In this powerful and moving memoir, Robert Beecham tells of his Civil War experiences, both as an enlisted man in the fabled Iron Brigade of the Army of the Potomac and as an officer commanding a newly raised African-American unit. Written in 1902, Beecham recounts his war experiences with a keen eye toward the daily life of the soldier, the suffering and brutality of war, and the remarkable acts of valor, by soldiers both black and white, that punctuated the grind of long campaigns. As If It Were Glory is an unforgettable account of the Civil War, unclouded by sentimentality and insistent that the nation remain true to the cause for which it fought. Beecham's war was a long one--he served from May 1861 through the completion of the war in the spring of 1865. With the Iron Brigade he saw action at such momentous battles as Chancellorsville and then at Gettysburg, where he was taken prisoner. Returned to service in a prison exchange, Beecham was promoted to first lieutenant of the 23rd United States Colored Troops whom he lead in fierce fighting at the Battle of the Crater. At the Crater, Beecham was wounded, again captured, and, after eight months in a Confederate prison, escaped to find his way to Annapolis just before the conclusion of the war. In his narrative, Beecham celebrates the ingenuity of the enlisted man at the expense of officers who are often arrogant or incompetent. He also chides the altered recollections of fellow veterans who remember only triumphs and forgot defeats. In one of the most powerful parts of his memoir, Beecham pays tribute to the valor of the African Americans who fought under his command and insists that they were "the bravest and best soldiers that ever lived."

As we've come to expect from multi-million copy bestselling author Douglas Reeman, The Glory Boys expertly weaves close and detailed knowledge of the actual events of WWII into a simply brilliant and stirring action adventure, guaranteed to have you hooked from page one. Readers of Clive Cussler, Bernard Cornwell and Wilbur Smith will not be disappointed! 'One of our foremost writers of naval fiction' -- Sunday Times 'Mr Reeman writes with great knowledge about the sea and those who sail on it' --The Times 'A real adventure' -- ***** Reader review 'Great storyline - really grips you to the end' -- ***** Reader review 'Typically superbly written' -- ***** Reader review 'This author never lets you down' -- ***** Reader review 'Great reading -- edge of your seat stuff' -- ***** Reader review ******************************************************************************** They're called The Glory Boys, by those who regard their exploits with envy or contempt. January 1943: Glory Boy Bob Kearton - already a veteran and survivor of the close action in the English Channel and North Sea - is ordered to the Mediterranean and beleaguered Malta, a mere sixty miles from occupied Sicily. Unexpectedly promoted to lieutenant-commander, he is given charge of a newly formed and, as yet, incomplete flotilla of motor torpedo boats. Although the tide of defeat is thought to be turning, with the enemy no longer advancing along the North African coast, Kearton's is a new war of stealth, subterfuge, and daring, in which the Glory Boys are only too expendable.