American Achilles: A Novel of the South and the Great War

(Paperback)

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The year is 1917. Europe's disastrous 3-year war has drawn America into its fiery vortex. The Clayton family, like many in the country is torn and at odds with the looming involvement. Discover this rich and moving portrayal of a Southern family during the tragic madness of WW1. American Achilles is the sequel to American Janus in the Southern Warrior Series. It continues the story of the Claytons, a proud, multi-generational North Carolina family. Follow their triumphs, trials and heartbreak during The Great War both at home and overseas on the Western Front.
The story follows the lives of four individuals. Noah Clayton, a captain in the U.S. Army who must train and lead the next troops for deployment to Europe; Jefferson Silver, a Black man fleeing north who enlists in the Harlem Hellfighters upon his arrival in New York; Tee Moser, who follows in his father's footsteps and succumbs to the temptations of easy riches; and Emma Clayton, a passionate advocate for women's suffrage, is chosen as one of the 'Hello Girls' translating messages at the front between the U.S. and French armies.
"American Achilles" is a rich and moving portrayal of a southern family during a momentous time in American history. It brings life to the tragic madness of the First World War and it horrific struggle in the trenches and infamous "no-man's land."

Author Bio

Douglas Shouse is a passionate historian with a special interest in American military history. He is the author of American Janus, a historical fiction novel of the South and its reckoning with the Civil War and Southern Reconstruction. It's the story of Harper Clayton, a Confederate veteran and his family at the dawn of the 20th century. While looking forward to the promise of a new century, Harper can never truly slip his inescapable past as a soldier in the American Civil War and Freedman's agent during Southern Reconstruction.
His new novel is American Achilles which continues the story of the Clayton family during The Great War (WW1). The Clayton family, along with the country, is at odds yet inexorably drawn into the war.
Douglas Shouse is also a writer of short stories, most notably The Almond Tree, a story of fantastical love and devotion in the Deep South.
He spent a career as a marketing strategist building consumer brands and creatively engaging audiences with innovative ideas and communications.
He is a graduate of Wake Forest University with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and a Masters in Business Administration from The WFU School of Management.
He lives in Winston-Salem, North Carolina with his lovely wife, Ruth and rambunctious golden doodle, Happy.
Keith Hobgood is a master illustrator with a host of graphic arts credits. He applies his skills at Out of Our Minds Studios and also teaches Illustration at the North Carolina Schools of the Arts.