13 Jun Book Review Shire’s Union Richard Buxton #ShiresUnion #AmericanCivilWar #Historical Fiction #BlogTour #TheCoffeePotBookClub @RichardBuxton65 @cathiedunn

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FEATURED AUTHOR: RICHARD BUXTON

It is my pleasure to introduce and feature the award-winning author, Richard Buxton, in The Coffee Pot Book Club Blog Tour, held between June 3rd – 14th, 2024. He is the author of the Historical Fiction trilogy, Shire’s Union, consisting of the following books:

  • Whirligig (Book #1) was released by Ocoee Publishing on 22 March 2017 (479 pages)
  • The Copper Road (Book #2) was released by Ocoee Publishing on 26 July 2020 (421 pages)
  • Tigers in Blue (Book #3)was released by Ocoee Publishing on 8 December 2023 (424 pages)


Below are highlights of the Shire’s Union trilogy, Richard Buxton’s author bio, and my 5-star review of Tigers in Blue (Book 3).

Tour Schedule Page: https://thecoffeepotbookclub.blogspot.com/2024/04/blog-tour-shires-union-trilogy-by-richard-buxton.html

 

HIGHLIGHTS: SHIRE’S UNION TRILOGY

 

 

Blurb:

Shire leaves his home and his life in Victorian England for the sake of a childhood promise, a promise that pulls him into the bleeding heart of the American Civil War. Lost in the bloody battlefields of the West, he discovers a second home for his loyalty.

Clara believes she has escaped from a predictable future of obligation and privilege, but her new life in the Appalachian Hills of Tennessee is decaying around her. In the mansion of Comrie, long hidden secrets are being slowly exhumed by a war that creeps ever closer.

The Shire’s Union trilogy is at once an outsider’s odyssey through the battle for Tennessee, a touching story of impossible love, and a portrait of America at war with itself. Self-interest and conflict, betrayal and passion, all fuse into a fateful climax.

Written by award winning author Richard Buxton, the Shire’s Union trilogy begins with Whirligig, is continued in The Copper Road, and concludes with Tigers in Blue.

Trilogy Amazon Buy Links:

US:  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08CDXDZDB

UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08CDXDZDB

BOOKS IN SHIRE’S UNION TRILOGY

 

Whirligig (Book #1)

Buy Links:

https://books2read.com/u/3GP7AO

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/whirligig-richard-buxton/1130891070

 

The Copper Road (Book #2)

Buy Link:

https://books2read.com/u/b5JRvR

 

Tigers in Blue (Book #3)

Buy Link:

 https://books2read.com/u/mVnXaA

 

AUTHOR BIO: RICHARD BUXTON

 


Richard lives with his family in the South Downs, Sussex, England. He completed an MA in Creative Writing at Chichester University in 2014. He has an abiding relationship with America, having studied at Syracuse University, New York State, in the late eighties. He travels extensively for research, especially in Tennessee, Georgia and Ohio, and is rarely happier than when setting off from a motel to spend the day wandering a battlefield or imagining the past close beside the churning wheel of a paddle steamer.

Richard’s short stories have won the Exeter Story Prize, the Bedford International Writing Competition and the Nivalis Short Story Award. His first novel, Whirligig (2017) was shortlisted for the Rubery International Book Award. It was followed by The Copper Road (2020) and the Shire’s Union trilogy was completed by Tigers in Blue (2023). To learn more about Richard’s writing visit www.richardbuxton.net.

Author Links:

Website: https://www.richardbuxton.net/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/RichardBuxton65

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ShiresUnion

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/richardbuxton63

Book Bub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/richard-buxton

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.co.uk/stores/author/B06XV3FYQF/about

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16673953.Richard_Buxton

 

BOOK REVIEW: TIGERS IN BLUE

 

 

The ravishes of the American Civil War weigh heavily on soldiers from both sides of the American Civil War, but memories of home and family haunt them as they prepare to battle in one of the deadliest campaigns in Tigers in Blue (Book 3 Shire’s Union) by Richard Buxton. Even though I had not read the first two books in the series, I was drawn to the stories of the various characters whose fates weave together in the Franklin–Nashville Campaign. Set in the fall of 1864, the story begins with a moving scene in which Shire, a Union soldier, finds a momentary respite away from his regiment as he walks alone in the woods of Georgia. He encounters another Union sharpshooter who asks him to find a spiderweb to use as crosshairs for his rifle. The sharpshooter deftly attaches the delicate threads across his scope and comments, “Spiders spins it with death in mind and I just use it for bigger game.” Spotting a rebel scout in the distance, the sharpshooter aims his rifle at the enemy but is shot in the head before he can discharge his weapon. Shire barely escapes the surprise attack, recognizing that he’d been keeping company with death for a whole year and wasn’t free of it yet.

Other characters from both sides of the war are spun into the complex web of General Hood’s campaign to lure Sherman westward into a final decisive battle. However, instead of pursuing Hood, Sherman coordinates with Union forces already in Tennessee to counter Hood as he continues marching the bulk of his army toward Savannah. Unbeknownst to Shire as his regiments prepare to defend Nashfield, the love of his life, Clara, has purchased a farm near Franklin. There, the families of Tod, Clara’s former lover and rebel soldier, reside. Opposing forces gather at Franklin, threatening to engulf opposing armies and homesteaders in the firestorm.Author Richard Buxton has written a powerfully moving story about historical figures whose lives are torn apart in the brutality of war. Yet, they cling to the hope of returning home. The character-driven story begins slowly as it weaves the backstories and subplots of various characters directly impacted by Hood’s campaign. The story is divided into four parts, encompassing the strategy and preparation for war on the Western front, the bloody battle at Franklin, and the aftermath of the campaign. The author eloquently captures the tender moments that are juxtaposed with the cruelty and chaos of warfare. I rapidly turned the pages in Parts 3 and 4 to learn the fates of characters after the battle at Franklin.


Tigers in Blue is a memorable odyssey that delves into the minds and souls of people, from both sides of the American Civil War, who had to overcome the trauma of war and maintain their humanity through their love for family. Highly recommended.

Twitter: @cathiedunn
Instagram & Threads: @thecoffeepotbookclub
Bluesky: @cathiedunn.bsky.social

 

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2 Comments
  • Cathie Dunn
    Posted at 03:47h, 13 June Reply

    Thank you for hosting Richard Buxton today, with such a fabulous review for Tigers in Blue. I’m delighted you enjoyed the novel.

    Take care,
    Cathie xo
    The Coffee Pot Book Club

    • Linnea Tanner
      Posted at 16:33h, 13 June Reply

      Hi Cathie–It was my pleasure to host Richard Buxton and to review his American Civil War novel, “Tigers in Blue.”

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