The Falcon

I have been reading Civil War fiction for over 50 years, and I can scarcely if ever remember reading a book that did the subject more justice than did Mr. Hicks' work. "The Falcon" is remarkably good history; indeed, the book is accurate down to the smallest details regarding American life in 1861. It is also an intriguing "whodunit," weaving an intricate pattern of deception and revelation. Finally, it brings to life characters that are engaging and totally believable.

"The Falcon" reminds us that with the nation in peril at the start of the Civil War, thousands of men from across the North came together in common cause to try to save the nation.

I am confident that anyone who reads his work will come away with a greater understanding and appreciation of the Civil War generation. Dr. Donald C. Elder III, Professor of History at Eastern New Mexico University author of A Damned Iowa Greyhound: The Civil War Letters of William Henry Harrison Clayton and Love amid the Turmoil: The Civil War Letters of William and Mary Vermilion

Praise for Volume One of William Hanlin's Civil War, The Ceremony of Innocence:

." . . a very promising start to an overdue series on the real Civil War . . . the point of view and voice are very well done . . . " Richard Slotkin, The Long Road to Antietam, 2 time National Book Award finalist.

." . . funny, poignant, completely different from the standard Civil war book . . . it appeals on many levels . . . visual, visceral with wonderful dialogue, it would make a great TV series along the lines of Boardwalk empire . . . James Marshall Reilly, Shake the World

." . . a unique blend of detective-style noir and civil war history . . . Hicks draws the reader in quickly with character-driven drama that also manages to be darkly comical. William Hanlin, the soldier and state's attorney, tells the story though a first-person narrative that is compelling, and weirdly funny. . . a great ride- funny, cutting, and intense, with a terrific central character. Nate Fey, The Whiskey Predicament