Reviews of “To Make Men Free”
& “No Greater Courage”

“The bloodiest day of the Civil War, a Union victory that crushed Lee's first invasion of the North and gave Lincoln a triumphal pretext for the Emancipation Proclamation, is the subject of this rousing, panoramic debut historical. Documentary filmmaker Croker skillfully fictionalizes a meticulously researched account of the battle, the campaign that preceded it and its momentous political fallout that is more comprehensive than many nonfiction treatments. In vivid, punchy scenes, occasionally illustrated with maps, readers follow the strategic maneuvers of the Union and Confederate armies, learn how to operate a cannon and amputate a leg, and get swept up in the panic and pathos of combat. Croker fleshes out the gore and gallantry on the battlefield with a sprawling cast of well-drawn characters, from Lincoln and his cabinet down to lowly privates. Particularly interesting is his portrait of Union General-in-chief George McClellan, one of the more fascinating psyches in American history, whose mixture of insufferable vainglory and paralyzing insecurity constituted a major obstacle to a Northern victory. His combination of period detail, gripping battle scenes and psychological insight bring the epic to life.”

“A Capable imaging of America’s bloodiest battle... Croker delivers a tale that would make Bruce Catton and Shelby (Foote) proud… A solid debut…well researched and delivered.”

Ted Alexander
Chief Historian, Antietam National Battlefield Park

William Diehl
Best Selling Author of Sharky's Machine, Thai Horse, 27, Primal Fear, and Eureka