US Historical Fiction/Civil War
Date Published: 05-13-2025
Publisher: Bariso Press
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.
Interview with Preston Lewis
Author of Too Much the Lion
What is your favorite part of the book?
Oddly enough, it’s the slave youth Henry B. Free, who serves as the conscience of Too Much the Lion. His interactions with Reverend Quintard were profound and were inspired by a talent greater than my own.
Does your book have a lesson? Moral?
Simply stated: Vanity and hubris kill.
Are your characters based off real people or did they all come entirely from your imagination?
They are all based on actual people, even the casualty lists of Confederate soldiers who perished. This came after two decades of research on the Battle of Franklin and its varied participants.
Of all the characters you have created, which is your favorite and why?
As the characters are all based on historical figures, I didn’t create any. My favorite historical figure is Confederate Major General Patrick R. Cleburne, an honorable man who immigrated to the United States from Ireland. He opposed slavery, but fought for the south because his neighbors in Helena, Arkansas, had been so welcoming to him. He was a man of integrity and one who deserves to be remembered.
What character in your book are you least likely to get along with?
Lieutenant John Bell Hood, whose vanity, hubris and obsession with frontal attacks cost countless lives. His callousness killed more of his own men than the enemy’s.
What would the main character in your book have to say about you?
Patrick Cleburne: Thanks for telling my story.
Do you want each book to stand on its own, or are you trying to build a body of work with connections between each book?
I’ve written standalones and series, though most of my series books are written to stand alone without having to read the previous volumes to understand the story. I aim for each book to provide a satisfying read.
About the Author
Preston Lewis is the award-winning author of more than 50 western, historical, juvenile, and nonfiction works. In 2021 he was inducted into the Texas Institute of Letters for his literary achievements.
Western Writers of America (WWA) has honored Lewis with two Spur Awards, one for best article and the second for best western novel. He has received ten Will Rogers Medallion Awards (six gold, two silver and two bronze) for written western humor, short stories, short nonfiction, and traditional Western novel.
Lewis is a past president of WWA and the West Texas Historical Association, which named him a fellow in 2016. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Baylor University and a master’s degree from Ohio State University, both in journalism. Additionally, he has a second master’s degree in history from Angelo State University. He lives in San Angelo, Texas, with wife Harriet Kocher Lewis.
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1 comments:
The book sounds very interesting. Thanks!
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