The Man Who Lived Twice

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Pub Date 28 Nov 2017 | Archive Date 03 May 2018

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Description

'The American Civil War threw up many heroes but none more intriguing than Colonel George St Leger Grenfell, the British cavalry officer who achieved legendary status in the Confederate Army. Having campaigned on four different continents with the wounds to prove it, this Cornish mercenary had a guilty secret. He was a wanted criminal who had bankrupted his own father!

In his critically acclaimed novel, The Man Who Lived Twice, David Taylor tells the enthralling story of a deeply flawed soldier of fortune and his romance with an American femme fatale. Matching Grenfell in courage and dubious morality, Rose Greenhow was a Confederate spy who used her sex appeal to winkle secrets out of Lincoln’s Cabinet. What she lacked though was his indestructibility. Grenfell somehow managed to survive a court's death sentence, a crucifixion by prison guards and drowning at sea before being erroneously declared dead. 

Through deft narration and pitch perfect dialogue, Taylor brings alive the brutal battlefields of the world’s first modern conflict and the memorable characters who made, marred and mythologised America’s post-war reconstruction.’

'The American Civil War threw up many heroes but none more intriguing than Colonel George St Leger Grenfell, the British cavalry officer who achieved legendary status in the Confederate Army. Having...


A Note From the Publisher

This is David Taylor’s third book. He is a former Guardian writer, Panorama reporter and presenter of several BBC2 series.

This is David Taylor’s third book. He is a former Guardian writer, Panorama reporter and presenter of several BBC2 series.


Advance Praise

"Did you devour Patrick O’Bian’s Aubrey-Maturin series, then cast about fruitlessly for a writer who could cast as deep a spell? Look no further! In David Taylor the same deep scholarship, informed with a deep sense of history as lives actually lived, and an obvious relish for the art and craft of war, makes you feel you are there, on those dusty US Civil War battlefields and slave plantations, just as you pitched and rolled in O’Brian’s wooden warships. Taylor’s protagonist/anti-hero has such an unbelievable back-story I had to google him to discover this black sheep/ mercenary/ gentleman/ con artist was in fact an actual historical figure. Through Taylor’s deft narration, we meet some of the most memorable men and women of the period. And where the novel parts ways with history and enters the paths of speculation, well, it may very well be how that remarkable life, and the lives he touched, played out. Un-put-downable!’ - Ms V Barker.

‘’An epic take by a born storyteller. David Taylor’s eye for detail and passion for historical context bring to life the dramatic adventures of a remarkable soldier of fortune. From English aristocracy to the battlefields of Tennessee in the Civil War, here are the forces and personalities that helped shape the American Century. As an added treat, there’s a ringside view of one of modern history’s most exotic and enigmatic characters.’ Steve Anderson. 

‘Knowing David as I do I expected the research for this wonderful novel, set in troubled times in nineteenth century America, to be impeccable. Every detail you know is spot on and the story riveting.’ - Rick Stein.

‘If a good historical novel is one that matches a gripping narrative with deep and convincing background research then this is a great one. It is also one that has you rooting for its main character, the Cornishman George Grenfell, despite the fact that he is a liar, a fraudster, an adulterer and a mercenary who fights to support slavery during the American Civil War. You do so because of David Taylor’s skill as a storyteller, and because of how vividly he portrays the raw realities of later nineteenth century America. The locations are real; so are the leading characters. And Taylor leads it all to a quietly satisfying and redemptive ending.’ - Mark Whitaker.

‘A superb book. It tells a compelling ‘un-put-downable’ story based on the life of the colourful and impressive Colonel George St Leger Grenfell who fought for the South in the American Civil War. It introduces a glittering cast of leading characters from the time and provides continual revelations about both them and the conflict itself. A brilliant holiday read. Entertainment and insight. Thoroughly recommended.’ - David Mills.

"Did you devour Patrick O’Bian’s Aubrey-Maturin series, then cast about fruitlessly for a writer who could cast as deep a spell? Look no further! In David Taylor the same deep scholarship, informed...


Available Editions

EDITION Ebook
ISBN 9781788033923
PRICE £2.99 (GBP)
PAGES 200

Average rating from 2 members


Featured Reviews

This book was a real surprise. I have never heard of David Taylor not to mention General Grenfell , the protagonist of Talylor’s novel . I love historical fiction but a lot of it is romantic drivel or poorly written history woven around a thread bare plot. Taylor’s novel about a dashin civil war general, his romantic life and his battle and political “fights” makes for an interesting and fast moving novel., one which, as they say, wears its history lightly. Highly recommended for something different and a new author to follow. Hope he writes more like this one!

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