US Historical Fiction/Civil War
Date Published: 05-13-2025
Publisher: Bariso Press
The soldiers did the fighting; the generals, the Infighting
In the waning months of the American Civil War, a delusional Confederate
commander makes a desperate attempt to change the course of the
South’s dwindling hopes by invading middle Tennessee. The tragic
result of Lt. Gen. John Bell Hood’s misplaced hubris devastates his
Army of Tennessee and alters the lives of the citizens of Franklin,
Tennessee.
In a historical novel reminiscent of The Killer Angels, Too Much the Lion
follows a handful of Confederate generals, infantrymen and local residents
through the five days leading up to the horrific Battle of Franklin on
November 30, 1864. The lives of soldiers ranging from Major General Patrick
Cleburne to Brigadier General Hiram Granbury and from Sergeant Major Sumner
Cunningham to Corporal Sam Watkins will be forever changed by Hood’s
decisions and mistakes.
Franklin civilians like apprehensive and loving mother Mary Alice McPhail
and teen Hardin Figuers, desperate to serve the Confederacy but too young to
enlist, are ensnared in the events that will bring death and devastation to
their very doorsteps. Devout Confederate Chaplain Charles T. Quintard must
reconcile his religious beliefs with his support of slavery. Slaves like the
elder Wiley Howard and the inquisitive young Henry B. Free are trapped on
the fault line between what has been and what could be.
Too Much the Lion offers an unvarnished account of the dying days of the
Confederacy in a powerful and moving narrative of honor and betrayal,
bravery and cowardice, death and survival. Told with poignancy and honesty
by an accomplished novelist, Too Much the Lion achieves for the Battle of
Franklin what The Killer Angels did for the Battle of Gettysburg, providing
a classic fictional account of one of the Civil War’s pivotal
encounters.
About the Author
Preston Lewis is the award-winning author of more than 50 western,
historical, juvenile, and nonfiction works. In 2021 he was inducted
into the Texas Institute of Letters for his literary achievements.
Western Writers of America (WWA) has honored Lewis with two Spur Awards,
one for best article and the second for best western novel. He has
received ten Will Rogers Medallion Awards (six gold, two silver and two
bronze) for written western humor, short stories, short nonfiction, and
traditional Western novel.
Lewis is a past president of WWA and the West Texas Historical Association,
which named him a fellow in 2016. He holds a bachelor’s degree
from Baylor University and a master’s degree from Ohio State
University, both in journalism. Additionally, he has a second
master’s degree in history from Angelo State University. He
lives in San Angelo, Texas, with wife Harriet Kocher Lewis.
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