Too Much the Lion
by Preston Lewis
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Pub Date May 13 2025 | Archive Date May 18 2025
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Description
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.
Available Editions
| EDITION | Paperback |
| ISBN | B0DTGYWYBN000 |
| PRICE | $19.95 (USD) |
| PAGES | 395 |
Available on NetGalley
Average rating from 9 members
Featured Reviews
Ron B, Reviewer
A well-done novel of the Civil war from the Southern perspective. The book is fast-paced and full of action. The author does a tremendous job of weaving in many of the generals and soldiers that fought in the South's last attempt to win in Tennessee. The impact on not only the soldiers but some of the civilians was intriguing. The story will grab and hold your interest. My only drawback for the book was I wish there had been some storylines on the Northern troops that were there as well. But that said, it was a great book, and I highly recommend it.
Thank you to #NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
Karen S, Reviewer
The life and times, as well as the horrors and realities of the Civil War, are encapsulated in this fictional account of the Battle of Franklin, Tennessee.
TOO MUCH THE LION by Preston Lewis is a compelling historical novel of the days leading up to, the results, and aftermath of this tragic battle during the closing days of the American Civil War at Franklin, Tennessee. A battle that shouldn’t have been fought; it cemented the Confederate loss and changed the course of life for thousands.
The novel presents the stories of generals, soldiers, and the residents of the area as they prepare for the fateful clash between an exhausted and undersized Confederate army against an entrenched Union force many times its size. Lewis gives readers an insider’s view into every angle of the tragic events, and it is an emotional and draining vision, with all the inevitability of watching a train wreck unfold. What sets this recounting apart from others of its kind is the portrayal of the participants; the author brings these people to life.
I recommend TOO MUCH THE LION to readers of historical fiction and Civil War stories.
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