Quantrill's War: The Life and Times of William Clarke Quantrill

Summary

Award-winning novelist and historian, Duane Schultz, dramatically recreates the treachery of Civil War "Colonel" William Clarke Quantrill's life and the riveting climax of his infamous raid on Lawrence, Kansas. From letters and diaries, Schultz skillfully weaves together this exciting, dark side of Quantrill-a man who was part warrior, part villain. At first, William Clarke Quantrill conveniently sided with whomever was the strongest at the time-abolitionists or slavery supporters-but eventually, he settled on backing the Confederacy. With his charismatic personality, he attracted a motley band of idealists and renegades for his guerilla army. Quantrill longed to be an officer, but when the Confederacy refused to commission him because of his tactics of murdering for pleasure and looting for gain, he simply took the title of colonel and later, captain. Narrator Richard M. Davidson takes the listener to the battlefields, bringing to life the people, sights, and sounds of the Civil War. The combination of Schultz's masterful descriptions and Davidson's sense of timing makes Quantrill's history as exciting as today's headlines.