Coal Black Horse, Robert Olmstead

One of my favorite authors is Cormac McCarthy, he’s a master of noir.  I’m telling you this because I think if he wrote a book about the Civil War, it would be this book.  Olmstead uses lush, fiery language to describe one of the most horrible battles ever experienced by Americans- Gettysburg, through the eyes of a 14 year old boy.  With this masterful telling you experience the depravity and cruelty that surrounds the battlefield and the lengths the boy, sent out to find his father, goes through to survive; his actions are balanced against love, loyalty and family.  This is a terrific book, but it’s not for the faint of heart.