The Cotillion Brigade

A Novel of the Civil War and the Most Famous Female Militia in American History

By: Glen Craney

Narrated by: Jessica Schly, Matt Schly

Length: 18 hrs and 16 mins

Publisher's summary

Georgia burns.
Sherman’s Yankees are closing in.
Will the women of LaGrange run or fight?

Based on the true story of the celebrated Nancy Hart Rifles, The Cotillion Brigade is a sweeping epic of the Civil War’s ravages on family and love, the resilient bonds of sisterhood amid devastation, and the miracle of reconciliation between bitter enemies.

1856. Sixteen-year-old Nannie Colquitt Hill makes her debut in the antebellum society of the Chattahoochee River plantations. A thousand miles to the north, a Wisconsin farm boy, Hugh LaGrange, joins an Abolitionist crusade to ban slavery in Bleeding Kansas.

Five years later, secession and total war against the homefronts of Dixie hurl them toward a confrontation unrivaled in American history.

Nannie defies the traditions of Southern gentility by forming a women’s militia and drilling it four long years to prepare for battle. With their men dead, wounded, or retreating with the Confederate armies, only Captain Nannie and her Fighting Nancies stand between their beloved homes and the Yankee torches.

Hardened into a slashing Union cavalry colonel, Hugh duels Rebel generals Joseph Wheeler and Nathan Bedford Forrest across Tennessee and Alabama. As the war churns to a bloody climax, he is ordered to drive a burning stake deep into the heart of the Confederacy.

Yet one Georgia town - which by mocking coincidence bears Hugh’s last name - stands defiant in his path.

Listen to the remarkable story of the Southern women who formed America’s most famous female militia, and the Union officer whose life they changed forever.

©2021 Glen Craney (P)2021 Glen Craney

Good not great

I found this book very slow. Couldn’t get into it until I was 10 hours into it. Loved the ending though!

It was sweet

Not my favorite book but it was fine. I like history so this book was one for me to listen to for sure.

Interesting story of courageous women in their own right

This is a very interesting story, though knowing the outcome, one felt the futility of their cause. It is a good read, HORRIBLE narration.
I would not recommend the auditable version as this readers sounded like high school students desperately trying to earn a grade.

A new title might be in order

I really liked this book although it about bored me at times. It was hard to understand why there was so much about Hugh and his northern counterparts. The title would lead you wrongly to believe that the story is only about the women fighters.

Great read

I’ll be looking for more books from this author! Giving the Civil war stories from both sides.

Annoyingly Overacted

The narration was juvenile. It seemed like mid school students were given the task and made this Historical Fiction book with important themes appear to be a young adult book.

Tedious in the Extreme

I had to quit on this one, which I rarely do when reading or listening. The history of the events in this story is very interesting, but this telling is a confusing jumble of historical non-fiction, historical fiction and high school civil war lecture. Better narration could improve it some, but as it is, the narration detracts greatly from the flow of the story. I'm going to try reading it just to be fair to the author.

Head Spinning

I had high hopes for this book. Not just by the story, which sounded interesting and intriguing...but started so well! But seriously;? start out in one place; leave me cliff hung and never go back to complete that journey? ughh Bad form. i was left guessing; not knowing if they had safe passage out. Fast Forward to the gal pal banter. That could have used some editing as could have the banter between the Military Bros. All the time they are in Battle; sharing their woes, them we find out, all is not calm at home? But the kicker with all this zainy editing; the ping pong character reading at the end! Not a fan as it did not come off as conversational! As I guess that was the intention? No I do not recommend this book. Bad Editing, loose ends.

Not at all what we expected

Boring. Could not keep our attention. We listened to it, but did not like it

Rambling

Doesn't flow or follow description. Good attempt, but it just didn't hold my attention. Didn't understand Davis connection.