Comments on: Fiction Review: The Shenandoah Spy http://www.brettschulte.net/CWBlog/2008/11/15/fiction-review-the-shenandoah-spy/ Informed Amateurs Blog the American Civil War Sat, 11 Feb 2012 11:41:50 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v= By: Francis Hamit http://www.brettschulte.net/CWBlog/2008/11/15/fiction-review-the-shenandoah-spy/comment-page-1/#comment-1739 Francis Hamit Tue, 18 Nov 2008 03:07:19 +0000 http://www.brettschulte.net/CWBlog/?p=2098#comment-1739 Well, I appreciate the review. The reason for the sex scenes is the published libel of Belle as "an accomplished prostitute" in the New York Herald by the reporter William Clark in the week after the Battle of Front Royal. It was a creative choice that not everyone is happy with, but one I stand by, given that the seduction of and by Captain Keily is essential to the narrative line. Were it not for that Belle would not have had the opportunity to spy on the Union Army staff meeting and tell Ashby of the Union plans to trap Jackson. I don't write for children. Sex was part of the mix, as were Victorian attitudes about love and marriage. Belle's sacrifice here cost her reputation and any hope of a "normal" life after the war. As for Mati Hari: That's World War One. As incredible as it may seem now, Belle's role as a spy was well know and widely published and she was reputed to be as beautiful and seductive as Cleopatra. That "Confederate Cleopatra was widely used as a short hand description of her. Well, I appreciate the review. The reason for the sex scenes is the published libel of Belle as “an accomplished prostitute” in the New York Herald by the reporter William Clark in the week after the Battle of Front Royal. It was a creative choice that not everyone is happy with, but one I stand by, given that the seduction of and by Captain Keily is essential to the narrative line. Were it not for that Belle would not have had the opportunity to spy on the Union Army staff meeting and tell Ashby of the Union plans to trap Jackson.

I don’t write for children. Sex was part of the mix, as were Victorian attitudes about love and marriage. Belle’s sacrifice here cost her reputation and any hope of a “normal” life after the war.

As for Mati Hari: That’s World War One. As incredible as it may seem now, Belle’s role as a spy was well know and widely published and she was reputed to be as beautiful and seductive as Cleopatra. That “Confederate Cleopatra was widely used as a short hand description of her.

]]> By: jmnlman http://www.brettschulte.net/CWBlog/2008/11/15/fiction-review-the-shenandoah-spy/comment-page-1/#comment-1707 jmnlman Sun, 16 Nov 2008 04:14:29 +0000 http://www.brettschulte.net/CWBlog/?p=2098#comment-1707 Sounds interesting although I'm slightly baffled by the title wouldn't Mata Hari make more sense than Cleopatra? Or am I missing something? Sounds interesting although I’m slightly baffled by the title wouldn’t Mata Hari make more sense than Cleopatra? Or am I missing something?

]]>