P.G. Nagle - GALVESTON

A Forge Book Hardcover August 2002 ISBN 0-312-87614-9	A Forge Book Paperback July 2003 ISBN 0-812-56573-8	Reading Group Discussion Guide: Galveston "...while we defend our rights with our strong arms and honest hearts, those we meet in battle may also have hearts as brave and honest as our own." --Albert Miller Lea
There are three "point of view" characters in Galveston: Jamie Russell, Emma Russell, and Quincy Wheat. Which character did you find most interesting and why? Which character resonated most strongly for you? Would you have liked to see the story through the eyes of a different character? Do you think the author presented a balanced picture of the opposing forces in the war (Federal and Confederate)? Which do you think played a more crucial role in the wartime events portrayed in Galveston - the armies or the navies? Do you wish any of the characters who died had lived, or vice versa? Why? How did manners and morals in the 1860's differ from our manners and morals today? Did the novel convey a vivid sense of time and place? Did you get a good feel for the setting while enjoying the story, or did it feel too much like a "history lesson?" Did you get a sense of how the events in Texas fit into the larger picture of the war and what was happening in the country in 1862? Were the real historical characters portrayed well? What did you learn about historical figures from this story? What scenes or characters do you think are most memorable? Have you visited any of the localities used for settings in the novel? If not, have you visited any Civil War battlefields? Have you visited a 19th-century (or earlier) sailing vessel or a steamboat? What were your impressions? Did you find the use of archaic words, phrases, and grammar confusing? Did they enhance the story or distract from it? Did you like the historic quotes at the beginning of each chapter? Did they enhance your enjoyment of the book? After reading the book, what is your reaction to the quote from General Sibley at the beginning of the book? What question would you most like to ask P.G. Nagle about Galveston? Would you recommend this book to others? Did it make you want to read more books by P.G. Nagle?