About David H. Jones
David H. Jones was born and raised in West Virginia and has been a lifelong student of the Civil War. His research took him into the swamps of Dinwiddie County, Virginia, to rediscover the lost location where a pivotal event in the book took place. A graduate of Kentucky Military Institute and Babson College, former Navy officer, and entrepreneur, he currently lives and writes in Los Angeles, California.
Book Video
Welcome to my website. I'm delighted to have the opportunity to introduce you to my historical novel, Two Brothers - One North, One South, published by Staghorn Press and scheduled for release in February of 2008.
My immersion in the Civil War experience began many years ago when I heard family stories about ancestors who fought to preserve the Union. Thus inspired, I read a number of books about this transformational event in our nation's history. Later, as a gun and edged weapons collector, I became very familiar with the implements of that bloody struggle.
Finally, a decade ago, I commenced in-depth genealogical research and discovered many fascinating details about my great grandfather, Jacob Eckess, who served as a private in the 10th West Virginia Infantry, and my great great grandfather, James Touchstone, who was a Lieutenant and Quartermaster of the 6th Maryland Infantry.
In the course of studying James Touchstone's regiment, I discovered Major Clifton Prentiss, his Confederate brother, William, and the underlying facts of Two Brothers.
I realized that it was a story that had to be told.
Please visit About the Book for more details and Media for reviews, press releases, author appearances, and downloadable photos.
REVIEW EXCERPTS:
"Unforgettable characters . . . well worth investing the time to read it. Civil War buffs and anyone interested in the history of our great country, and what helped to mold it into what it is today, will relish this book . . ." - Beverly J. Rowe - MyShelf.Com - June 2008
" . . . a highly dramatic and original storyline . . . meticulously researched for maximum believability. The characters in Two Brothers read very real, because they are . . . a wonderful read that will appeal to history buffs on both sides of the Mason-Dixon Line." - Michael Aubrecht, Historian & Author, Pinstripe Press Blog - June 2008
"A Civil War Novel Out of the Ordinary . . . a novel firmly based upon fact and not merely melodramatic invention." - 5-Stars - Bruce Trinque - Top 500 Amazon Reviewer - January 2008
"Much in the Vein of The Killer Angels . . . a truly remarkable work of Historical Fiction . . ." 5-Stars - Alan Rockman - Top 100 Amazon Reviewer - January 2008
"A rarity! Good historical fiction! . . . Eminently readable with a good flow and timing . . . Unforgettable characters . . . well worth a leisurely read . . ." 5-Stars - Scott L. Mingus, Sr. - Charge! ACW Gaming Newsletter - January 2008
"Jones makes good use of this source material, crafting a novel with strong appeal for military history buffs." - Nanette Donohue - Historical Novel Society - February 2008
"The 'brother versus brother' theme in American Civil War fiction is by no means new, but David H. Jones breathes new life into it . . . Jones’s characters are real-life Civil War soldiers who fought on opposing sides . . . Jones hit a gold mine when he discovered this family of Union and Confederate soldiers for his story." - Jill Celeste - Curled Up With A Good Book - February 2008
"If this were pure fiction it would be a compelling read. The fact that it is historically accurate makes it a must read. Surely this book is a film waiting to be produced" - 5-Stars - R.H. "Bo" Hitchcock - February 2008
"If you are a Civil War buff, make room on your shelf for this one; if you love history, you don’t want to miss this one and if you love an incredibly moving story indulge yourself by reading Two Brothers: One North, One South." - 5-Stars - Diane Snyder - Armchair Interviews - February 2008
". . . a highly charged emotional rendering. We rated this touching novel five hearts." - Bob Spear - Heartland Reviews - March 2008
“… Jones expertly tells the tale of a Maryland family driven apart by the Civil War.” The author does a masterful job of taking the historical characters and events and filling in the gaps in the historic timeline with completely believable events . . .” - 5-Stars - Rob Ballister - author of God Does Have A Sense of Humor - March 2008
The Sesquicentennial of the American Civil War
A few years hence, the 150th Anniversary of the American Civil War will provide a grand occasion during which we can reflect on what the historical event should mean to us.
I’m certain that the enthusiasm for this Civil War observance won’t match the level of unabashed infatuation experienced by many Americans during the Centennial; for better or worse, we aren’t the same country that we were in the early 1960s. Nevertheless, it’s important that we understand how the war forever changed our great nation. For real insight into this transformation, we must grasp mid-nineteenth century perspectives as we contemplate the participation of unionists, secessionists, African Americans, and women during the conflict.
This broad spectrum of human experience was confronted when I researched, then wrote Two Brothers: One North, One South. It’s the story of Clifton and William Prentiss of Baltimore, their fellow soldiers, civilian friends, and acquaintances. Closely based on real people and actual events, the novel follows these characters from early 1861, before the war began, until mid-1865, after its conclusion. Walt Whitman encountered the Prentiss brothers at Armory Square Hospital and later eulogized them in Memoranda During The War, thereby commemorating the sacrifice that each made for his cause. Whitman became the navigator of their story in Two Brothers.
While Whitman’s fervent support for the Union and his abhorrence of slavery never wavered, his devotion to visiting wounded soldiers of both the North and South furnished him with a unique perception of patriotism and courage. His intuition is revealed in this passage of The Wound Dresser:
(Arous’d and angry, I’d thought to beat the alarum, and urge relentless war,
But soon my fingers fail’d me, my face droop’d and I resigned myself,
To sit by the wounded and soothe them, or silently watch the dead;)
Years hence of these scenes, of these furious passions, these chances,
Of unsurpass’d heroes, (was one side so brave? the other was equally brave;)
As we approach the sesquicentennial of a war in which 600,000 American deaths were suffered, the poet’s words should be remembered and embraced. Walt Whitman was right. Many of the participants were unsurpassed heroes: Federal and Confederate soldiers; women on the home front whose role in society was forever changed; and African American soldiers who fought for the Union to achieve dignity and freedom.
They were, one and all, American patriots.
In my view, we have much to celebrate during the Civil War Sesquicentennial.
Please also visit these related websites:
6th Maryland Infantry Descendants Association
2nd Maryland Fifes & Drums
Pamplin Historical Park & National Museum of the Civil War Soldier
Petersburgbreakthrough.org
Green-Wood Cemetery Historic Fund
Book Video Painting by Don Troiani
Book Video Music by After Class
Military Writers Society of America
Audio Book Download
Please contact the author, David Jones, for the access code.
AN INTERVIEW BY BEST SELLING AUTHOR TV HOST REY YBARRA
LA TIMES BOOK FESTIVAL
