Starbuck Chronicles Books In Order

Publication Order of Starbuck Chronicles Books

The “Starbuck Chronicles” series written by British author Bernard Cornwell are historical fiction books, and are set during the American Civil War. The series began publication in the year 1993 when “Rebel” was released. Two real people appear in the books and Nathaniel meets them, they are Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr. and Jr.

It follows Nathaniel Starbuck, who was born in Boston and fights on the Confederate side. This is due his being in Richmond, Virigina when war breaks out. He is there to visit a friend of his named Adam Faulconer, who studies at the Yale seminary.

Nathaniel is described as having dark and long hair with gray eyes and being handsome, tall, and clean shaven. He is a young man studying theology at the Yale Seminary, like his friend Adam.

Growing up, he was beaten by his dad, while living a relatively pious life at this time. Both of which leaves him quite unprepared for life after he leaves home.

His dad is a radical abolitionist minister and is named Reverend Dr. Elial Starbuck. His dad hopes that he is going to follow him into the seminary.

“Rebel” is the first novel in the “Starbuck Chronicles” series, which was released in the year 1993. Washington Faulconer saves Nate Starbuck from a mob that hates anyone who is a Yankee. Nate was about to be tarred and feathered, along with a dentist from the North. He is awed and grateful towards his rescuer. To repay the guy’s generosity, Nate joins the Faulconer legion to battle his home, the North side, and opposite his abolitionist dad.

Nate is made second lieutenant, after being made an aide, and is tasked with assisting Faulconer equipping the regiment. The legion was put together by Faulconer to help the Confederacy, if war against the North proves to be unavoidable.

The regiment joins the fight, and is ready to march into a ferocious battle taking place at Buff Run. The guys are ready to start up a war. They are not at all prepared for how they as well as the nation are going to be forever changed by the oaths they swore for their South side.

Fans of the novel find that Nate is someone that they can sympathize with, despite him being someone that breaks all the rules and then pities himself for it. He is written in such a way that makes him feel like a real person, with him in danger a lot of the time and never seeming like he is a super hero at all. There are some vivid characters in this, and some great description of all of the scenery. The book shows a lot of the brutality that happened during this time.

“Copperhead” is the second novel in the “Starbuck Chronicles” series, which was released in the year 1994. Summer of 1862, and Nate has gotten bloody, but has won some victories during Seven Pines and Ball’s Bluff, two different battles. He is unable to shake his Northern roots, and quickly he is accused of spying for the Yankee side, chased, and then brutally interrogated. In order to clear his name, he will have to find out who the real traitor is. It is a search that is going to require extraordinary endurance, courage, and an odyssey behind the enemy’s lines.

Here is a book that is a perfect mix of informative and engaging. Fans of the novel feel that one of Cornwell’s strengths is taking the reader and putting them into the realistic battle scenes. He also shows the battles from the common soldiers’ point of view, rather than a general’s, which makes the whole thing more personal. Some feel that this is the best book of the series. Some found themselves reading this until they had finished it.

“Battle Flag” is the third novel in the “Starbuck Chronicles” series, which was released in the year 1995. It is a fight that Captain Nate Starbuck, who is a Yankee fighting with the South, must survive and win. He must lead his own ragged company through a bitter struggle, not just against the Northern army, but also against his superiors. They would like nothing more than to see Starbuck dead.

This novel does a great job of showing the Civil War from many different perspectives. Fans of the novel shows the conflicts in the minds of those that fought in the Civil War. You get to experience each of the battles with all of your senses while reading each of these books. It is obvious this author does a lot of research, and pays close attention to the details involved in the Civil War. Some hope to read more from this series, after this one.

“The Bloody Ground” is the fourth novel in the “Starbuck Chronicles” series, which was released in the year 1996. Nate is given the command of a punishment battalion: it is quite a motley group of deserters, cowards, killers, and thieves. They set off to go join the army of General Robert E. Lee, and he hopes to reach Harper’s Ferry so that they can be a part of Stonewall Jackson’s taking of the Union garrison.

After that, the regiment sets sights on Sharpsburg, a legendary horror and beside Antietam Creek. It is now remembered as the bloodiest day of the entire war. Starbuck and the troop he leads is going to have their commitment and courage tested like they never have before.

These books capture the movements of each battle and the strategy better than many other books, either fiction or non-fiction. These are some of the best descriptions of battles that fans of this book have ever read. Cornwell does a great job of telling this story, which makes them hard to put down for very long. The battle scenes he writes are quite riveting to boot. Cornwell does a great job of incorporating the research into the stories, and using things that actually happened. Some hope there were more books in the series, and hope that they can read more adventures starring this character.

One Response to “Starbuck Chronicles”

1. Emily Morin: 2 years ago

   Was hoping there would be more books in this series. Is there more to come.

   Reply