one he takes on the civil war with all the description of men engage in killing each other on an open field that he is famous for from the Sharpe novels. Nate Starbuck is a Yankee rescued from a Southern mob at the beginning of hostilities. He joins a Southern regiment prior to the battle of Mannassas (Bull Run to you Yankees) and fights through the campaign with his school mates. Cornwell puts you right in the battle, as regiments double time into the line to exchange rifled musket fire with the enemy. It is a heady day for the South, whose soldiers believe the war all but won after this battle. They are wrong, and Starbuck and his companions are in for a long war of attrition.

I enjoyed this book. I read all of the Thomas of Hookton books by Cornwell and I really liked middle aged themed books I hated it. Thomas was impossible to hurt. His arrows hit everything and his tactics always worked and killed thousands of enemy (i waaay to gross detail ALL ALL the time) This book showed Nate as real. He had flaws. The ending included. I was worried about the end when Stonewall Jackson showed up but still I like the book. I HATED Thomas of Hookton. It seemed like I was supposed to hate the French just because. Instead I was rooting for them! In this book I felt I was on the losing side of a war but started to understand what it was like. Farm boys becoming Sargent, etc. I will read the next.
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Bernard Cornwell is a great author and he shows it in this series about Nathaniel Starbuck and the Civil War in the USA in the 19th century. Europeans are not 'up to scratch' with this part of American history, but when they read Rebel they get a marvelous insight in what happened during those years of a devastating war. 'Rebel' is a good story about a slightly naive boy who gets himself mixed up in the Civil War and ends up at the 'wrong' side of it, due to his stubbornness and vengefulness with regard to his 'Northern' family (especially his father.) Beware, if you appreciate the first book you cannot but want to read the rest as fast as possible.

In addition to all that's been said about the battles, I have to say that there is much of comic genius in this book. Thaddeus Byrd is one of the funniest characters on paper (paper worth more than what it is printed upon indeed). His blustery apprehension of the cracked world is as winning as it is side-splitting. His tenderness in considering his young wife make you love him. His achievement of presence in the Battle of Manassas is a remarkable development. As a Southerner, I have to say the Cornwell gets it right. It is very rare that anyone except Southerners get the details of Southern sensibility correct. And generally Southerners themselves are quick to hide behind a mask of pleasant amusement. But the bravado, insecurity, breeding, manners, and style of the South are perfectly laid out in the writing of this novel. I for one did not find the battle to be the heart of the novel. Rather, I found it to be the development of Faulkner, the braggadocio of a self-made man, the epitome of the South, and the revealing of his spineless nature. Mind you, I have living relatives name Robert Lee and John Davis. And the original name on my own birth certifice was Stonewall Jackson.

Cornwell is a master of the epic battle. Whether he's depicting the shield wall of Saxon warriors or the artillery of the U.S. Civil War, his narratives are graphic without being morbid, and gripping. He is at once an historian and a storyteller. I had to get accustomed to seeing modern British English idioms -- "but nor" is one that comes to mind -- dropped into dialogue and narrative.

I've enjoyed reading Cornwell's series of Civil War novels (the Starbuck series). I recommend them, however, only with certain reservations.
These books are best approached as works of pure fiction that are set against approximations of history. People who read them either as an introduction to or as an adjunct to a study of actual history need to be wary here. Cornwell is a novelist, not an historian. Usually he gets the facts right; sometimes he does not. He freely invents major characters and events, and there are places where he alters established historical fact to suit his fiction. The result can be confusing.
For example, in _Copperhead_, Cornwell has Johnston hatching the battle plan for the Seven Pines offensive all on his own. That's not the way it happened. What's known about what did happen is far more interesting than Cornwell's altered and simplified version of events.
The second bone I have to pick with Cornwell's Civil War books, is that people who have read his previous novels (the Sharpe series) will find the many of the same characters and themes recurring in these. The characters here are somewhat less one-dimensional, but they're still transparent and predictable. The dialog is better.
As an historical novelist, I would spot Cornwell somewhere between Patrick O'Brian and the Shaaras (Michael and Jeff). He's not as good a novelist as O'Brian; he's not as good an historian as the Shaaras. On the other hand, he's almost as good as all of them combined. Not quite, but almost.
For those looking for the best Civil War novels, I would read these only after first reading the Shaaras' trilogy and The Red Badge of Courage. If at all possible, I would then read them alongside more carefully written accounts of the historical backgrounds.
That said, this is an excellent series of books. It will hold your attention and give you a fairly accurate impression of the sorts of things that really did go on back then. The facts are somewhat loose, but the final impression you'll get will not be.

After having read all of Cornwell's Sharpe series including the recent book "Triumph", I was eager to begin the Starbuck series. I was somewhat dissapointed in the story and the main character. Starbuck lacks the conquering hero qualities of Sharpe. Starbuck comes from a good background and becomes corrupted in the novel. What appealed to me about the Sharpe series was how the hero triumphed over odds and in the course of the stories became a better person from his experiences. Although he was still a flawed hero, Sharpe was coming out of the dirty pit he had lived in so long. Starbuck is the exact opposite and seems to edge further into the gutter as the book progresses. The book begins very slowly and can quickly lose the readers interest. I was fortunate and did not give up reading this book and was eventually rewarded by a large battle at the end that truly showed Cornwell's tallent for detailing a battle. The book was a bit longer than most of Co! ! rnwell's other works. I will probably read the rest of the series in a vain attempt to satisfy my Sharpe withdrawls but will not nearly enjoy them as Cornwell's other work. I am hoping that the rerelease of redcoat will give me what I am looking for.

Nate Starbuck is a traditional hero in the mold of Derfel Cadarn and Richard Sharpe! Bernard Cornwell has created a character unique from his other characters, but still struggling to be the best soldier he can be. The story of Nate Starbuck is an odyssey of a man being cast out from his life, and finding in himself a new life. Nate is a failure in everything he does, and the Civil War gives him the opportunity to become a soldier. This is a great book, and I can't wait to read the others in the series. Here is another hero I can care about!

I cannot rate this book without talking about the brilliance of the whole series. Cornwell takes you from your reading room, and teleports you back to a simpler time. And you find out that it's not so simple. Set against the backdrop of the Eastern Theatre in the American Civil War, he portrays the massive carnage and greatest bravery in minute detail. You actually hear the cannons, and smell the rotting flesh of the wounded. Yet, the main plot does not take place amongst the gunfire outside. But, rather, within. It is a story of a soul, and his struggle with God, man, who he is, and what he stands for. Amidst the shouting, crying, blasting, and dieing...is a poor heart, searching for peace. I found Cornwell's protrayal of Nate Starbuck to be no less than perfect. I found myself rooting, questioning, hoping, and praying for this fictional character. For, I saw myself in Nate. The same questions, fears, and desires. When done, I walked away from this story with a different outlook on life, liberty, and what's truly important. As will you.

One of my favorite writers of historical fiction kicks off his Civil War series with this remarkably tepid tale. A number of flaws make themselves manifest over the course of the book, the foremost of which is an unlikable hero. Cornwell seems to have decided to take the hero of his wildly successful Napoleonic era series, Richard Sharpe, and make his new hero come from the exact opposite background. Unfortunately, while one is naturally inclined to root for an orphaned, gutter-bred, ill-mannered rogue who rises through the ranks due to sheer merit, one is much less likely to root for the privileged scion of a Boston abolitionist preacher who joins the Confederate forces as an act of rebellion against his strict upbringing! Indeed, while Sharpe grows and learns a little in each book, the only thing Starbuck seems to learn in this first volume is to devalue human life! Indeed, his overall transformation seems rather forced.
It doesn't help that Cornwell appears to be creating the same setups as in the Sharpe series, giving his hero a dangerous and loyal sidekick, a passel of idiotic officers, with one or two sprinkled in who recognize the hero's value. There's even a tempting woman to lead all the men astray! It's also rather slow and plodding compared to the Sharpe books, although granted, it appears to be designed more as a prelude to the series than anything else.
The story follows 20ish Nate Starbuck, as he enlists in a local Confederate force being mustered by the fabulously wealthy and dangerously vain father of his best friend. The book sees the slow build to war, as the "Faulconer Legion" equips and readies itself, before finally getting into action at the Battle of Manassas (aka Bull Run 1). The battle/action scenes are adequate, but not as gripping as his Napoleonic stuff. I suspect this may be because the Civil War is more familiar to us Americans�we've seen it in print, on TV, in film, even reenacted!�whereas the Napoleonic battle has the allure of something new.
As always with Cornwell, there's a ton of interesting little details, and various historical figures popping in and out of the plot. He does seem to play rather loose with a number of facts, but it is fiction after all. I'll read the next in the series, but this one was a serious disappointment for this Cornwell fan!

In "Rebel" we meet for the first time one Nathan Starbuck(whos last name is a mystery to me.) Like all Cornwell books you need a sidekick and Nate gets one in Sergant Turslow(the American ansewer to Patrick Harper). The book as are all(or most Cornwell books is excellently crafted with lots of detail and even interspured with humor. This serise of books is one of the finest Cornwell has ever written.

Having read Cornwell's 'Sharpe' series on the Napoleonic Wars (which were great), I found this 'o.k.'. I know it's allot of preparation and ground work for the rest of the series, but seems many thing repetitive in the narrative.

In 1993 Bernard Cornwell began one of his first series to actually be completed. This book gives new insight into the American Civil War, which is an interesting series to write, considering Cornwell is a native of England. Nevertheless, this series, entitled The Nathaniel Starbuck Chronicles, presents a new and different viewpoint of the Civil War, specifically from the Confederate point of view. Ironically, Starbuck himself is a Yankee.

In this first book, the reader is introduced to Nathaniel Starbuck, a soldier who has defected to the Confederate South because of a lady, and yet he is short-changed, soon finds himself about to be tarred and feathered, but then is saved by a friend. Without further ado, Starbuck joins up with the Confederate army, and while he has had little experience in warfare, having been educated in theology at Harvard, he has promise, and when push comes to shove, Starbuck unsurprisingly delivers. Yet Cornwell has not created a common stereotype in Nathaniel Starbuck, and at the end of the first book, there is still a lot to be learned about this enigmatic Yankee.

Originally published on November 4th, 2002.

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I have read other books by Cornwell and this book was better than any of the Sharpe series or others. The characters have depth, the story life and the settings are well documented and researched. As a former soldier myself, I can say that it is a great representation of men at war and the conflicts they face.

I agree with the other reviewers. Cornwell can write a battle story like no other. His accounts are detailed, believable, and factual.

Rebel was a very good book. It was not on the same level as the King Arthur books, but it was interesting and the story was good. You will find Nate Starbuck in a similar role as Derfel and Thomas of Hookton.

I recommend this book to fans of Bernard Cornwell.

Mr. Cornwell is most famous for, I believe, the Richard Sharpe series of books, which I must say I enjoyed very much. But as I am a Civil War Reenactor and hold the War, the South, and those who fought in the War, very close to me heart, I can not compliment this book on the basis that it is unoriginal and fails to take into account not only new motives for fighting as it does the difference in combat of the era.

This is Richard Sharpe all over again, man comes up from the bottom of society with the helo of some powerful people and the Army and is in a constant battle with people who want to put him down, its the 1800's all over again and it simply wont do for a completely different era of combat and culture.

This notion of an officer coming up from the ranks was great for early 19th century British army, as it was a career Army. But the Civil War lasted 4 years so this whole notion of an Officer coming up from the ranks and still using a musket and not being able to shake his old enlisted style, is rather absurd. Especialy in the South, this could possibly happen in Northern Armies but not in the South, officers WERE Gentlemen and most of the time vice-versa.

Its not only that the notion, as stated, is absurd, but the fact that Cornwell glorifies it is even worse. Now I know he's just playing on our like of the underdog, but in the South and Officer was a Gentlmen and should act like one, so this refusal to act like a proper Southern gentlemen, event hough he is from the North, just doesn't work for me. And we wonder why all his supieriors try to put him down.

The combat scenes also just don't work for me. New style of combat, and through the war it gets progresivly bloodier and more horrible (Wilderness anyone?) so this early 1800's aproach to combat just doesn't work in the world of 1860's warfare.

To be fair though, Mr. Cornwell provides a good read, Its just me being the big CW guy that I am I can't stand to see it misrepresented, maybe its because he's a Brit? Or a Bostonian (I think) for that matter (just kdding kind of....) I just personaly think Cornwell should stick to what he writes best - British Historical fiction mainly.

This is an exciting novel of the Civil War. There is a somewhat weak beginning, with lots of redundancy and unusual word selection (what is a "plump street?") but the final 100 pages are so good (the battle scenes)that I almost gave it 5 stars despite the problems. Starbuck is a highly unusual hero, but quite believable in his weaknesses. A-.

I find it interesting that Cornwell chose to write his story from the Confederate standpoint...nowadays many stories are told from the northern perspective. Being a current student of history, I think that it's important (even if the main character and some of those he interacts with are fictitious) that people acquaint themselves with truths from both sides. We should not be afraid of the past...however awful some events may have been, they nevertheless happened and are now part of our history. I enjoyed this book not only for looking at the "other" side, but because of Cornwell's descriptive ability...his account of the Battle at Manassas is about 80+ pages long and captures the smallest details. A very worthwhile read.

This is a wonderful series of books covering the civil war from the Southern viewpoint through the eyes of a Yankee sympathetic to the Southern cause through highly stretched circumstances!!! Superficial at best, enthusiasts will be left wanting. When one knows the author is British, one wonders why he would try to write this historical fiction when he has no feel for the genre...and it shows; it lacks feeling.

As a Cornwell fan, and a Civil War enthusiast, I believed that I would enjoy the Nathan Starbuck series, of which "Rebel" is the first. I was disappointed. First there are certain inaccuracies concerning the time period and the conflict. This in itself is not fatal, but is somewhat surprising coming from such an accomplished and proven author. Second, I found it hard to route for the main character. He is simply shallow and boring. At the end of the first book, I was only beginning to understand his primary motivation. Then I found I could not sympathize with him. That is fatal in my thinking.

Cornwell does a good job in describing the conflict at Bullrun, yet is a little short with the important role that "Stonewall" Jackson played. Still. the author is a master in describing battles and armed conflict.

I have read five of Cornwell's books. This is the only one so far I would not have given 4 or 5 stars.

The "Starbuck" series is my favorite Bernard Cornwell series after the Sharpe books. I really don't understand the few reviewers who liked Sharpe but didn't particularly care for this. The action and adventure are pretty much the same, i.e.., exciting, well-written, and suspenseful, the characters engaging, and the history is well-researched and accurate. If you liked the Sharpe books, you'll enjoy the Starbuck chronicles as well. Highly recommended.

Rebel by Bernard Cornwall was one of the best historical fiction books that i have ever read. I recently finished this book and i enjoyed it so much that that very night i started to read the second book in teh satrbuck chronicles Copperhead. Rebel is filled with fascinating characters, suck as Truslow the un rifined backwoodsman who even though he hates Yankees befreinds starbuck and even helps him at the end of the book. The battle scenes were amazing.

I was hopping that this fictional account of the civil war will have the same riveting battle scenes and in-depth account of the human struggle as the war escalated, but it was quite disappointing. Starbuck and all the other characters are two-dimensional. Also the future of how each characters turn out by the end of the novel is quite predictable. Therefore, I know I wouldn't be reading the second book.

I have not had the opportunity to read any of Bernard Cornwell's other books but I can assure you that I will start after I finished this novel. Cornwell creates a story that is truly believable while not sacrificing the true historical happenings of the Battle of Bull Run. Although, at times, I was lost trying to figure out how much time had passed between certain scenes, I thought it did lend a bit of fluidity to the confusing aspect that war is. This is a particularly good book if you are looking to learn about the Civil War while enjoying an well woven tale.

IM A CIVIL WAR BUFF AND I TOOK A CHANCE ON THIS BOOK DESPITE THE FACT THE HERO IS A CONFEDRATE AND THE RISK WAS WELL WORTH IT. THE CHARCTERS ARE MULTI DIMENSIONAL AND MR CROMWELL HAS A GREAT WRITING STYLE THAT MAKES HISTORY COME ALIVE. I RECOMMEND THIS BOOK HIGHLY.