On the day the first shots of the Civil War were fired, a mob in
Richmond clambered on top of the Capitol to raise the Confederate flag.
Four years later, another flag was raised in its place while the city
burned below. A thirteen-year-old girl compared the stars and stripes to
"so many bloody gashes." This richly detailed, absorbing book brings to
life the years in which Richmond was the symbol of Southern independence
and the theater for a drama as splendid, sordid, and tragic as the war
itself. Drawing on an array of archival sources, Ashes of Glory portrays
Richmond's passion through the voices of soldiers and statesmen,
preachers and prostitutes, slaves and slavers. Masterfully orchestrated
and finely rendered, the result is a passionate and compelling work of
social history.
"Furguson is a lively writer with an eye for the apt quotation and the
telling incident...He brings to life a diverse cast of
characters."--Newsday
"Succeeds to a remarkable extent...Furguson brings war-torn Richmond to
life."--Baltimore Sun