Rifles for Watie

Fascinating look at the Civil War as fought in the Western territories.

I've never read a book about a soldier in the middle of a war. Jeff Bussey is just a boy, but he decides to enlist in the Union Army during the Civil War. He longs for fighting. Time after time, he gets whisked away to other duties while the other soldiers fight. Finally, he is set up against the Southern Army and he finds it is not the glorious adventure he thought it would be. He makes an enemy of his commander and has to fight not only the Southern soldiers, but his own commander. Jeff is selected to infiltrate the Southern Army and to bring back information to the Union soldiers. He ends up spending many months with the Southerners and finds they are not so different from his Union friends.

My son has raved about this book for years. It was a very powerful book that I am happy to have finally read.

Great historical fiction about the Civil War and gives you a better understanding on why both sides were fighting and it was so much more than just slavery. Slavery isn't even the biggest issue like has been drilled into your head as a child. The only thing that bothers me is the ending didn't seem finished. I wanted to know what happens with him and Lucy.