The Parting

Richard Barlow Adams' new book, The Parting: A Story of West Point on the Eve of the Civil War, is a tale of friends, classmates and colleagues being ripped apart by a great divide—the Civil War. As these young men prepare to lay down their lives for their country, camaraderie and romance still find a way into their not yet battle-hardened hearts. The Parting is a story of love and war, tragedy and triumph.

Mr. Adams brings to life the lives and studies of West Point students during this turbulent period. This book will be of value and interest to anyone researching West Point or the time period before the Civil War.  The war itself enters into the story only as a few chapters scattered throughout the book and the events are not always in chronological order.

If you’re interested in seamless immersion into the hearts and minds of men as they fought, this may not be the book you’re looking for. However, the time spent among the young cadets as they reach adulthood and define who and what they’ll fight for is diverting.