Brothers of War, The Iron Brigade at Gettysburg is a historical novel taking place during the American Civil War.  Meticulously researched and winner of several national awards for military history and historical fiction,  Brothers of War is based on actual brothers and their squad who fought as members of the famed Iron Brigade, particularly the Nineteenth Indiana Volunteer Infantry regiment.      This historical fiction not only puts readers into the middle of the Battle of Gettysburg, but also makes them feel as though they are among the soldiers marching, camping, and fighting in this epic story of the American Civil War.     If you want a book that makes you feel like you are actually in the story, then  Brothers of War The Iron Brigade at Gettysburg  is for you.  Although I spent years researching for the book and it is based on real people and real history, the story focuses on a small squad of individual soldiers within the Iron Brigade.    My goal was to put the reader in the squad... whether they are camping, marching, fighting, suffering, or lamenting their life before the war.    From the first page, you will experience the fear and feel the adrenaline.  As you face the enemy, you will hear the shells, the bullets, and the screams of your comrades.  And as a reader, you will come to love these characters and keep turning the page. Brothers of War, The Iron Brigade at Gettysburg Taking place in the backdrop of the American Civil War, the story weaves its way through the 1863 city streets of Alexandria, Virginia, Washington City, around army campfires, and even into the homes of the once peaceful town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Brothers of War has won several national awards and not only puts readers into the middle of the Battle of Gettysburg but also makes them feel the emotions of the soldiers who fought there. Following years of research, this historical fiction is based on actual brothers who fought as members of the Nineteenth Indiana Volunteer Infantry regiment, part of the famed Iron Brigade. A few characters and situations have been added to the story to develop the relationships forged in war and the impact of battle on the ordinary soldier. The main characters are two brothers, James and Solomon Whitlow, and their squad within the regiment. One of the squadmates, Elijah Hawkins, nicknamed 'Hawk', has a mysterious past and has a somewhat cynical view of the conflict. After two years of war, an environment in which Hawk seems to thrive, he realizes his only true family is the small squad that has gone through so much together. When the squad quarrels with an antagonistic sergeant, Hawk takes matters into his own hands. It isn't until deep into the story that Hawk's mysterious and violent past is revealed. Henry, on the other hand, is a Quaker who was talked into fighting in the war for a cause that becomes less clear as the brutality of the fighting continues. Struggling with thoughts of desertion, matters come to a head for Henry during the first day of battle at Gettysburg. The saga of Brothers of War begins in the dark woods behind enemy lines near Gettysburg with one of the brothers lying seriously wounded and waking up among the carnage following the first day of battle. As he slowly comes to his senses, another wounded soldier offers help, and together, they make a plan for their hopeful survival. The first chapter ends just as the enemy is approaching and the two Union soldiers are threatened by thoughts of being captured. The next chapter begins two weeks earlier as the Union Army is making its advance through Virginia, across the Potomac River into Maryland, and eventually into Pennsylvania. The fate of the entire nation lies in the balance as the Union and Confederate armies approach the small town of Gettysburg. Approximately 160,000 Americans fight there, resulting in the largest battle ever fought in the Western Hemisphere. After three days of fighting, the two armies suffer over 51,000 casualties including killed, wounded, captured, and missing. Readers will share the emotions and struggles of the soldiers as though they are among the men marching, camping, and fighting in this epic story of the American Civil War. Brothers of War, The Iron Brigade at Gettysburg is a historical novel taking place during the American Civil War. Meticulously researched, the story is based on actual brothers and their squad who fought as members of the Nineteenth Indiana Volunteer Infantry regiment, part of the famed Iron Brigade. This historical fiction has won several national awards and not only puts readers into the middle of the Battle of Gettysburg, but also makes them feel as though they are among the soldiers marching, camping, and fighting in this epic story of the American Civil War.      Michael Eisenhut has studied the American Civil War his entire life. While researching for Brothers of War , he spent several years focusing his study on the Battle of Gettys