Stonewall Jackson's Triumph and Tragedy books in order

Reading order

Darkness at Chancellorsville (2020) is a standalone Civil War novel by Ralph Peters, published under the Owen Parry / Ralph Peters name. The book covers the Battle of Chancellorsville in May 1863, widely considered Robert E. Lee’s greatest tactical victory despite being outnumbered roughly two to one by Union forces under Joseph Hooker.

The novel follows the battle through multiple viewpoints, as Peters did in his Battle Hymn Cycle. The central event is the flanking march led by Stonewall Jackson that routed the Union right wing, and the tragic aftermath when Jackson was accidentally shot by his own soldiers during the confused night fighting. Peters brings his usual attention to military detail and his ability to portray both sides with honesty. The book can be read on its own or as a companion to the Battle Hymn Cycle, which covers the later years of the war from Gettysburg onward.