Confederates
Synopsis
As the Civil War tears America apart, General Stonewall Jackson leads a troop of Confederate soldiers on a long trek north towards the battle they believe will be a conclusive victory. Through their hopes, fears and losses, Keneally conveys both the drama and mundane hardship of war, and brings to life one of the most emotive episodes in American history.
Author Biography
Thomas Keneally was born in Sydney in 1935. He completed his schooling at various schools on the New South Wales north coast before commencing theological studies for the Catholic priesthood. He abandoned this vocation in 1960 and turned to clerical work and teaching before publishing his first novel in 1964. Keneally has been short-listed for the Booker Prize on four occasions: in 1972 for The Chant of Jimmy Blacksmith, Gossip from the Forest in 1975, and Confederates in 1979, before winning the prize in 1982 with Schindler’s Ark. Thomas Keneally was awarded the Order of Australia in 1983 for his services to Australian Literature. He lives in Sydney.
