A New York Times Notable Book of 2025
An NPR Books We Love pick
A New York Times Editors' Choice pick

How to Dodge a Cannonball is a razor-sharp satire that dives into the heart of the Civil War, hilariously questioning the essence of the fight, not just for territory, but for the soul of America.

How to Dodge a Cannonball is funnier than the Civil War should ever be. It follows Anders, a teenage idealist who enlists and reenlists to shape the American Future -- as soon as he figures out what that is, who it includes, and why everyone wants him to die for it. Escaping his violently insane mother is a bonus.

Anders finds honor as a proud Union flag twirler -- until he's captured. Then he tries life as a diehard Confederate -- until fate asks him to die hard for the Confederacy at Gettysburg. Barely alive, Anders limps into a Black Union regiment in a stolen uniform. While visibly white, he claims to be an octoroon, and they claim to believe him. Only then does his life get truly strange.

His new brothers are even stranger, including a science-fiction playwright, a Haitian double agent, and a former slave feuding with God. Despite his best efforts, Anders starts seeing the war through their eyes, sparking ill-timed questions about who gets to be American or exploit the theater of war. Dennard Dayle's satire spares no one as doomed charges, draft riots, gleeful arms dealers, and native suppression campaigns test everyone's definition of loyalty.

Uproariously funny and revelatory, How to Dodge a Cannonball asks if America is worth fighting for. And then answers loudly. Read it while it's still legal.

• We started tracking this book on December 21, 2024.
• This book was $14.99 when we started tracking it.
• The price of this book has changed 2 times in the past 366 days.
• The current price of this book is $14.99 last checked 2 hours ago.
• This lowest price this book has been offered at in the past year is $2.99.
• The lowest price to date was $2.99 last reached on December 21, 2025.
• This book has been $2.99 one time since we started tracking it.
• The highest price to date was $14.99 last reached on December 22, 2025.
• This book has been $14.99 2 times since we started tracking it.
• This book is currently at its highest price since we started tracking it.

• Literature & FictionUnited StatesBlack & African AmericanHistorical
• Literature & FictionUnited States
• Literature & FictionBlack & African AmericanHistorical

• Text-to-Speech: Disabled
• Lending: Disabled
• Print Length: 317 Pages
• File Size: 60 KB