Book review – An Eye for Glory: The Civil War Chronicles of a Citizen Soldier by Karl Bacon

Full disclosure is in order: I met Karl Bacon (the author of this book) at the American Christian Fiction Writer’s conference in Dallas. I spent a thoroughly enjoyable weekend with Karl and my good friend Larry W. Timm. I now consider Karl to be a good friend as well. He’s a marvelous man with a heart for Christian writing and an immense depth of character.

I was intrigued not because of my love for history, nor for my fascination with how people I meet in the Christian writing world match up to their books. (It has been my experience that the books are a pretty good reflection of the man or woman. You can see that their hopes and wishes are in the pages as much as they are in their face as you talk with them in person.) No, my interest was because of Larry’s effusive praise and solemn reflection on the book. It had touched him deeply.

And, I confess, An Eye for Glory: The Civil War Chronicles of a Citizen Soldier has had the same impact on me. I just finished the book within the last hour. It as an absolutely haunting, beautiful, skillfully written, and loving account of a man’s journey through war and its aftermath. Karl has captured the Civil War at a new level. I could taste the dust on the march. I feared the next barrage of musket fire. I knew the loss of comrades. And it all came from this talented man’s imagination and understanding of human nature.

Karl has written a thoroughly Christian journey in his pages. Michael Palmer is the main character and we see him grow from green recruit to … well, read the book.

It is a book of wounding and salvation. There is no way that a thoughtful man or woman can read this book and not be brought to the brink of tears. It is that beautiful. I am eagerly awaiting Karl’s next book.

Maybe review is not the word for this post. Perhaps “Fanboy-mancrush” would be in order? Or, “Oh, I wish I could write that well” might sum it up.

I’ve read well over 5000 books in my life and it’s safe to say that this book is in the top 20. I think Karl will forgive me for saying that it’s a lovely and elegant read. There is a fair amount of violence in the book, but then you would expect that in reading about a conflict that tore our nation asunder. Head over to Amazon and get a copy today. You won’t regret it.

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